Boys’ Varsity Basketball Clinches Championship Title
Vibhav Kumar ’20 and Nicket Mauskar ’20 provide a recap of the Boys’ Varsity basketball team’s championship season:
As fall ended, winter began, along with a new basketball season. The Boys’ Varsity basketball captain and many of our star players graduated back in May, so this was widely seen as a rebuilding year for the team. Our players, mostly sophomores and juniors, challenged ourselves to not be daunted by the obstacles we would face during the season.
Despite our initial doubts, everyone believed that we were capable of achieving something great. We started the season with a win against a tough team. Over the course of the fall and winter, however, we lost many tough games in dramatic fashion. The team grew closer as the season progressed and at the end of the regular season we were ready to make a deep playoff push.
Heading into the playoffs as the number #3 seed, we embraced the opportunity to face off once again with a team we had lost to twice (both times by a difference of just two points). The dynamic from the very start of the playoffs carried through all the games, and this helped us play at a quicker tempo and higher energy level than ever before. Not only did we want to rebound from our previous losses, but we also wanted have one more opportunity to play in a championship game – the first one for the BUA Boys’ Varsity basketball team in three years.
As tip-off for the championship game approached, the excitement and intensity emanating from the fans of both teams in Sargent Gym rose to levels never seen before. It was a tough battle from the start, as the lead changed multiple times before the first half ended. Down by five at halftime, we knew the game was far from over: both teams were playing their hearts out. In the second half, as the clocked ticked ever closer to zero, we found ourselves down five points with just ten seconds left.
A miracle sequence then unfolded: a clutch three followed by a buzzer-beater layup tied the game as the clock hit zero. In overtime, BUA’s roaring fans pushed us toward a strong finish despite our overwhelming fatigue. When the game ended, BUA Boys’ basketball had won its first championship in more than a decade, 73-68: we couldn’t believe it. The atmosphere in the gym that night is something we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Our team would like to give a special shout-out to Aaron Revoir ’19 for four years of hard work and for bringing the BUA basketball program to a different level. We are so happy his high school career ended on a high note.