The varsity boys basketball team easily defeated the Gators of SHP in the teams’ first hardwood matchup. Staff photo by Connor Van Ligten.

By Connor Van Ligten

The Gators home crowd was silenced as the Menlo boys basketball team ran away with a 62-42 victory on Tuesday night. Although the Gators held a 12-10 lead after the end of the 1st period, the Knights outscored SHP 16-9 in the second period and never looked back. The excitement of the Sacred Heart students dissipated into a hushed silence as the Menlo crowd cheered on their Knights as the lead grew and grew.

Senior Joe Foley put up an impressive 14 points and 6 rebounds while also providing a huge defensive effort with 4 steals. Senior Riley Woodson was a monster in the paint with 14 rebounds and 4 assists. However, leading the charge for the Knights was fan favorite Senior Thomas Brown, who dropped 23 points on the fledgling Gators, scoring 9 in the second quarter alone. Sacred Heart struggled to find an offensive rhythm after the first period and was outpaced by the Knights in nearly every aspect. While Menlo’s defense clamped down hard on the Gators, Sacred Heart had trouble defending the interior, letting Menlo convert 14 free throws on 22 attempts. In addition, Menlo held a huge rebounding advantage of 35-25 over the Gators on both ends, getting 12 offensive rebounds to the Gators’ 5.

The game’s conclusion involved a tense moment for both schools, as the defeated Gator students’ chant of “Valpo Bowl” was quickly drowned out by the triumphant “scoreboard” chants by the victorious Menlo students. The Sea of Gold came out with a strong presence, rattling the Sacred Heart players on the court with their intensity.

The Knights improved their record to 10-1 overall and remain undefeated in WBAL play. They play Harker next at home on January 11th at 6:30 p.m.