The last time Menlo boys basketball beat their archrivals, Sacred Heart Prep, was Jan. 17, 2020. It’s been a 14-game streak that’s included crushing playoff losses and a variety of regular-season defeats. With a thrilling overtime loss 59-53 on Jan. 20, the Knights were just short of breaking the streak.
The Knights started the season with a 10-8 record and are currently 2-3 in league play. After starting with four straight wins, the team has been up and down since a 59-53 win over Pacific Grove. The Knights also took on four schools in a Southern California tournament over holiday break, finishing with a 2-2 record.
Head coach Ben Batory is satisfied with the team’s performance thus far and is optimistic for the rest of the season. “We’ve won the games we were supposed to win but we’ve lost the games we were supposed to lose,” Batory said. “We need to flip that script.”
Batory describes their league schedule as particularly challenging this season. “We’ve been working hard to raise our level,” Batory said.
The team hopes to reverse what has been a one-sided rivalry with SHP. “Scouting the tendencies of opposing teams and exploiting them is going to be important,” sophomore guard JayAr Davis said.
