WARRIORS HOLD STRONG VS. TOUGH ROYALS

By Charlotte Oh

The boys high school basketball season continued as the St. Paul Warriors defended their home court against the Notre Dame Royals in an intense game Tuesday night. Although both teams were looking to secure a better record in the ISA/IIAAG league, the Warriors led the game from start to finish, working together to secure their 68-56 victory. 

The Warriors started off the game strong on defense, putting pressure on the Royals, who struggled to make a drive towards the basket and were forced into turnovers.  

Bless Aisek, a junior captain on St. Paul and the high scorer for his team with 13 points, shared that the Warriors defense has been a key focus throughout the season. “We practice a lot of defense, mostly our zone defense. We’re preparing for bigger games like this,” Aisek said.

Throughout the first half, the Warriors hustled to keep the Royals out of rhythm on offense, forcing them to throw disconnected passes and difficult shots. Working better as a team overall, the Warriors pulled away in points, going into halftime with a 43-30 lead. 

The Royals didn’t give up easily, however, as the 3rd quarter proved to be their chance to bring the game back. Top shooters from ND, Rayne Cornelius and Aiden Mantanona raked up points in the beginning of the third quarter, leading the Royals to a mere eight point difference at 48-40. 

Cornelius was the high scorer of the game with 20 points, while Mantanona added 14 for the Royals. 

Continuing the third quarter, the Royals couldn’t keep the momentum going as the Warriors fought back on offense as well. Mike Bork, scoring most of his 12 points with quick layups, proved to be a key team player throughout the game. His steals and precise passes created openings for his teammates to finish and score. At the rim, St. Paul’s Francis Jones and Aisek took control, grabbing rebounds over the smaller Royals.  

To finish the game strong, the Warriors maintained their intensity and refused to give the Royals another chance. As both teams became more aggressive, the game grew more physical, firing up both the crowd and the coaches. The Warriors didn’t let the chaos faze them, staying composed on offense, using all five players on the court to create clean plays. On defense, the Warriors locked down every man and rushed for the ball, intercepting the Royals’ forced passes. The fourth quarter ended positively for the Warriors, 68-56.  

Aisek noted the key to their win today, “Our ability to execute our offense and lock down on defense.”

Although this night confirmed the Warriors ability to display their skills and teamwork on the court, Aisek stays humble, not completely satisfied with his team’s performance. 

“I feel alright. I think we can do better than this, especially against these kinds of teams. I think we’ll go home and prepare for it.”

The Warriors will face the Harvest Eagles this upcoming Friday, while the Royals get a rest before playing the Eagles on Tuesday. 

OTHER TUESDAY SCORES

JFK 81, Tiyan 55

GW 66, Sanchez 61

Harvest 54, CTECH 37

St. John’s 46, Guam High 45

FD 76, Southern 45