Rebel’s Basketball came out strong with a hard-fought win against Chadwick for their Senior Night and Pack the Place, with the final score being 50-45. Though they lost to Providence two nights prior, their win against Chadwick put them in second place in league.

Throughout the first and second quarters, both the Dolphin’s and the Rebel’s lockdown defense led to a static game. Both teams forced tough shots and incomplete passes, leading to many turnovers. But towards the end of the first quarter, the Rebels were able to increase their on and off-ball movement. Such movement was crucial as they picked up momentum by the end of the quarter, increasing their score up to 24 by the end of the half. And, through their strong display of defense, the Rebels limited the Dolphin’s pick-and-roll plays, which led them to only score 15 points.

The Rebels were able to start the second half with energy, scoring 13 points by the end of the quarter. By dribbling the ball towards the paint, Kevin Ashworth ‘20 was able to attract multiple defenders, leaving John Lytle ‘19, Zach Kim ‘21, and AJ Nicassio ‘19, open at the three-point line. Kevin was also able to feed the ball to Zach Kim, Matthew Ho ‘21, and other players that cut to the basket, leading to high percentage shots. But it wasn’t only the Rebel’s strong offense that led to a widening gap in the scores. AJ Nicassio’s lockdown defense in the paint opened fast-break opportunities that led to either a layup or a foul. Because of the Rebel’s immense effort, the Rebels went into the fourth quarter with confidence. In fact, throughout the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Rebels extended their lead by up to 15 points. But it was such a gap that led to a lack of defense. Because of the Rebel’s lack of defense, coupled with the Dolphin’s full-court press and multiplied and-one opportunities, the last three minutes of the fourth quarter were intense: the Dolphins were able to diminish the gap to within five points. In fact, the Dolphins scored 26 in the fourth quarter. But the Dolphin’s came up short, as the Rebels were able to extend their lead in the last seconds of the game, leading to a score of 51-45.

Though the rebels played hard, the fans undoubtedly played a role in the game. Through their fan chants and distractions, they added the necessary energy to the game. With the “Under the Sea” theme, fans waved pool noodles, plush dolphins, and inflatable tubes, making it a memorable Senior Night for Torres Shi ‘19, AJ Nicassio ‘19, and John Lytle ‘19.