Boys' Basketball Headed To City Division-II Finals

Back-to-back Division-II Champions has a nice ring for the Boys' Basketball squad and the entire Wildcat Nation. A 73-63 win over the Narbonne Gauchos has given the Wildcats a chance to claim another City Division-II title, which would be their second in a row and third in the since 2002. The Cats also clinched a berth in the State Division-II Playoffs.
Although it didn't look good early, the Cats made sure the Gauchos would not ruin a their playoff run. Narbonne jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first couple of minutes and had the Cats on the ropes. Head Coach Steve Ackerman jumped into action by calling a timeout to which the Cats responded with a 23-0 run into the second quarter and by outscoring the Gauchos 37-13 to end the first half.
The Cats used their length on defense to disrupt the Gauchos' smaller guards while forwards David Nwaba, Anthony Harris Jr. and Andre Harris used their power and advantage in athleticism to control the paint. "We're a much bigger team and we were able to [control the paint]," said Nwaba
In the second half, the Cats had to withstand a rally by the Gauchos that began with a 19-11 Gauchos third quarter. The Gauchos would cut the Cats' lead down to single digits but could not make a final push to retake the lead.
The intensity in the final quarter picked up as supporters on both sides rallied their troops. Senior Alex Brooks helped put the game away with clutch free-throws. Brooks, the Cats' leading scorer, struggled all game long with a feisty defenders shadowing his every move, but he managed to go 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to help the Cats hold the Gauchos off.
Nwaba finished the game with 14 pts, 8 rebs. and 5 blks. while Harris Jr. scored 13 pts with 8 rebs. Andre Harris led all scorers with 19 pts, with 6 rebs and 6 ast. Brooks added 11 pts.
A classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up will take place in the Division-II Finals as the Cats will take on the top-seeded Reseda Regents this Saturday, Mar. 7, at 4 p.m. at the Edward Roybal Learning Center. The Cats' will be underdogs for the first time this postseason in what should be a phenomenal game with two unfamiliar opponents from respected leagues going at it for the championship.