Boys’ varsity basketball faced off against Capuchino High School on Wednesday, Dec. 13, narrowly defeating the Mustangs 50-45 in a back-and-forth affair. It was a close game throughout, as neither team led by more than seven at any point during the game. And while the Mustangs had the edge for the majority of the contest, they could never gain enough separation to take control. 

The two squads exchanged buckets in the fast-paced first half. Burlingame was aggressive getting to the basket, with numerous slashes to the rim from senior guard Alain Kazarian. 

Those drives created scoring opportunities on the offensive end, but the Panthers struggled to finish inside and were unable to take advantage of many chances in the paint.

“The main thing for us is continuing to try to work together as a unit,” head coach David Lopez said.

Coming into the second half leading by two, it was Capuchino who finally made the most of their momentum, generating a six-point lead and forcing Burlingame to call a timeout. 

But whatever Lopez said in the huddle worked. Once the whistle blew to resume play, the Panthers picked up their intensity and effort. Kazarian knocked down a three, got a steal on the defensive end and drove to the basket for another contest layup. Another steal got Burlingame to the free throw line, and all of a sudden the game was tied. 

“I thought we did a great job of staying together,” Lopez said. “We fought through some adversity through the course of the game but we stuck it out and played good defense in the second half and we got the win.”

The teams traded scores until midway through the fourth quarter when Burlingame went on a final run to take the lead for good. Senior Zach Shapiro drove to the basket and finished at the rim through contact to give his team the 39-38 advantage. 

With just a few minutes remaining, it was the Panthers’ effort that won them the game. Persistent defense forced Mustang turnovers. On offense, the squad found another gear, rallying to the ball and crashing the boards for second-chance opportunities. 

An extra possession led to a bucket from sophomore Jean-Luc Uharriet to retake the lead. Lopez showed trust in his young talent, leaving Uharriet and Anthony Atkinson in the game during crunch time.

“I thought all our guys played well,” Lopez said. “I thought every one of them gave us great minutes. It was fantastic. To see them step up together and make plays and band together.”

But the big moment came with three minutes left. Leading 41-40, Shapiro received a pass off an offensive rebound near the top of the key. Wide open, and his teammates shouting for him to shoot from the bench, Shapiro let it fly. The three-point attempt hit the backboard and went in, giving the Panthers a two-possession lead, and quieting a stunned and energetic Capuchino crowd. The three all but sealed the win, as the Mustangs couldn’t mount a comeback.

“The highlight of the game was honestly seeing everyone smile after the game and that’s always my favorite part,” Lopez said. “When we get a win and everyone’s happy.”

Shapiro was impressive on defense throughout the contest, racking up a few steals and blocks. He also grabbed 13 rebounds. 

It was Kazarian who carried the scoring load. He put up 20 points to lead all scorers, along with 5 boards.

The Panthers played another close game against El Camino High School the next night, hanging on 42-41. Kazarian had 11 points, and senior Ryan Dougherty added 10. 

“It’s a big one for us,” Lopez said. “Every win is big. We don’t take them for granted and we’re just gonna keep pushing, trying to get better.”

Next up is a clash with King’s Academy on Wednesday, Dec 20. Despite a loss to Leigh High School over the weekend, Lopez believes the team is still going in the right direction. 

“We’ve grown so much,” Lopez said. “Even from the summer to now, we’ve become a better team progressively. We’ve done a great job of improving our defense and we’re getting our chemistry on offense down slowly but surely.”