Cardinals take an early playoff exit, break streak (2/09)

By Yosha Huang

Feb. 20, 2009

          The smell of sweat and revenge hung in the air as the stampede of footsteps diminished and the buzzer rang in the Lowell gym.
          The JV boys’ basketball team ended its season with a heartbreaking 10-point defeat at the hands of the Lincoln Mustangs on Feb. 10. Despite placing behind their rivals, Washington and Lincoln, the team finished with a respectable record of 16-3.
          At the playoffs, the team started off slow, playing the catch-up game. In the second half, the team had few defensive stops, allowing the Mustangs easy shots under the basket. Sophomore center Jimmy Yan kept the team in the game with rebounds and points, according to freshmen center Jackson Miao.
          Earlier, the Eagles had hammered the Cardinal team at the Battle of the Birds on Jan. 30. Kezar’s crowded gym was stuffed with coaches, players, cheerleaders and spectators jumping madly and anxiously cheering on the team. The Eagles, looking to avenge their five-point loss at the championships last year, put up a tough battle and were successful in dishing out the Cardinals.
          As in the Battle of the Birds, Lowell has been the greatest enemy for every team in the AAA league. Washington’s bright red “Beat Lowell” t-shirts said it all. “They really wanted it   (the championships) more,” Jimmy Yan said. “Every loose ball was theirs.”
          The Cardinals started off the game slow but kept pace with the Eagles for the first two quarters, trailing by only five points at halftime. The team was able to hit a few clutch threes and got themselves to the foul line, although they missed critical foul shots at the end of the game.
          In the second half, the Eagles came out in their full court pressure defense, and fed off of the Cardinals’ turnovers. “They probably did not score more than four points off their half court offense -- it was all off of our turnovers and fast breaks,” Jimmy Yan said. “We had 24 turnovers.”
          The Eagles built up their lead with strong defense, at one point leading by 14 points. They never wavered, handing the Cardinals a 36-47 loss. “We played nowhere near what we are capable of,” Jimmy Yan said.
          Three days after their Kezar defeat the team bounced back with a double-digit victory over Marshall by a score of 38-21. The team continued to pave their way to success with a 23-point win against Balboa on Feb. 4. On Jan. 27, the team thrashed the Mission Bears — a playoff team from last year — with a victory of 48-37. The team’s strategy was to “slow down and execute,” according to sophomore guard Edwin Yan.
          The team also defeated Wallenburg 47-34 on Jan. 21and 43-19 against Galileo on Jan 13. On Dec. 20, the team divided itself into freshmen and sophomores and squared off against Riordan. The sophomore team lost 27-40 to Riordan, but the freshman team brought home a 39-35 victory.
          Although the team had only seven returning players, it was still a solid team with many talented new recruits. “Our biggest advantage was that our bench was strong and we could play anybody anytime,” said Jimmy Yan, “We also had one of the biggest teams in the league.”
Edwin Yan agreed that the team was very strong. “We were pretty good all around,” he said, “We had height and all of us were pretty fast.”
          Although the team needed to work on communication, they had come a long way. “This year we are stronger and we don’t just have individuals carrying the team,” Edwin Yan said. “It was more of a team effort.”
          Next year, the team will suffer the loss of many tough sophomores, including point guard captain Casey Chow, who led the team in assists. “He was a very vocal leader and kept everyone on the same page during offensive plays,” coach Aaron Koga said. The team will also lose scorers including sophomores forward Ricco Price and guard Jay Chiu.
          The boys keep their heads and hopes high. “We have that bitter taste in our mouth,” said Miao. “When we play them (Lincoln and Washington) next time, we will really come out strong.”
          The Lowell’s choice for MVP is sophomore center Jimmy Yan. “Last year, during tryouts, he could barely do right handed lay-ups,” Koga said. “Now, he has really grasped the concept of inside presence. He put in the effort to get better and to make other players work as hard as him in practice and in games.” His inspiring effort has earned him The Lowell’s MVP honors.