The JV boys’ basketball team fought their way to the top but in the end, the team was defeated by the mighty Lincoln Mustangs at the championship, 37-53. The Cardinals’ record stands at 9-2 this season. The team played a close game in the beginning, ending the first half with a score of 23-24. However, the boys could not keep up their defense, and a series of strong rebounds by the Mustangs prevented the Cards from scoring. The Mustangs scored 29 points in the second half while the Cardinals only managed to gain less than half of that.

Before their final buzzer in the championship, the Cardinals kept up their strong record, clinching a close 33-32 victory over the Washington Eagles at the Battle of the Birds playoff game. The team started off with a 15-14 lead, but the game was hard-fought, until freshman point guard Jamal Thompson made a three-point shot in the last 17 seconds, stealing a win.

Most Valuable Players

Two returning players are contributing their playing experience from last year to the JV boys’ basketball team’s victories. The Lowell’s choices for JV boys’ basketball most valuable players are sophomore point guard Matt Quesada and sophomore forward Jonathan Li, the two co-captains of the team.

In addition to shining in games, the dynamic duo also motivated the team. “Jonathan was very encouraging and Quesada was great on the court,” freshman forward Sam Scharffenberger said.

Quesada and Li helped lead the team reach the championships. “They were great leaders both on and off the court, and the team looked up to them,” head coach Aaron Koga said. “They were the only two returning players with playing experience from last year, and they helped use that experience to get to where they’re at now.”

A version of this article first appeared in the Feb. 25, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.