Varsity Boys Basketball fell to Gunn High School 52-46 on its senior night on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

The team ended the first quarter in the lead, with a score of 16-7, but senior Theodore Zhang attributes its loss to the teams’ faltering energy in the second half.

“We’re all really embracing the senior night energy today,” Zhang said. “We have good energy at the beginning. I really hope that eventually we’ll be able to keep that energy throughout the entire game, but I think this is a good starting block for next season.”

Senior Keshav Balaji agrees with Zhang and believes the team “should have won” because of their early lead. He attributes the team’s loss to poor performance in the second quarter.

“In the second quarter, we just let it all go,” Balaji said. “It was neck and neck the whole game. I feel like that momentum changed early, and the second quarter was kind of what fueled their win.”

Despite the loss, Zhang has hope for the future and believes there is “a solid foundation for the up and coming members.” He wants the team to continue improving after he graduates and urges them to work hard, win and most importantly always have good energy on the court.

Reflecting on his final home game, Balaji finds his career with the team was “fun, a great learning experience and one of the greatest experiences in [his] life.” He plans to attend future games after graduating and, like Zhang, is optimistic for the future of MVHS Boys Basketball.

“Coach [Wade] Nakamura and Coach Joe [Quilici] are brilliant coaches,” Balaji said. “I hope that they get the due time to nurture the team and instill a new MV basketball culture, [one] that we’ve just started with last year. We’re just starting, and MV basketball is going to be great.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Anna Jerolimov

Senior Theodore Zhang runs between two opposition players in an attempt to score a layup.