Historic Hooping: NCS Win

In a historic fashion, the men’s varsity basketball team secured a monumental victory, as they clinched their first North Coast Section (NCS) championship against the Athenian School, etching their names into the School’s sports legacy.

February 23rd, 2024, will forever be remembered as one of the most memorable nights in school history, as the energy in the Paul Chapman Pavilion on campus was through the roof. It was the first sports game in school history where both of the bleachers on each side of the court were packed with fans, leaving many students and adults to overflow and stand courtside.

The Athenian Owls started the game off hot, as they jumped to a quick 9-1 lead, causing the Jayhawks to call a timeout. Starting point guard and junior Bryce Clepper recalls, “I was never nervous during the game. Even with that run they went on in the beginning of the game. I knew that me and my guys could fight through it.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Coming out of the timeout, the Jayhawks flipped the switch and caught up to the Owls, eventually taking the lead in the second quarter 18-16. 

It was neck and neck throughout the first half as the lead swapped back and forth, but the Jayhawks came out of halftime down 26-20. Despite being down, the team remained motivated to take charge and win the School’s first NCS Basketball Championship. 

The Jayhawks were able to pull through in the second half, winning the game 66-46 over the Owls. Clepper finished the game with 15 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Senior Marcel Pierre-Louis finished with 13 points, and 9 rebounds, while junior Micah Riebel, finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. “It was history, we were the first team to ever do it, and we did it at our place,” shared Clepper.

Last year, the team made it to the NCS Championship game against the Urban School and suffered a heartbreaking loss, finishing in second place. This year the team came for vengeance. Clepper stated that “we wanted to come back and make a statement this year that we can win NCS.” 

The team once again finished the season with an incredible winning record of 27-5, just two games away from beating the school record of  28-5, set just a year ago.. The team rode a 15 game win streak into the playoffs and were undefeated in league play and in home games. 

After NCS Playoffs, the team punched their ticket to the D3 State Championship Tournament, the highest level the School’s basketball team has ever reached.  

It is safe to say that the 2023-24 Men’s Basketball Team has cemented its spot as the best athletics team the School has ever seen, and much of the squad is ready to run it back again next season.