The boys basketball team took on North Chicago on Friday, Feb. 11, at an away game matchup in the Warhawks’ home gym. The final score was 48-41 favoring Antioch. It was a close game until the Sequoits pulled away at the end while shooting 63% from the field in the fourth quarter.
The team has struggled this year while not in their home gym, losing their first nine games on the road. While junior Jake Mallek has been injured most of the season, he competes in practice and has a front-row seat in watching the Sequoits turn it around.
“We have gotten more comfortable playing in opposing teams’ gyms throughout the season,” Mallek said. “We had a very poor game last year at North Chicago and we have proved that we are getting more comfortable in harsher environments.”
In preparation for upcoming years, Coach Sean Connor has looked to the sophomore class to play off the bench. Many have proven their stay and have shown to be sufficient players for the Sequoits.
“We had a fantastic game and we worked together including the sophomores that were brought up,” junior Ryan Emering said. “They pressure the ball a lot and we handled the ball better than last time we played them.”
As the regular season comes to a close, the team hopes to win out against a tough schedule in order to have momentum going into regionals.
“I think it gave us a lot more confidence going forward, especially on the road,” junior Emmy Zamudio said.
Luckily for the team, they host the Lakes for their regional semis at their home gym on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Come and support your Sequoits take on their NLCC rivals.
