The Runnin’ Rebels, the boys’ varsity basketball team, have a history of close games – five of Stuyvesant’s games have been decided by five points or less. The 52-49 loss to the Cougars of A.P. Randolph High School on Monday, January 13 was the most dramatic of these games when the Rebels gave up a six point lead in the fourth quarter.
In the final seconds of the game, junior Nolan Becker scored a lay-up to bring the Rebels to a 49-49 tie. Although the buzzer already sounded, and the Rebels expected to play overtime, the officials put back 1.2 seconds back on the clock after a timeout was called by the Cougars. Then senior and Cougar Ramon Reyes made a lob pass with the ball to fellow senior and Cougar Frederick Carrero, who threw up the ball and made the winning shot from beyond mid-court. With the Rebels and the crowd in shock, the Cougars embraced each other and celebrated on court as the Rebels lost their second straight game.
On Wednesday, January 16, the Rebels overcame a 17-point deficit in a game against Martin Luther King Jr. High School to send the game to overtime. Senior Suraj Cheema scored a two-point shot to bring the Rebels within two with 2.2 seconds left. They could not advance the ball on their next possession and lost, 48-46. Now 7-6, Stuyvesant extended their losing streak to three games.
The Rebels ended their three-game winning streak on Friday, January 14 with a 63-50 loss on the road to the top-ranked Food and Finance High School, who remain undefeated at 12-0. Becker was the lead-scorer for the Rebels with 23 points.
Stuyvesant’s last win was on Wednesday, January 9 when they came away with a 53-40 win against the Dragons of High School for Math, Science, and Engineering (0-10), on Wednesday, January 9. In this game, Stuyvesant started strong, outscoring their opponents, 27-12, in the first half. However, because bench players played for the Rebels during the majority of the second half, Stuyvesant could not maintain the large lead they had in the first two quarters.
The 13-point win was a relief for the Rebels after they narrowly defeated George Washington High School, 41-39, on Friday, January 4. Halftime found the Rebels trailing by ten points. They started the second half with a “veteran” lineup of four seniors and one junior, and due to a third quarter comeback, won by a basket.
Senior and captain Jake LaMountain attributed the close victory to an inadequate warm-up as well as an improved George Washington team. “They played better as a team, and had a new player [due to academic suspension],” Lamountain said.
In this game, the Rebels’ sloppy passing conveys a lack of cohesion on offense, which has been a recurring problem. “We want to use Nolan as much as we can – ideally, he touches the ball on every possession. The time between the wing and the post is what we need to work on,” Lamountain said. Becker is the Rebels’ leading scorer with 189 total points and 121 rebounds this season.
According to coach Phil Fisher, “We’re not thinking before we pass. If we don’t think, it doesn’t really matter who we’re playing against.” Therefore, to cut down on sloppy passing, the Rebels are focusing on their fundamentals, practicing what Fisher refers to as “ABC, Hooked on Phonics-type basketball.” These basic skills are intended to provide a “base to go back to if we get nervous,” Becker said.
Currently sixth in the division standings, Stuyvesant will play Beacon School on the road on Friday, January 18 before returning home to play Bayard Rustin Educational Complex on Thursday, February 1.