Oh what a night! After 24 seconds of silence to honor Kobe Bryant and the eight people who perished with him in the Calabasas helicopter crash, the Dons embarked on one of their most thrilling team wins of the season, defeating Las Lomas 56-54 in overtime before an enthusiastic home crowd. Thank you once again, Dons Nation!
John Kalil owned the first quarter, literally. He scored all 7 of the Dons points, single-handedly tying the Knights 7-7 at the end of Q1. Second quarter saw more offense, but it was lopsided, with the Dons scoring 15 to the Knights’ 21. At halftime, the Dons were down, 22-28.
The Dons returned from the locker room energized, going on a 9-0 run. Rebounds by Jackson Aris-Dumas and Scott Ruegg led to baskets by Aidan Bodner and Jake Davis. Aidan’s assist led to Scott’s 2-point floater, tying the game 28-28. Jackson broke the logjam with a beautiful 3-pointer, but the Knights rallied back and took a 4-point lead. But with 7 seconds left, Jackson went coast-to-coast, knocking down a basket just before the clock ran out, bringing the Dons within two, 39-41.
The fourth quarter started with strong defense by both teams. Joey Carrillo started the offense, tying the game 41-41, and Graham Smith sunk a 3-pointer, giving the Dons a 3-point lead. Scott and Aidan had some good defensive moves with steals and rebounds, but the Dons had trouble converting until Scott made a fast break and scored. 46-45 with 2:30 to go. The Knights hit a free throw and 3-pointer to take the lead. Joey then hit his free throw and, with 5 second left, swished a perfect jump shot, sending the game into overtime.
Graham was cool under pressure as he dominated overtime. Great aggressive moves by Joey and Jackson led to Graham nailing back-to-back baskets, giving the Dons a 53-49 lead. Aidan and Scott were aggressive on defense, making it hard for the Knights to score. Jackson, who was 100% on the night, knocked down two more crucial free throws. With 2 seconds left, Aidan hit the final free throw of the night, securing victory.
Thank you to Dana Kotarba for her beautiful performance of our national anthem. Frosh, JV, and Varsity travel to Miramonte tomorrow night before returning home on Friday to face Clayton Valley. Go Dons!
