Photo by Sanir Byanjankar

Junior Ben Kim looks for an open opportunity on the court. Kim was the leading scorer with a game-high 18 points this season.

The student section was roaring as boys’ basketball had their first Friday home game against Blair. Going into the game WJ was 2-1 and Blair was 0-3.

Blair came out strong in the first quarter. The Blazers were aggressive on defense, pressing on every made basket. But it didn’t take long for the Wildcats to take over. WJ started forcing turnovers and rebounded well on the defensive board. The Wildcats were up three, 14-11, at the end of the first quarter.

The Wildcats had an electric second quarter. WJ played extremely smart defense and held the Blazers scoreless for the first half of the quarter. The Wildcats intercepted multiple passes, leading to fast breaks. The 23-point outburst in the quarter gave WJ a 37-20 lead at the half.

The second half started out slow. The Blazers managed to get a couple of shots off down low on the blocks. But toward the end of the third, the Wildcats picked up the intensity again. WJ consistently double-teamed Blair’s guards. The third quarter ended 54-35.

The Wildcat’s ball movement led to many open shots at the start of the fourth quarter. WJ was open on the blocks and created space for mid-range shots. The Blazers answered back with a couple of buckets, but not enough to close the gap.

Players of the game.
Offense: Junior Ben Kim had an outstanding game. Between sinking threes and driving through multiple defenders in the paint, Kim dominated on offense. He was the leading scorer with 18 points.
Defense: Senior Iran Zilberman controlled the defense. Outrebounding on the offense and defensive boards, he was able to set his teammates up for fast breaks and open shots.

The final score was 66-47, making the Wildcats 3-1 in the season now. tTonight the Wildcats face Whitman (4-0).