Boys basketball faced off against Northwood on Monday, Jan. 8, resulting in a hard-fought 58-47 victory.

WJ came to play after suffering from a heartbreaking 85-76 loss to Whitman on Friday, Jan. 5, as Coach Kevin Parrish has rallied the Cats squad back to a .500 record.

The rough start for Northwood’s season continued, as the squad came into this matchup at 3-6 and fell to 3-7. Keeping a focus on playing four quarters of disciplined basketball no matter the opponent was a major focus for the Cats.

“Our biggest focus going into this game was on defense. We have been giving up too many points recently, so we really wanted to lock in on the defensive end,” Parrish said.

After a quick Wildcat start, highlighted by a football pass down the court for a bucket by senior Ian Hochman, the Cats struggled to maintain possession. Following were four consecutive turnovers which brought Northwood back into the game.

“We have to take care of the ball and be focused on keeping possession,” junior guard Jordan Silverstein said.

A quick turnaround was necessary to build some cushion onto the Cats’ lead. Helping the cause were the two seniors in Hochman and Tyrese Rucker. Hochman converted a quick layup basket along with Rucker, who garnered a steal at half-court, finishing with an acrobatic layup to push the Cats to a 29-21 lead going into halftime.

The second half saw the Wildcats jumping out to a quick start again with two triples from Silverstein and senior guard Ben Kim. Parrish’s emphasis on defense before the game seemed to play a huge factor, as in the third quarter the Cats only allowed four total points allowing the team to take a comfortable 42-25 lead into the last quarter.

Senior guards Isiah Nickelson and Rucker further solidified the Wildcat advantage with buckets down the stretch.

“Isiah and Tyrese have both had a positive impact on our team this year. They bring leadership and experience on top of good basketball skills. As the season goes on, I expect both to continue to play big roles on our team and help us to be more successful,” Parrish said.

In addition, Nickelson had a fantastic game posting a double-digit point total along with racking up a few assists.

“I trust the work I put in and I play at my own pace,” Nickelson said.

In the final stretch, turnovers ended up plaguing both teams with consecutive giveaways on both sides of the court. The turnovers effectively eliminated Northwood’s chances at a late-game resurgence, allowing the Wildcats to secure another home win under their belts.

“It’s always easier to improve on things after a victory. We have a big game coming up on Friday against Churchill, so it’s nice to go into that game with some added confidence,” Parrish said.

WJ will battle their heated rivals, Churchill, on Friday, Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m., who also hold a 4-4 record heading into the matchup.