Bison Basketball Dominant Again This Season
The Bison defeated the Orange Lions 76-67 on Jan. 10. Photos by Livia Eppell.
Although the team ended an eight-game winning streak with a tough loss to Perry on Tuesday, Bison boys basketball has been dominant this season, currently with a 12-3 record.
The Perry game ended in overtime with a 70-68 loss.
One of the highlights of the season was the Jan. 10 victory against rival Orange, which brought a huge amount of support from fans of both teams.
Orange Lions packed the gym, retribution on their minds, as Beachwood has dominated the rivalry for the past couple years.
With the graduation of several key Bison starters in 2016, Orange hoped to find Beachwood unprepared for their new lineup.
Orange received first possession and scored a three-pointer to start the game.
Beachwood responded with a quick two goals to put the Bison ahead by a point.
Orange attempted to respond, but the Bison’s defensive position prevented the Lions from scoring.
A foul shot and a three-pointer from junior guard Josh Sizemore soon put the Bison ahead 8-3. The Bison led throughout the first quarter by 3 to 6 points before Orange began to gain some momentum in the second and took the lead 28-30.
By the end of the second quarter, senior guard Ben Sternberg scored another shot, tying the score at 30-30.
The Bison and Lions wrestled for the lead for the entirety of the third quarter with neither defense letting the other surpass them by more than two points.
In the fourth quarter, Sternberg put the Bison ahead with a miracle three-pointer, but the Lions responded with a three-pointer of their own, forcing the game into overtime.
At the end of the quarter, Orange’s Caleb Zullig injured his knee and had to leave the game.
Fans in both sections were on their feet with anticipation as the overtime buzzer sounded.
Junior small forward Michael Gordon drew two foul shots in overtime, putting the Bison ahead. Orange wasn’t able to recover from this as the Bison added two more goals to the scoreboard, securing the win.
Since the win against Orange, the Bison have won four more games and lost to Perry on Tuesday.
The team can still secure a conference victory if they beat Orange again at home on Feb. 3.
Photos by Livia Eppell
Nam Nguyen has been writing for The Beachcomber since the fall of 2015. He reports on a variety of topics in the school and community. Nam has covered...
