Eric Brodkin
Staff Writer
The boys basketball season came to an end on March 2 after its loss against Notre Dame High School, 58-39. The Mustangs held their ground against the Knights in the first half with strong shooting, but an offensive push in the second half gave the Knights the advantage for the rest of the game.
“Notre Dame was very well coached,” sophomore forward Preston Ezewiro said. “They were able to feed off the momentum from their big-time plays and their crowd, which gave them a huge advantage toward the end.”
In the first quarter, the Mustangs were on fire as they switched points back and forth with the Knights. Going into the second quarter, the score was tied 13-13. Although the Knights began to gain momentum, the Mustangs were able to stay in the game going into halftime, 30-24. According to Ezewiro, good defense was key to stopping the Knights.
“Our game plan was to play all of their players straight up and work on our defense because they had a lot of good guys,” Ezeiwro said. “Sharing the ball on offense and being patient with our possessions was also important.”
The Knights were able to lock up the Mustang offense at the beginning of the second half, allowing the Mustangs to score only 15 points. The Knights outscored the Mustangs with a lead that became too much for the team to recover from, according to senior forward Nick Lundy.
“In the second half, we started getting tired and our shot selection was not great,” Lundy said. “We were forcing too many shots and letting them get too many offensive putbacks in the second half to build their lead. We also turned the ball over too much to stay within reach.”
According to Ezewiro, although the Mustangs didn’t advance as far as they wanted to, their historic season will always be remembered. The team finished with a record of 28-4, placed first in Bay League, and, according to MaxPreps, finished as the 11th-ranked basketball team in all of California.
“This was the best basketball season we have had in the history of the program, and we all complimented each other well,” Ezewiro said. “The best moments were team dinners before home games and the bus rides after victories”
For the seven seniors on the team, this was their last basketball game as a Mustang. Senior guards Dylan Black and Will Householter were recognized for their success when they won co-MVPs in Bay League. According to Lundy, the season was the perfect ending to his high school career.
“It felt great to have such a successful senior season and win all those games,” Lundy said. “I will remember this season for the rest of my life.”
Although their four years at Costa are over, Black, Lundy, and Housholter are all committed tocontinue their basketball careers at the D3 level in the fall. Black committed to Carnegie Mellon University, Lundy will be playing for Grinnell University, and Householter at Claremont McKenna College. According to Lundy, he is grateful to have been a part of MCHS basketball throughout his time in high school.
“My experience playing basketball at Costa has been incredible, and I’ve loved every second of it,” Lundy said. “Over the years, I’ve had so many amazing teammates, coaches, trainers, and supporters who I am so thankful for. I appreciate everything these people have done to help make me the player I am today.”
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