Men’s Varsity Basketball finished Tuesday evening with a 68-60 win against Lamar High School on Jan. 7, which continues their undefeated district record.
Bellaire had a great start to the game, finishing the first half, and leading Lamar by 18 points.
“We got out to a hot start,” Sophomore point guard Jadarian Williams said. “ We scored a lot of threes.”
However, in the third quarter, Lamar started fighting their way back into the game.
“Towards the third quarter, we got lackadaisical,” Senior small forward Ejypt Gibbs said. “We thought the game was going to be over, and then they went on a run in the third quarter.”.
The Cardinals recovered from the third quarter and decided to “lock back in,” according to Gibbs. They finished the game by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter with an 8-point lead.
The game showcased Bellaire’s talent, especially their key players. Gibbs led the defense with five steals, and on the offensive front, senior Shelton Henderson scored 25 points, going 7 for 13 from the field.
Sophomore Jadarian Williams and senior Kohlman Dutton also contributed heavily to the victory with both scoring many three-pointers off of open shots.
This game wasn’t just a district win; it was another chapter in the longstanding rivalry between Bellaire vs. Lamar. Being labeled as the rivalry game gave players a boost to perform better, too.
“It gave me more motivation to play better,” Williams said.
Gibbs also believes that the feud is more than a game.
“When we play Lamar, it’s always going to be a show,” Gibbs said. “It’s been that way since I got here, and I expect it to be that way when I leave, too.”
The rivalry further adds to the game’s strategy.
“With Lamar, you kind of know a lot of their players already, so I was talking and trying to get in their heads, forcing them to lose the ball or create a turnover,” Gibbs said.
As the team advanced to a 4-0 district record, they are one step closer to their goal of an undefeated district season. The Cardinals take on their next district opponent Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, on Jan. 13.
