Varsity boys basketball lost 65-37 on senior night against Westside on Feb. 18.

To start the game, senior shooting guard Riley Hudlow blocked an opponent, allowing sophomore shooting guard Ian Niggli to gain possession of the ball and score.

“Our thought process was just to go get the ball,” Niggli said. “Sometimes, that means you fall on the floor.”

The Cardinals closed the first quarter with junior point guard Landon Jones hitting a two-point jump shot, putting the team ahead 15-14.

“We have the same strategy for every game,” senior point guard Micah Joseph said.

“Throw the ball, control the tempo of the game and put pressure on defense.”

In the second quarter, sophomore small forward Jayden Camacho blocked an opponent’s layup, keeping the score 21-20. The Cards went into halftime down 31-21.

“The second half wasn’t the best for us,” Coach Cedric Netty said. “ It really opened our eyes to some things that we could do better as coaches and as players to be prepared for that first round of the playoffs.”

During halftime, senior players walked out with their families to honor their years of hard work and dedication. Netty said the ceremony shows the players’ growth “from freshmen all the way through their senior year.” The seniors received gift bags and recognition for the number of years they have been on the team.

“Part of me was really sad because [basketball] was coming to an end,” Joseph said,“ I was also really happy because it meant a lot to have people come out to support us.”

It was difficult for Netty to watch the game slip away, as he feels like a “father figure” to his players.

“I think sometimes you turn into that parent role because you built those relationships with them,” Netty said. “It’s a little bit sad, but I know that they’ll always come back.”

Although the Cardinals took a hard loss, they remain in high spirits heading into the playoffs.

“Sometimes in losses it helps you go back and reevaluate things so that you can figure out whether to do better as a coach and as a player,” Netty said.