Varsity boys basketball defeats Lakeside

Varsity boys basketball defeated Lakeside High School on Monday, Nov. 13, ending the game with a score of 64-32, earning their first win of the season.

The game began with a layup by Lakeside to take the lead 2-0 against the Mustangs. After multiple steals and a series of turnovers by the opposing team, Walnut scored a flurry of mid-range jumpers and continued to go on a 16-0 run, ending the first quarter 16-2.  

“We started off strongly and our team came out with a lot of energy. We set the tone for the game on how we were going to play,” power forward sophomore Zayn Karim said. “We were running our sets well, played solid defense and communication was on point. The team stepped up their energy and we felt good about how the game went.”

Walnut continued applying full-court pressure and got several blocks. The team shot efficiently from the perimeter as shooting guard sophomore Kiko Guevara drained three consecutive three-pointers to extend their lead in the second quarter to 39-9.

“We were up by a lot, and we continued to fight as a team to find a way to get a better lead. As a team, we made a lot of shots and played physically,” Guevara said. “I would say the highlight of the game was when I hit those three-pointers. It was pretty important that I could make those shots for our team.”

Heading into the third quarter, Lakeside drew fouls and made several and-one buckets. However, the Mustangs improved their communication and created shot opportunities for each other through their teamwork. At the end of the quarter, Walnut led 51-21.

“We felt really good this quarter and executed [Coach Khouzam’s] plays. I feel like I showed up to the game and did a pretty good job facilitating the runs,” point guard junior Steven Lee said. “The first three quarters were really important and we needed to carry the energy to the next quarter.”

The Mustangs closed the game out through open layups and offensive rebounds during the fourth quarter. The quick ball movement set up the players to get open shots and clean floaters off the backboard to win the game 64-32.

“We were hyped up and we’re still going on our runs and keeping a foot on the gas pedal,” Guevara said. “This game can hopefully set the tone for the rest of the year, which will allow us to keep up the momentum and finish the season strong.”