By Darina Huang ’23
Student Writer/Photographer, Bearcat Sports Media

Boys Varsity Basketball defeated Westminster 85-31 on Saturday, January 21, cruising to the win by a significant margin of 54 points.

The Bearcats held Westy to single digits for the majority of the first half. In the opening minutes, co-captain Brandon McCreesh ’23 led the Bearcats with 7 points and co-captain Dean Hogans ’25 contributed 3 to put them up 10-2. While the visitors missed easy baskets and free throws, Carter Warren ’24 and Owen Larbalestier ’23 contributed three pointers. The Bearcats capitalized off of strong defensive rebounds. With less than 5 minutes left in the half, Larbalestier stole the ball on a breakaway for a basket, giving Hotchkiss momentum and bringing them to 26 points compared to Westy’s 9. Minutes later, the crowd erupted as Arop Arop ’23 knocked down Westy’s shot to connect with Davyn de Jongh ’24 for a three pointer. The Bearcats continued to take advantage of free throws, with Arop and de Jongh each adding two points. The half ended with Hotchkiss leading by 30, with a score of 43-13.

In the second half, the Bearcats continued to play with confidence and poise as co-captain Will Groot ’23, Arop, and De Jongh scored buckets. Hogans made two steals for four points. Continuous shooting and strong defense from the Bearcats brought the score to 58-20 with 10 minutes left. They went on an unanswered 12 point run to make the score 70-20 with over 8 minutes left in the game. As Hotchkiss held on to their significant lead, Hayden Scott ’24, Caleb Eddy ’23, and Jackson Powell ’26 came off the bench to play in the final minutes of the game. The crowd cheered for Scott as he scored two buckets, helping bring the score to 85-31. 

The Bearcats’ 54-point win is their largest winning margin this season, and gives them confidence as they travel to play Kent and Williston next week.