Boys basketball remains undefeated after Culver City win, 73-67

Eric Brodkin 

Staff Writer 

On Monday, boys basketball defeated Culver City High School, 73-67. The boys started their first league game off strong, controlling the game in all four quarters. The Mustangs were able to have extra time to prepare for these games, as their last two games were canceled. 

“The time off was very helpful for me to get extra work in,” sophomore forward Preston Ezewiro said. “I just got to work out at 24 Hour Fitness and get some shots up at Costa.” 

The Mustangs took the lead in the first quarter, 28-11. Costa’s defense held the Centaurs to a low-scoring first quarter, and Ezewiro and senior guard Dylan Black helped the offense dominate the quarter. According to Black, starting the game off strong is important for the outcome of the game. 

“We definitely need to start off strong in the beginning,” Black said. “It shows the other team that nothing is going to come easy, and we’re ready to play.” 

Culver City bounced back in the second quarter, scoring 10 more points than Costa. The Centaurs were crawling back into the game. Although the Centaurs dominated the quarter, the Mustangs were able to maintain their lead of seven points going into halftime. 

“I think our team was successful this game because we were able to stay very solid,” Ezewiro said. “Something that was really helpful was the fact that we were able to get it done on both offense and defense.” 

The third quarter was a back-and-fourth battle between the teams, setting up for an exciting fourth quarter. The Centaurs were inching closer and closer, but the Mustangs were able to slowly pull away, creating a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

“Even though they were catching up to us, our game plan was to keep them in front of us on defense and work for better shots,” Black said. “We definitely were able to control the game, and that helped a lot.” 

Culver City was able to close in on the Mustangs’ lead in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to pull out the win. Even though the game was close, Costa was able to control the entire match. Still undefeated, the Mustangs’ next game is today against Peninsula High School (Penn) at Penn at 7 p.m.

“It was a very gritty game,” Black said. “When we didn’t shoot well, we found other ways to score the ball. I’m looking forward to our next game against Penn and hope that we can keep our winning streak.”