CPS Men's Basketball Season Recap

By Wells R. ‘27

CPS Men’s Basketball has certainly had an up-and-down season. They started the season off red hot, winning twelve straight, but have since slowed down, going 4-8 in their last twelve. Obviously, the two halves of the season have been completely different, so why is that? 

The team’s first half of the season was certainly an amazing run. One highlight of the season was when the Cougars took their first victory over Lick Wilmerding in over five years, winning 37-33 in a tight battle that came down to the wire. However, perhaps the high point of the season was when the Cougars won the 50th annual Redwood Christian Basketball Invitational for the first time in over a decade. In the tournament, the Cougars took down the home team Redwood Christian Eagles 73-64 to advance to the semifinals, where perhaps the most exciting moment of the season occurred. Down by three points, with time expiring in the fourth quarter, breakout sophomore Nikhil Sangani drained an and-one three-pointer to beat the Marin Academy Wildcats 42-41. The Cougars then coasted to a championship in the tournament finals, beating the defending state champion, International Jaguars, 65-40. In addition to taking home gold in the tournament, James Pak was named tournament MVP, and Wells Rees and Eleck Fa were named to the all-tournament team. 

Unfortunately, the season has certainly taken a turn for the worse since winter break. The team ended the regular season 16-7 overall and 4-6 in the league. Despite what their record in the latter half of the season may suggest, the Cougars have battled in every single game they’ve played. Four of their losses have been by two points or fewer, including two losses by a single point in overtime. In each of these games, the team had possession of the ball with time left on the clock, and in each game, they came up short. While they had some huge wins in league, beating St. Joe’s twice, and Head-Royce once, the Cougars took some close losses, falling short to Athenian by one point in overtime and losing to both Bentley and Head-Royce by two points. Ultimately, the team ended the season sitting in fourth place in the league, where they played and lost to Cornerstone Christian. 

As the season wrapped up in a tough NCS first-round exit, the team has a lot to look back on. Going into next year, they will lose valuable players like James Pak and JK Fa, but will also see more growth from promising underclassmen. This team has shown they can play and beat the best, but there are still some steps to go. I can’t wait for the future of Men's Basketball.