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Ho-Sang brilliant as Gryphons almost clinch basketball gold

By Michael Bird
Close loss in intense championship game featured dominant performance by graduating point guard, writes MICHAEL BIRD
By Michael Bird

A dominant performance by graduating point guard O’Shae Ho-Sang softened the blow of the Gryphons losing an intense final in their first trip to the GMAA Division 1 Juvenile Basketball Championships.

After a rocky opening few minutes, Selwyn House rallied and made this final one of the most exciting games played in SHS history. The Wednesday, March 1 match-up pitted Selwyn against the top-seeded home team, Riverdale High School, in a game that finished 74-68 for the favoured squad from Pierrefonds.

A rowdy crowd featuring many supporters from both sides added pressure to an already energetic game setting.

Trailing 13-2 early, and leading some to feel that the match wasn’t going to be close, the Gryphons found their poise and made the game a crazy, back-and-forth affair. A number of lead changes ensued as the fourth quarter saw Selwyn pull ahead by 10 points with just over four minutes to play. After calling a timeout with the score at 64-54 in favour of Selwyn, Riverdale came out firing through a combination of relentless defensive pressure and two clutch three-point baskets to help close the gap. When the final buzzer sounded, the home team celebrated their six-point victory at mid-court.

Selwyn walked off the court with their heads held high, however. Head Coach Alfie Paoletti was quoted as being “proud of the kids,” and reinforced that it was a “team effort” that made the event such a “great high school game!”

It was impossible to not notice the outstanding play of Grade 11 guard O’Shae Ho-Sang, who dominated the game offensively with a 35-point performance. According to Selwyn teacher and basketball coach Jon Merritt, who was in attendance, Ho-Sang “played his best game as a Selwyn student,” making his final contest in Black and Gold an unforgettable moment in the school’s athletic history.

Seemingly able to do whatever he pleased on the court, Ho-Sang was a nightmare for the Riverdale defenders, who simply had no answer for his aggressive slashes to the basket. Beautiful, acrobatic scoring finishes drew fouls and free throw attempts on multiple possessions as the Gryphons pushed ahead in the second half.

Despite coming up short right at the very end, this year’s edition of the Gryphons flagship basketball team left supporters in awe, coaches beaming with pride, and younger players within the program inspired by what could lie ahead for them in the very near future.
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