The WA Boys’ Basketball team successfully claimed their third victory of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 3 with a 54-44 score against the Boston Latin School, improving their record to 3-3.

The game started off slow, as neither WA nor Boston Latin could get a basket for the first three minutes of game time. A three-pointer from sophomore forward Vishal Rampur broke the ice and led the way for the rapid scoring in the rest of the first quarter. Despite their best efforts, the Ghosts found themselves down 17-13 when the quarter came to a close.

During the break between quarters, head coach Chris Bramanti emphasized the necessity of defense to his players. The team ended their huddle chanting “defense” in unison.

WA picked up momentum in the second quarter. Scores from senior guard Ben Jones and junior guard Jonathan Coughlin helped the Ghosts outscore their opponent 12-2 early on, pushing the score up to a 25-19 WA lead. However, Boston Latin was able to rebound near the end of the first half, resulting in the Ghosts’ lead being cut down to one-point, with the score being 29-28 at halftime.

The third quarter was a competitive back-and-forth early on, with both WA and Boston Latin trading baskets and defensive stands alike. However, the Ghosts managed to turn the tide thanks to multiple forced turnovers by senior guard Jack Sullivan and a critical three-point shot from senior forward Alexander Movessian. WA emerged with a 40-37 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Ghosts proceeded to dominate Boston Latin throughout the final quarter of play. A breakaway score from Rampur set the tone for WA early on and the team’s excellent passing and communication led to multiple baskets in the paint for senior forward Justin Jones, great shots for senior guard Yuvi Gahlaut, and a convincing 54-44 win.

“I thought we played well start to finish,” Bramanti said.  “It was a total team effort in terms of defense and rebounding. We only allowed four offensive rebounds which is phenomenal.”

The Ghosts’ next game is at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.