WA Boys’ Varsity basketball started their 2023-2024 season with a successful scrimmage at home on Dec. 5, 2023. WA hosted three different towns, Groton-Dunstable, Tewksbury, and Lexington, winning against all three towns.

First Game vs. Groton-Dunstable 

The game started with fast ball movement from both teams, with a conservative playstyle. Both teams finished in the paint instead of taking shots beyond the three-point line. Junior Nate Pitts played elite defense by placing ball pressure on shooters in the perimeter, preventing Groton-Dunstable from scoring. At the end of the first half, WA created offensive pressure to force double teams, leaving shooters open at the three-point line to score effectively.  The second half began with senior Tarun Sreekanth subbed in. Sreekanth thrived at the beginning with no-look passes, allowing Pitts to score the first layup, setting the score to 2-0.

Groton-Dunstable called a timeout, and changed their playstyle with more aggressive defense at the perimeter, utilizing double teams and screens, to prevent three-point shots being made. Still, junior Vishal Rampur managed to score a clutch three-pointer at 31.1 seconds remaining. Consequently, WA holds their lead when senior Rajit Talluri made a last-minute steal to prevent Groton-Dunstable from scoring. WA’s great effort at the closing game allowed for a triumphant start to the night. WA won 18-16.

Second Game vs. Tewksbury

WA initially struggled against Tewksbury, fumbling many passes, allowing Tewksbury to yield an offensive edge over WA. WA also struggled to play the same level of defense they held against Groton Dunstable. With lots of foul trouble, WA let Tewksbury score free throws from offensive fouls, allowing them to lead against WA in the first half. After some time struggling, WA started to thrive offensively, with juniors Shreyas Gowda and Andrew O’Brien hitting multiple three-point shots to cut the lead.

WA restored its defense in the second half with senior Jonathon Coughlin and O’brien stealing the ball, withholding Tewksbury from scoring. As the first half closed in, WA had a fantastic offensive finish with with Talluri hitting a three-pointer to give WA a double-digit lead. Sreekanth also stole the ball last minute, followed by an assist to Talluri, giving WA a 13-point lead, and a great finish to the game. WA won 27-20.

Third Game vs. Lexington 

The game started off with great hustle from Rampur, catching many offensive rebounds. O’Brien then stole the ball and passed to Pitts for a layup. Coughlin knocks down a three-pointer to give WA a six-point lead, setting the score to 10-4. WA maintained this edge by placing lots of ball pressure with double teams, but Lexington gained a 1-point lead at the end.

Rampur started the second half with great energy, capturing an offensive putback at the start of the game to give WA a 2-point edge over Lexington. WA turned defense into offense when Russo stole the ball and passed it to Pitts for a layup. WA had a fantastic offensive finish with Rampur allowing the offense to flourish by finishing multiple times at the rim and knocking down two three-pointers. The fantastic performance from Rampur allows WA to take the win and end the night undefeated. WA won 33-25.

WA’s grit and hard work allowed for great comebacks and successful wins. Taluri had a great game with many important shots and steals being made, but the entire team played fantastic as a whole. The WA boys’ varsity basketball team is no slouch coming into the 23-24 season, and they expect to have a great season.