Though the world did not end on Dec. 21, the Niles West boys’ varsity basketball squad played like it was the last game they would ever play. Prosser was no match for the Wolves as head coach Bob Williams and his team went to work.

High energy was contagious from the second the referee softly threw the ball up in the air for the tip. Off the bench, senior guard Alfredo Gonzalez caught fire early, pouring in five consecutive points. Gonzalez also chipped in on defense, picking up an early two steals to spark his team’s 9-0 run.

In the second quarter, the energy continued as the Wolves dominated their opponent on all ends of the court. Junior Romeo Magloire did all of the little things a coach loves to see- setting screens, crashing the offensive glass for easy put back points, and not demanding the ball on offense. Though players who do the dirty work for their team do not get as much recognition as the scorers, their contributions are just as vital to the teams success. The all-around team play showed as the Wolves finished the half leading 39-21.

The Wolves didn’t let down  one bit in the third, continuing to play with high energy. With 5:31 left in the third, the Wolves were doubling their opponent in points, 48-24, and finished the quarter smoothly at a cushioned 63-35 lead.

In the final quarter, Prosser chased the Wolves and decreased the point margin, but was unable to come within 10 points. The final score was 76-62.

The top scorer was sharpshooting senior Joey Younan with 16 points, but the game was clearly a team effort, and the importance of other contributors should not be overlooked. Senior David McCoy also deserves credit for his relentless hustle- on multiple occasions, McCoy dove out of bounds to save the ball to a teammate.

Williams said it best when he told the NWN, “When you have people who are willing to work hard and play hard, you are bound to have a very good defensive team.”