The GDS men’s varsity basketball team faced off against the Sidwell Quakers on Wednesday night in a Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) game, which ended in a 34-point loss for the Mighty Hoppers.
The Quakers won by a score of 68–34. Sidwell, ranked 38th in the country on MaxPreps, came into the game with an 11–4 overall record, while GDS was 6–8.
The Hoppers came out of the gate ready, as an early block by junior Tigin Unsal got the fans on their feet. GDS continued to work on defense through the first quarter behind two steals and a block by freshman Rafriel Guthrie. The Sidwell defense was too much for the Hoppers, though, as the Quakers pulled out to a 24–11 lead as the first quarter came to a close.
Sidwell’s defense held GDS to only five points in the second quarter. The Hoppers continued to play good defense and create turnovers, but they were unable to stop the Quakers, who are undefeated in MAC games. The GDS team is still looking for its first MAC win, but has maintained a 6–6 record in out-of-conference games this season. The first half ended with Sidwell leading by 26.
The third quarter was much of the same, with GDS attempting to stop the Quakers’ offense, led by Georgetown commit Caleb Williams, with little success. GDS could not stop their three-point attack, and the Quakers went into the fourth quarter with a 60–22 lead.
As the game wound down, the GDS team showed no signs of giving up. The Hoppers outscored the Sidwell team 12–8 in the fourth quarter. The quarter was highlighted by two deep three-pointers by senior Tobias Viorst on consecutive possessions.
After the game, Guthrie commented on the remainder of the team’s season, saying that he “looks forward to developing” with the team. Guthrie told the Bit that he looks forward to winning games as the season progresses. Guthrie currently ranks in the top–ten in the District of Columbia for all freshmen in four major categories: points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Unsal also looked at the season ahead, saying that he is excited about the coming games. “We have a lot of out-of-conference games, we got senior night, and we’re also trying to get some wins in some good games,” the forward said.
Guthrie emphasized the team environment, saying that his teammates “have been great” and that “energy has been high.”
GDS will turn their attention to Potomac, which they play at home on Friday, Jan. 19 at 5:45 p.m. They will look to end their four-game losing streak against the 7–11 Panthers, who are coming off a win against Saint James.