The GDS men’s varsity basketball team lost to The Avalon School Black Knights 87–73 in their season opener on Dec. 4.
GDS played without two key players—senior Khalin Patel and sophomore Rafa Westelius—due to sickness but stayed competitive through three quarters before Avalon pulled away in the fourth.
Avalon opened the game with a three-pointer, but GDS responded quickly. Junior David Weinstein hit the team’s first three-pointer, followed by strong inside finishes from sophomore Miles Schall and junior Peter McManus. GDS ended the first quarter up 20–15 after their defense forced several Avalon turnovers, and they capitalized in transition to control the tempo.
GDS carried its momentum into the second quarter. Junior Arjun Bhargava sparked the offense with a pair of early drives, and junior Caleb Clark added a three-pointer to help GDS build the lead to 29–24. Bhargava’s drives came after back-to-back Avalon misses, giving GDS extra possessions and helping them keep the pace as the teams traded inside baskets throughout the quarter. With the GDS trailing in the final seconds of the half, freshman Jackson Korns hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the score at 39–39.
Coming out of halftime, GDS continued trading baskets with Avalon. Weinstein opened the third quarter with another three-pointer, and senior Paul Alle-Koffi Jr. and Schall added key buckets in the paint. Midway through the quarter, Clark and Bhargava each recovered loose balls that extended offensive possessions and led to additional scoring chances for GDS. McManus attacked the rim repeatedly, scoring several times through contact, and GDS held a slim lead midway through the quarter. But Avalon responded with a late scoring surge, closing the quarter ahead 61–56.
In the fourth quarter, Avalon’s offense exploded. Despite early scoring by Bhargava and McManus, the Black Knights pushed the lead into double digits by converting on fast breaks, forcing a GDS timeout. McManus continued to produce—scoring multiple times at the rim and in transition—but Avalon kept answering on the other end. Sophomore Daniel Stern added a late basket. An Avalon player received a technical foul after celebrating a made basket by pretending to shoot a gun, and Bhargava made the second of two free throws, but GDS couldn’t overcome the deficit. Avalon won the game 87–73.
After the game, Weinstein said he was proud of how the team handled the circumstances. “I thought we did pretty well for our situation, missing two starters,” he said. “We competed hard. Going forward, we just have to stay consistent, stay mentally locked in and keep communicating.”
Weinstein also said the team is still adjusting to playing together but thought their communication during the first half helped them stay competitive.
McManus echoed the focus on finishing stronger. “We had a good start, and we were staying competitive, but [the game] just got out of hand,” he said. “We were missing some players, but no excuses—we’ve got to finish strong next time. We can’t let off the gas.”
The men’s varsity basketball team will play at St. Anselm’s Abbey on Monday, Dec. 9 at 5:45 p.m.