The gym erupted with cheers as the men’s varsity basketball team’s seniors—student manager Iman McNeil and players Paul Alle-Koffi Jr. and Khalin Patel—walked to the middle of the high school gym. McNeil, Alle-Koffi Jr. and Patel high-fived their teammates as science teacher and announcer Greg Dallinger introduced them and their families.
The team lost to Saint James School 80–37 in their senior night game on Saturday, Feb. 14. In the first matchup between the two teams, GDS lost 82–27. GDS entered the game on a six-game losing streak following their win against New Hope Academy on Jan. 23. The team ended the regular season with a record of 8–14, an improvement from their previous record of 4–19 in the 2024-25 season. In January, the team beat Flint Hill for their first Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) victory since the 2022-23 season.
“It was a long season,” assistant coach David Dodson said. The team played four games the week of Feb. 9, which was the last week of the regular season. “Some guys have a couple bumps and bruises.”
Sophomore Miles Schall did not play due to a left shoulder injury that occurred in practice. Dodson said junior Peter McManus played the game with an injured ankle.
Saint James started the game strong, winning the opening tip-off. After a quick layup, Saint James stole the ball, resulting in another layup. With 4:24 left in the first quarter, GDS called a timeout. But despite the regrouping, the Hoppers’ shots still did not fall. The quarter ended, and Saint James led 17–8.
At the start of the second quarter, freshman Jackson Korns and junior Arjun Bhargava trapped a Saint James player on the wing. But Saint James broke the press, completing a long pass that led to a layup and a foul.
In response, Bhargava drove to the basket and passed to sophomore Rafa Westelius, who made a reverse layup. Bhargava executed a back-door cut, and Patel passed him the ball for a layup. Saint James pushed the ball in transition, and a player leaped into the air for a dunk. The crowd gasped as Alle-Koffi blocked the shot and fouled him.
GDS called a timeout with 28.1 seconds left in the half, trailing 37–17. After the timeout, Bhargava inbounded the ball to McManus for a quick jumpshot. After scoring, Saint James stole the ball for a layup. The score was 41–19 at halftime.
In the second half, the momentum shifted further in Saint James’ direction. A Saint James player passed the ball to the corner for a contested three-point basket. Saint James made another contested three-pointer on the following possession.
On the other end of the court, junior Tristan Souchaud went up for a layup, but a Saint James player blocked his shot off the backboard, and the crowd exclaimed in shock. (Souchaud is a sports writer for the Bit.) GDS immediately called a timeout with 3:46 left in the third quarter. Saint James had gone on a 19–3 run since the start of the half, extending their lead to 38 points.
McManus passed to Patel, and Patel performed a spin move around his defender for a layup. Crowd members waved images of his face and cheered. The third quarter ended 66–30.
In the fourth quarter, Saint James continued to drain shots with a three-pointer from the wing. Alle-Koffi Jr. blocked a put-back shot by a Saint James player. He passed the ball to Patel, who was fouled on a missed layup. Patel made both free throws.
A Saint James player dribbled out the clock, and GDS players looked disappointed as they walked back to the bench. The final score was 80–37.
“We played pretty well at the start,” Korns said. “Later on, we just got tired, and the other team ended up hustling more.” Korns highlighted the other team’s advantages in rebounding and securing more loose balls than GDS.
Patel said GDS improved on their performance in their previous matchup with Saint James. “We kept on moving the ball and attacking the rim, playing 100 percent the whole game,” he said.
“I don’t think we were as prepared as we could have been for this game,” Bhargava said. He added that the team could have practiced with more intensity leading up to the game.
“As a team, we need more passion; we need more heart,” Alle-Koffi Jr. said.
“[Patel and Alle-Koffi Jr.] were both really welcoming to the team,” Korns said. He is the only freshman on the varsity team. Korns remembered a play earlier in the season when he missed a three-pointer “really badly,” and Patel came over to encourage him to keep shooting.
“[GDS basketball has] just meant a lot to me; it’s something I take pride in,” Patel said. “It’s a little sad that I’m not going to be a part of this community after [this season].”
The Hoppers ended their season with a 90–45 loss to the Potomac School in the MAC tournament quarter final on Feb. 18.