On January 31 the men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams took on the Latin School of Chicago’s varsity teams at UIC’s Credit One Arena. This was the second “Clark Street Classic” game of the school year, the first being played on December 13 at DePauls McGraff-Sullivan Arena.
At the first Clark Street Classic, formerly known as White Out, the women’s team won in a blowout, beating Josephinum 63-6. This was an exciting win for the women’s team, with each player getting an opportunity to play and score.
“The girls game for White Out was amazing. We won by a lot, but we also were running our offense and defense almost perfectly,” sophomore Ayla Pressman said.“There were not a lot of people for our game, which was a little disappointing, but the energy built as more people began to show up. That win showed us as a team what we are capable of and how hard we need to work to continue to achieve it. The coaches used this game to show us that we can win a game by a lot if we work hard.”
The men’s team also came out victorious at the first Clark Street Classic, beating Latin 69-71 in a close and exhilarating game.
“This win was really important because we were coming off of a winning streak and we needed that boost to give the confidence going into our next games, which are harder,” Sophomore Brady Harris said. “Last year at White Out we got swept, so we really needed to get our get back on Latin, because they were talking a lot of smack to us. We now have bragging rights. We know that we can beat them and how they play. We should go in with an even more aggressive mindset and take over the game.”
“The game showcased our growth. We had a bad record last year, but now we are 10 and 6, winning way more games in just half the season. We beat Latin, which is huge,” Harris said.
While their wins in December motivated both teams, they also served as learning experiences.
“Even though there is room for more growth, we’ve grown a lot this season and we’ve shown our captains a growth in maturity. We’ve gotten a lot better already, our team chemistry is really good which helps us grow more on the court,” Harris said “We can share the ball and trust our team mates which has been key in staying one of the top teams in our division. Overall, we are working on sticking together. The team is a brotherhood, we want to make sure each player knows that we have their backs, which is key to winning our games.”
“Let’s work hard and show those Romans who’s boss!” Harris said.
For the women’s team, this will be the first time they play Latin this year.
Statistically, Latin is a better team than Josephinum, with Josephinum’s record at 1-14 and Latin’s 13-6.
“The team had a good win against Josephinum and has continued to progress since then,” sophomore Miriam Johnson said. “We have played some very strong teams this season, similar to Latin and have had good showings against them. We’ve been practicing new plays to run against different defenses and presses in order to prepare for Blue Out. Overall, the team has been putting in the work during practice and games all season, and Blue Out is another chance to continue to develop before regionals — just on a larger stage.”
The January 31 Clark Street Classic, formerly known as Blue Out, the women’s and men’s teams had two different games. The women’s game, which started at 6, ended with a running clock in the fourth quarter and a final score of Parker 13 – Latin 63. Directly after the end of the game, Sophomore Tallulah Koenig said, “I felt really bad that we lost by so much, but I think the team put in their best effort so I’m proud of them either way. I feel like if they think they played their best, the final result doesn’t really matter.”
The men’s game, however, ended with a Parker win: 85-66. Senior Miles Johnson dropped 24 points and had 3 steals, and senior Lev Goldman dropped 18 points. When asked about the men’s game, Sophomore Christina Merikas stated, “The game was really fun, and I was so happy to see Parker win against Latin. I know this game is always highly anticipated and very important, so that makes this win feel especially good.”
