Basketball: Gaels Beat Aviators 71-48

In their last game at home, the Aviators lost to powerhouse St. Mary’s, 71-48.

“We expected to come out stronger than we did, but we couldn’t stop them from hitting their shots,” said Aviators’ guard Mike Schroback, in reference to the Gaels’ accurate shooting.

Senior center Boris Plakalovic, who flirted with a triple- double (6 points, 7 rebounds and 9 blocks) agreed, adding, “We can’t keep coming out slow to start the games. When that happens, we put ourselves in a big hole and have to play 'catchup’ the whole way.”

The first period saw the Gaels take a 14-6 lead. The Aviators sought to get Plakalovic involved early on with their offense, but he faced constant multiple coverage each time he caught the ball.

Though the Gaels led each period, during the first half the Aviators were able to prevent them from building up an insurmountable lead and keep the game within striking distance.

During the third period, however, the Gaels had taken a commanding 43-24 advantage. The Aviators responded by turning to senior guard Varun Shivkumar, who went on a scoring binge (finishing the night with 18 points to lead all scorers) to help carry the team.

Aviator’s sophomore guard Joe Crabbe, understands what the team must do.

“Rebounding, rebounding and rebounding; our positioning needs to improve, but we’re a young team, so we’re still learning.”

Aviators’ head coach Mike Cebula praised the Gaels’ play, stating, “They’re a great team. They are big kids, and play like men. There’s a reason why they’re ranked high in the region.”

With an injury to senior Anthony Grecco earlier this week, the Aviators did not have any reserves. As such, they will be enlisting the aid of the junior-varsity team, most notably forwards Ray Espinoza and Kevin O’Leary.