Byram Hills Squeaks Past Foxes

The Byram Hills Bobcats  came out with a lot of intensity Friday night against the Foxes. With their aggressive play and fast-pace passing they were able to grab the lead and hold onto it throughout the whole game, beating Fox Lane 44-38.

Both teams came onto the court with a lot of energy but neither team was able to take a commanding lead.  The Foxes struck first with Dylan Peretz grabbing a rebound and making a layup to put two points on the board. But the Foxes' early lead was quickly squashed by the Bobcats, who retaliated with a series of baskets to put them ahead. 

Throughout the first quarter it was easy to see that both teams were pretty well matched. With similar playing styles and two tough defenses the score was kept low, with the Bobcats holding the lead 12-11 going into the second quarter.

The Foxes showed the same intensity they've been showing for the past couple of weeks since getting back from holiday break and grabbing their first win of the season. Their offense was strong, with Kyle Steffens and Tim Muller leading the team into the Bobcats' zone. But as the game drew on, the Foxes' offense got sloppy, missing many scoring opportunities because of bad passes and bobbled balls.

Defensively the Foxes were red hot, but so was the Bobcats offense. Lead by freshman Jeff Lynch the Bobcats used fast passing and high tempo plays to get into the Foxes' zone fast, which paid off during the second and third quarter.  Though the Bobcats took a more commanding lead, it was the Foxes' defense that helped keep their team in the game. They kept the Bobcats in check, stopping three of their offensive pushes.

When tip-off started the fourth quarter, the Foxes were behind by eight points, 27-35.  The fans who packed the gym at Fox Lane stood on their feet cheering the team on, but the energy from the crowd didn't help the team.  Though the Foxes' offense was able to dismantle the Bobcats' defense and get in their zone, they missed a lot of points because of missed shots and missed rebounds.

Byram Hills used the mistakes of Fox Lane to get the ball out of their zone fast, pushing into the Foxes and making quick baskets to keep them on top.  A lot of these key turnovers were due to the Bobcats' stiff defense, which was affective but drew a lot of penalties, giving the Foxes plenty of chances to stay in the game.

As the game winded down the crowd let loose, chanting wildly and hoping for the Foxes to comeback and take the game; they almost did. From the start of the fourth, the Foxes were able to cover a lot of ground and catch up to the Bobcats.  With three minutes left in the game they were down by five, 35-40. 

Foxes' Captain Tim Muller helped their late game push, scoring big points with little time left on the clock. But in the end it was the Bobcats who took the win.  With their fast play and high-scoring freshman Jeff Lynch, the Bobcats were able to squeak away with a 44-38 win.

Although they were beaten, the Foxes played a great game, with a tough defense and strong offense that made some mistakes. If the Bobcats didn't capitalize on the Foxes' mistakes then they could have taken home the win.