Irvington’s boys’ basketball team scored a major win against the Kennedy Titans on Jan. 23. Leading up to the game, the team had been in a slump, losing players to injuries and the flu. However, they worked together and took control against Kennedy with intensity and good defense, which showed in the final score of 80-40 favoring Irvington.

The first half of the game consisted of many rebounds and breakaways. Irvington came out of the first quarter with a strong lead of 15-7. Though Irvington’s defense did well to prevent scoring, the intensity of their play earned them seven fouls opposed to Kennedy’s two fouls. The fouls started to even out in the second quarter, as Kennedy raked in eight fouls to Irvington’s ten, seeming to match Irvington’s energy.

“I anticipated that [Kennedy] would come out really fast and hard,” Coach Ron Littleton said. “They have energy, so as soon as we break their spirit and shut down their energy, it’s our game coming through.”

The turning point of the game was when Irvington’s Andy Zhao (12) caught a rebound and scored two points, giving the team momentum. As the game went on, both teams earned a number of fouls while Irvington’s big men handled the shots and rebounds. Following a timeout, Kennedy seemed to be closing to the gap, however Irvington’s smooth flow of passing and assists helped them reach a score of 48-25 by the end of the first half.

Irvington entered the third quarter with consistent energy, scoring first in the second half. The plays between both teams were more aggressive, increasing the number of fouls for both schools.

“This game was different because everyone was going after the ball,” Coach Littleton said. “It wasn’t just three people playing, everyone was jumping after the ball. There was no weak link in the chain.”

Kennedy Coach Dave Domelle suggested plays to his team that lead to a tense series of possession, switching possession of the ball back and forth between Irvington and Kennedy. The game continued with Kennedy’s strong offense, but Irvington’s stronger defense. By the end of the game, Irvington won with a score 80-40.

“When I looked up at the score and saw that it was 80 to 40, I feel like we really dominated the other team,” Captain Albert Zhu (12) said. “I feel like that’s something we need to learn and really improve on and I think our score today really shows that.”

Irvington’s basketball team will face Washington on Feb. 6 and Moreau Catholic on Feb. 9.