Boys basketball fell to Del Norte by one point on a last-second shot that gave the Nighthawks a 45-44 win, Jan. 17. The loss ended Westview’s five-game winning streak and dropped the Wolverines to 11-9 on the season and 0-2 in league.

Shooting guard Shervin Kamsi (11) led the team in scoring and tied his varsity career high with 13 points. According to Kamsi, the Wolverines were confident they could win but knew it would be a challenging game. 

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” Kamsi said. “[We are] two similar teams that wanted to win no matter what.”

The score was close throughout the game, and with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the score was tied ahead of the next Wolverines possession. Westview forward Lawrence Lam (11) drained two free throws, bringing the Wolverines to a two-point lead with 14 seconds left in the game. 

Yet with just one second left on the clock, a Del Norte player got to his spot in the corner and shot and scored. After losing to a game-winner with no time left on the clock, Kamsi turned from hopeful to devastated  within seconds. 

“It leaves a big mark on the team because it’s a league game against a rival, but it makes us even more ready for next time,” Kamsi said. 

Throughout the season, the Wolverines have a 2-4 record in games decided by three points or less. Lam said the close losses will push the team to work even harder and play better.

“The outcome of this game is going to bring the best out of us and make us practice and play even harder to not lose like this again,” Lam said.

 After starting their league campaign at 0-2, Kamsi said that the team intends to make changes and work harder at keeping possession and closing games out. 

“We will make sure our following practices ensure that we improve and have a tougher mentality moving forward,” Kamsi said. “We intend to execute down the stretch and dictate the game under pressure better.”

Overall, Lam said they felt they stayed in the game mentally and played good defense, holding Del Norte’s offense to their third lowest-scoring performances all season. He attributes much of their success to their team chemistry and camaraderie.

“The most important thing for the next game is going to be holding each other accountable,” Lam said.

Still, Lam said he feels the team has to be better at rebounding and limiting turnovers. He said the team needs to make small changes to turn things around, communicate more effectively, and continue to play with the maximum effort.

Kamsi said that the team intends to move past this game and focus on the rest of the season by improving their mentality. 

“We need a bigger focus on locking in on what [we] do instead of worrying about how the other team will play,” Kamsi said. “But, overall, we shot the ball well and fought hard.”