The clock wound down in the second quarter as Cal stole the ball from Dublin.
A quick pass down the court started a fast break, and sophomore guard Logan Weger lobbed the ball in the air as the student section rose to their feet.
As the ball soared through the air, senior guard Brayde Kuykendall snatched it and slammed it down for a clutch alley-oop, just beating the clock.
The crowd exploded, and Cal’s team jumped off the bench and stormed into the locker room with energy.
This season is predicted to be marked by the same excitement, as the team hopes to win its first league title in nearly a quarter of a century. Cal’s only EBAL titles were back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003.
The Grizzlies (1-2 EBAL, 10-10 overall) beat Dublin 70-65 in their league opener on Jan. 9, a highly anticipated game against the talented Gaels (13-5). Tickets were sold out and Cal’s Event Center was packed with Cal’s Sixth Man leading the roar.
“The energy against Dublin was super high with both crowds going nuts,” senior John Heard said. “You could tell the players were feeling [the atmosphere] as every time they made a play, they looked to their crowd for a response.”
The Grizzlies looked to beat Dublin for a second year in a row, after winning 61-60 the previous season. Led by senior captain Kuykendall, who has committed to play at the University of Santa
Clara next season, the Grizzlies earned a back-to-back victory by jumping out to a nine-point halftime lead and holding on in the second half for the win.
“We did a great job closing out [the game] and putting on a show for the fans,” Kuykendall said. “I couldn’t give the MVP to one guy. We play well all together.”
The win was a team effort, with multiple players contributing to the victory.
Kuykendall finished the game with 15 points, while senior guard Jaiden Jones scored 22. Jones was awarded the Player of the Game by MaxPreps.
Head coach Steve Ohlmeyer said all of his players are MVPs in his books, but that he appreciates Kuykendall, as he has become a team leader as he has been with the varsity program for three years.
Many players believe the team has its fair share of unsung heroes.
“I don’t think there is a clear-cut MVP of our team,” senior forward Krishiv Banerjee said. “Some nights, one player is performing better than another. Just changing every game and having each player play their role to win us the game.”
Jones believes that Weger or senior point guard Kingston Mateo are key members of the team.
“[Weger] gives great effort on the defensive side, and when we need him to get a bucket, he’ll go get one,” Jones said. “And with Kingston, he comes into the game, hits a shot, plays great defense.”
Weger contributed to one of the game’s highlights with the ally-oop dunk to Kuykendall that had fans talking after the game.
“[Kuykendall’s dunk] was pretty electric,” senior Zak Syed said, a member of Cal’s Sixth Man. “I feel like it brought a lot of momentum to the team’s game, especially with the fact that it was pretty close.”
The entire game followed in pursuit of those critical plays, with the student section cheering on their home team.
That energy seemed to be absorbed by Cal’s players, with high scorers Kuykendall and Jones making a big difference on both the offensive and defensive ends.
The team also boasted many accolades in the preseason, with Ohlmeyer noting that his favorite moment was Cal’s 65-64 win over Saint Ignatius, the No. 5 team in the state, on Jan. 3.
Over winter break the team competed in the prestigious gold division in The Classic At Damien. The Grizzlies faced tough competition finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record.
But there are high hopes for the rest of the season, with many of the players excited for what is to come and eager to go far.
“I hope we keep up this momentum we have from winning these very difficult past few games, which will eventually lead us to an EBAL championship, NCS championship, and hopefully get the opportunity to play in Sacramento for the state championship,” Banerjee said.
Unfortunately, Cal’s momentum for the Dublin game didn’t carry over to Jan. 13, when the Grizzlies fell to Monte Vista 64-53 at home. The Mustangs jumped out to 32-22 halftime lead and never looked back.
Cal also stumbled against Granada 68-63 on Jan. 16 and Bishop O’Dowd 60-58 on Jan.17.
The Granada game was similar to the Monte Vista one, with Cal falling behind by 13 at the half.
But Heard and a lot of other fans believe Cal is on the right trajectory, saying this season will be one of school’s most memorable basketball seasons.
Even though it’s still early in league, Heard thinks Cal will succeed and is happy to show up and support the team with his friends since the basketball team did the same for Heard’s football team in the fall.
“I think it’ll be remembered as one of the greatest seasons the school has had in its history,” Syed said.
