Winter Sports

With five different basketball teams, the Leopards made Lowell history again! The players competed at their highest levels. It was a season of incredible success with the Middle School Girls pushing two games into overtime and claiming two tournament titles. The Middle School Boys All-Stars placed 3rd in two tournaments, and the Boys Superstars improved their game dramatically. Fans were brought to the edge of their seats as the 4/5 boys narrowly beat Hebrew Academy in the final second of a game while the 4/5 Girls rallied hard for lopsided victories over Norwood and JPDS. The Lowell Dome kept a buzz from November to February with the community providing great energy and support for each team. 

 

The Middle School Girls season began with the Burke Tournament. Coming off a 7-7 campaign last year, the team and their families did not know what to expect. Elka, an 8th grade point guard who scored a total of 102 points this season, emerged as a team leader. The Leopards beat Burke in the first round and then took down Sheridan in the finals to claim the Burke Tournament Championship. Sheridan had a chance for revenge the following Tuesday in a rematch at Lowell. Despite Sheridan's tight defense on Elka, the Leopards put the game away in overtime with Frankie hitting a big shot. Next, in a tight back and forth game against Barnesville, Juliana took the winning shot for Lowell to claim 4-0 early in the season. The team carried themselves with confidence that could be felt all over campus. The Leopards played hard for their coach and each other, and before long, the experience became about more than the 13 girls on the team. It was about the whole community; we had something to believe in. The MS girls took home two tournament championships, two overtime victories, and ten wins overall. The Leopards beat six teams we had never beaten before finishing with a 10-1 record. The best Middle School Girls team in Lowell history!

 

The Middle School Boys All-Stars team had the most veterans in Lowell History.  Complete with eight 8th graders. The team's leader, Will, was an 8th grade point guard who scored 112 points in 12 games this season. Also a fabulous passer, Will made each of the players around him better. In a close game at the Sheridan Tournament, Will took over offensively and scored 12 points in both games. Tristan shut down Burke’s high-scoring point guard and forced a key turnover–down one point with twelve seconds left, Burke threw the ball away, and Quinn scooped it up and took it the other way for a heroic buzzer beating lay up! Before winter break, the team also won a close battle at Woods Academy. Ronan made five quick points in the second half, and Tristan hit a three-pointer and made both ends of a 1 and 1 late in the game to seal the deal. Facing off against Barrie in the first round of the tournament last week, the team had a dominant inside. Lucas was an incredible force on the boards. He made 8 points and claimed twelve rebounds. Jay took the ball to the basket strong as well, scoring 6 points in that game. Experienced and determined, the Middle School Boys All-Stars worked hard this season with a 5-8 record earning two 3rd place tournament titles.

 

The Middle School Boys Superstars opened the season with a tough loss at Sheridan. Their opponent complimented them on their defensive tenacity and rebounding. These traits carried the team forward throughout the rest of the season, featuring some close games, including two against Siena, which resulted in a big win for the Leopards. The team was led by a backcourt of Benji and Flynn, both great ball handlers and decision makers. Inside, the Leopards had Dylan and Jake competing for every rebound and scoring in the low post. Not afraid of anybody, the team was often at a size disadvantage, but never complained. The Leopards showed great improvement among a group which was largely new to basketball and the team learned a lot about court awareness, hustle, and teamwork.

 

The 4/5 Boys opened the season with a 5-0 record.  This squad had incredible depth with 20 players and made quick work of Oyster, Norwood, and BSW to start the season. The team scored 35 points at Norwood and with nine different scorers. The Leopards also earned a close victory against an older and taller Woods Academy team right before winter break.  Guards Jacob and Sam P worked together to break the press to upset their opponent. In their final game of the season, Lowell rallied from four points down to tie the game with only moments to go. Jacob made the only four-point play in Lowell history and followed it up with a floater from the foul line that dropped just as time lapsed. The next three sounds were bucket, buzzer, bedlam–this team had incredible energy and spirit. With great size, numbers, and intensity, the Leopards finished their season with a convincing 6-3 record. The future is bright!

 

The 4/5 Girls bounced back from an early season loss to score 23 points in a big win against Norwood. The team had a roster with great depth, featuring over ten players and great instruction from Coach Lucas. Point guards Kayla and Isabella led the team, the two combined for fifteen points against Norwood. The Leopards played with great intensity on defense–Maddie and Caroline were nearly impossible to get around. With Olivia as a dominant rebounder, the team earned a 3-4 record including an 18-2 victory against Hebrew Academy late in the season.