The varsity Bel Air Boys Basketball team hosted rival Patterson Mill Huskies on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and fell short in a hard-nosed defensive game, 39-36.

The Bobcats had to endure a tough first half, but managed to keep pace with the Huskies. Bel Air was successful in moving the ball around, but played extremely aggressive and shot one too many 3-pointers. There were many turnovers, but held Patterson Mill in check, not allowing too far of a lead. When the buzzer sounded to conclude the first half, Bel Air found themselves down 22-15.

The second half was a completely different story for the Bobcats. They started to convert their shots, as guards Jahari Carmichael, Michael Yetter, and Jake Vazquez got into a rhythm and scored twice as much as they did in the first. The Bobcats defense stood strong and forced multiple Husky turnovers, converting them into points.

Junior Michael Yetter said, “We were looking for some way to get a quick start and get to work. We tried to get our crowd into the game by playing aggressive on offense. We needed to take higher percentage shots.”

The second half was fast paced and very intense. They kept the crowd on their feet and started to erase the early deficit. Bel Air kept the game close all the way until the final buzzer.

Despite having trouble in the first half, the boys stuck with their game plan and played tough man-to-man defense. Yetter commented, “We stayed with the game plan, and played our hearts out.”

After the loss, the Bobcats fall 3-2 on the season. They will look to improve on Jan. 5, as they travel to Joppatowne to take on the Mariners. After a twelve day winter break, the Bobcats are ready for a fresh start!