Friday, Jan. 27 was Fan Appreciation Night for the boys’ basketball team. While the festivities for the fans were fun, the same can’t be said about the game. The Hawks took the hard loss 82-47 at the hands of the Mount Lebanon Blue Devils.

While that score sounds rough for the Hawks, their offense ran well when they were playing as a team. Where they got beat was on their defense, which was no match for the Blue Devils’ powerful offense.

Lebo’s offense ran fluently as they were able to pick apart the Hawks’ zone defense. Zone defense means that each player gets a portion of the court to cover and if an opposing player runs into your section you cover that person and don’t chase them if they leave your area.

While yes, there are appropriate times to use this type of D, this left shooters open that got open 3’s. Pair that with the fact that the Blue Devils are just a taller team and therefore able to get the rebound, they were able to exploit this defense.

The Hawks’ bright spots were when they were playing as a team, passing it and looking for the open shot, which was tough because of the Devils’ tight-on-the-ball D.

The future, however, looks bright for the Hawks’ basketball team as freshman Ryan Meis and his brother, Justin, showed just how explosive their offense can be if they are paired together.