Bryan Zhao

Junior center Anson Hulme shoots a mid-range shot over two defenders.

Trailing 46-44 to the Fremont Firebirds with under a minute to go last Friday at home, junior center Anson Hulme pulled off a high-risk steal at halfcourt. He delivered a pass inside the paint to junior forward Ian Hu, who swung the ball outside the arc where senior guard Cole Sheehy pulled the trigger on a corner 3-point shot — a clean swish with just under 13 seconds to go. 

The bleachers trembled under the deafening roar of the crowd. The game ended with the Firebirds being unable to convert on their next possession as the clock hit zero.

Both teams entered the matchup this Friday in the large gym with 5-1 records, tied for first in the El Camino league. The Falcons’ victory, in addition to a 60-57 win on the road against Gunn on Tuesday, secured their first-place spot in the league with a 6-1 record.

The Falcons’ starting five for the matchup consisted of Sheehy and senior Alex Sinton at guard, junior forward Aidan Liu, senior forward Rian Khetani and Hulme at center. 

After winning the tip-off, the Falcons started off with a 3-pointer from Sheehy. Although both sides played strong pressure defense, the Firebirds started to gain momentum and pulled away with a 10-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 

Both teams continued to play strong defense. The second quarter closed with the Firebirds leading 16-15 after two made free throws from Sheehy.

Entering the second half, shots from Sheehy and Sinton were matched by the Firebirds, who maintained their one-point lead at 20-19. But the Falcons gained tremendous momentum as Fremont’s defense started to weaken in the last half of the quarter. 

The Falcons went on a 14-0 run with six points from Hulme, five points from Liu and a 3-pointer from Sheehy. The Firebirds responded with two consecutive 3-pointers. Khetani’s free throw ended the quarter with the Falcons leading 34-26. 

The fourth quarter kicked off with a fadeaway mid-range shot from Hulme, but the Firebirds stayed in the game with a 3-pointer and made a free throw, narrowing the Falcons’ lead to 36-30. A corner 3-pointer from Liu gave the Falcons a 9-point lead, forcing a Fremont timeout with six and a half minutes left. 

The Firebirds came out of the timeout hot, going on a 6-0 run, which led to Falcons’ head coach Mike Davey calling a timeout. The score was 39-36 with four-and-a-half minutes on the clock; the crowd waited for the scales to tip in either team’s favor.

Hulme jumped back into action with another fadeaway mid-range shot and free throw to give the Falcons a 42-36 edge; the Firebirds responded with back-to-back buckets before Hulme landed a heavily contested layup. 

With the clock ticking down, Fremont started to pick up momentum with guard Kota Xu sinking back-to-back 3-pointers. The Firebirds regained the lead 46-44. After Fremont recovered a defensive rebound on the next possession, they called a timeout with 49 seconds in regulation. 

After inbounding, the Firebirds were driven back toward halfcourt with heavy pressure from Liu. Hulme came to play help defense and stole the ball from Xu, who fell backwards and created a fast-break play. 

A short struggle ended with Hulme coming up with the ball and passing to Hu in the paint. Hu dished the ball out to Sheehy, who sunk the game-winning 3-pointer. With 12.9 seconds to score, the Firebirds called a timeout trailing 47-46 but were unable to tip back the scales after two missed shots. 

As the buzzer signaled the game’s conclusion, the crowd erupted and surged toward the court. 

Even after the game, students gathered in the lobby to celebrate the victory, watching the replay of Sheehy’s game-winning shot.

Under Davey’s guidance, the team was able to keep up their momentum and energy throughout the game, a struggle they have had throughout the season.

“Coach Davey does a very good job of keeping our energy and demeanor up throughout the game,” Hulme said. “When we’re down, work hard to close the gap, and when we’re up, keep them down. This game we really focused on staying in the game. The game isn’t over till it’s over.”

The Falcons look to extend their four-game win streak and to hold their league position. They face Cupertino on Jan. 27 at home and travel to Lynbrook on Jan. 30.