Story by Aiden Eisel, Sports Editor
Photo Courtesy of Cypress Chargers Athletics
The men’s basketball team is on a four-game winning streak as they aim to finish their season on a high note before the playoffs begin.
The team currently has a record of 19-7 with a 9-4 conference record; they currently sit in third place in the Orange Empire Conference. They’ve improved their record from last season, as they went 13-15 and missed the playoffs.
The team has vastly improved on their shooting from last season, as they’re 42.7% from the field and 31.1% from the three-point line. They’re also averaging 72.2 points per game and have a rebound margin of 6.1.
In an interview with head coach Andrew Alhadeff, he stated that the season has benefited from their defense: our defense has kept us in a lot of games […] and we can score from multiple positions.” He emphasized their participation in the toughest conference in California; their strengths in different outlets aid their preparation for the playoffs.
Alhadeff stated a challenge that the team’s been facing is staying healthy and keeping the conditioning of the players in good shape. He’s shortening their practice time to ensure his players stay healthy. He stated that “instead of two-hour practices we’re at an hour thirty, an hour twenty right now […] our season’s so long, we started practicing five to six months ago, it’s important to keep our guys legs fresh and healthy at this point in the season.”
When asked about what his favorite part of the season was, he said winning the tournament in Monterrey was the highlight of the season: “winning that for the first time and coming out on top of eight teams was really nice.”
With how the team’s playing, Alhadeff believes his team has what it takes to make a deep playoff run and secure a spot in the conference championship. He stated his goal is to host a playoff game this year: “we haven’t hosted a playoff game at Cypress College since the mid 1990’s, so that would be a really cool thing to have.”
The team has one more regular season game on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. in Fullerton. They will then play three games in the OEC Conference before the playoffs start. To learn more about the basketball team, visit the Cypress College Athletics Website to view their schedule and stats.
