Westwood High School’s boys’ junior varsity basketball team has already experienced their fair share of highs and lows this season. When their season began in late November, the Warriors fell short to Williams Field High School, 59-31. The following day, they were victorious against Seton Catholic Prep to the tune of 59-43. 

Sophomores Kael Andrews and Noah Lasiloo anchor both sides of the ball. Lasiloo is the sharpshooting specialist who provides Westwood with the offensive advantage other teams don’t have. Andrews commands the paint, often getting double- and triple-teamed by the opposing team because of his ability to rebound. 

Entering the January 12 game against Skyline High School, the JV Warriors were in the midst of a five-game losing streak. However, once tipoff began, the boys were committed to reversing their fortune against Skyline. 

Lasiloo got the start and Andrews provided offense and defense as the team’s sixth man. Both shared time on the court together, allowing for Westwood to take the early lead. However, Skyline crawled back in the second quarter and eked out a 17-14 lead moments before halftime. 

In the third quarter, Andrews got into foul trouble and found himself on the bench. Both teams were tied at 25 when Westwood began to pull away toward victory thanks to some stellar defense. Lasiloo stole the ball from Skyline’s point guard, which resulted in an easy layup on the other end for Westwood. That gave them a 32-25 lead, which would be just enough for the Westwood boys to defeat Skyline. 

The boys continued their 2023-2024 season with a home game on January 25 against Mountain View and an away game against Skyline on January 26. They will finish the season at home on February 2 against the Dobson Mustangs.