As the third quarter of a nail-biter at B-CC came to a close, overconfident B-CC fans began to taunt the six-foot Whitman player:

“Airball! Airball!”

Unfortunately for the Barons, guard Alex Sanson was unfazed, burying a seemingly impossible half-court shot as the buzzer sounded, giving the Vikes the lead and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

But last year, Sanson wasn’t wearing Whitman’s blue and black—instead, he sported the purple and white of the Gonzaga Eagles.

Sanson, a junior, transferred to Whitman last month in hopes of getting more opportunities to play.

“It was pretty hard to get on the court [at Gonzaga],” Sanson said. “I wanted to get more playing time, and I am now, so I’m glad I came to Whitman.”

And the Vikings appreciate the addition as well—in his first few games for the Vikes, Sanson has averaged 14.8 points per game, making him Whitman’s leading scorer. He was also instrumental in wins over B-CC and Churchill, scoring 18 points in both games.

He’s been a good fit with the team’s strategy and mentality, coach Christopher Lun said.

“Alex has been a huge addition to our team this year. He has fit in very well with our style of play,” Lun said. “He brings quickness, intelligence and playmaking to our backcourt. We are very excited to have him in our program.”

Last year, the Vikes lost a lot of their talent and confidence with the graduation of guard Shaq Diboti-Lobe. The addition of Sanson helped fill that gap, forward Sam Kapner said.

“There was a lot of talk about who the ‘man’ was going to be once Shaq left and how he wouldn’t be as good. Alex coming helped erase that talk,” Kapner said. “Alex has been a fantastic addition.”

Sanson’s athleticism, ball handling and passing skills have also been an asset to the team, as has his versatility on both offense and defense, Kapner said.

Although Sanson is still adjusting to Whitman’s style of play, he says his new teammates have helped make the transition easier.

“They’re really awesome; they’ve been really nice to me and welcomed me to this new environment,” Sanson said. “I’ve loved it here so far.”