The boys’ basketball team (20–5) defeated the Laurel Spartans (11–11) in the state quarter-finals on Friday night.

The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, with both teams displaying exceptional skill and determination. The final buzzer marked the end of a fierce competition, with Whitman emerging as the victor. 

The Vikings’ first quarter was not their best, falling behind 21–18. Whitman consistently struggled to get past the Spartans’ big men on both ends of the ball. Luckily, the Vikes figured out Laurel’s weaknesses and tied the game at 38–38 in the second quarter. 

Both teams left it all out on the court throughout the second half, as no one ever held a more significant lead than six. The Spartans won the third quarter, but the Vikings weren’t far behind at 59–57. This back-and-forth energy stayed consistent throughout the final quarter, forcing the game to come down to the wire. The turning point came when the Vikes were up by three in the final seconds with Laurel in possession. The Spartans kept trying to get a three-pointer to tie, but Whitman’s defense was too strong. Laurel did manage to hit an easy putback to shrink the lead to one. With two seconds remaining, senior Thomas Farrell retrieved the ball and dribbled until the buzzer, securing the victory for the Vikings with a final score of 73–72. 

Junior Evan Brown scored 17 points, the Vikes’ leading scorer. Brown mentioned the team’s struggles to figure out how to attack and work off the Spartans’ big men. 

“At the end of the game, I think we felt more of an urgency to score and defend the other team. We didn’t want this to be the last game of the season, so that also motivated us,” Brown said. “In order to get past their bigs and score on them, we would go into their chest while going up for layups so it would prevent them from jumping high.”

Junior Titian Derosa showcased his talent again, contributing 14 points to the Vikes’ score. Senior Thomas Farrell also played a crucial role, scoring 13 points for the Vikings. 

On Wednesday, the Vikings will face the Richard Montgomery Rockets (16–10) at Blair in the state semifinals. Tune into The Pressbox for live play-by-play coverage as Whitman hopes to advance to the state championship.