Priscilla Hopper media manager
After a nail-biting loss against Crossroads High School on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Michael Jordan Future of the Flight event, the Normans bounced back stronger than ever, beating Hawthorne High School by 56 points on Friday, Jan. 26, ending the game with a final score of 61-5.
“We played as a team, everyone contributed. The bench players got some minutes, so it was a good win. I am happy I personally outscored their team,” shooting guard senior Justin Matian, who scored seven points this game, said.
Friday was not only an commanding win for the varsity team, but also the first night injured senior Navid Nour set foot on the court during a game since his knee surgery.
“My 30 seconds of glory, as I call it. Jarvis charged up the play and it didn’t quite go as planned, but it was great, everyone saw me out there holding the ball,” Nour said.
Captain Daniel Zahabian and Nour have played together since seventh grade, and this is their final season playing on the same team.
“It felt good seeing one of my best friends out there again; it’s tragic he didn’t get to shoot or score anything. I would’ve been a lot happier [if] he did,” Zahabian said.
The huge lead allowed some players to see extended action; sophomore Ryan Kim was the lead scorer for the Normans with 15 points against the Cougars.
“The team played good defense,” power forward freshman Blake Lander said. “But this isn’t the best we’ve done so far, and I feel like we can do better than this against other teams.”
The team’s next game is Wednesday, Jan. 31 at El Segundo High School.