Emma Newman staff writer 
The angered screams from the crowd were not enough to stop the enthused Norman basketball team from a victory of 65-50 against the Culver City Centaurs this past Wednesday.
Throughout the entirety of the game, the Normans, who had a home-court advantage, held a strong lead ahead of the Centaurs, so much so that the Normans were always ahead of Culver City by at least six points after the first quarter.  
The game started out slow, as there were fewer foul points scored and back-to-back shots made. At halftime, the energy started growing, with the marching band playing popular songs such as “Bad Guy” and a performance from the cheerleaders. 
As the second half hit, both teams started playing with more energy, which led to stronger defense and more baskets made. During the last quarter alone, the Normans scored 24 points. 
“In the second half, we came out, played well, stuck to the game plan and played real tight defense to make sure that the team wasn’t scoring real easily,” point guard and shooting guard senior Ben Ramirez said. 
 As the Normans began to lead by a larger margin, upset Centaurs supporters yelled at the referee, with one even accusing him of cheating. This didn’t phase the Normans, as the excitement and passion among the team and the audience became increasingly more palpable. 
Some of the standout players included forward junior Jordan Williams, who made several slam dunks throughout the game, and guard senior Roy Freedman, who made four three-pointers in a row during the second half. His consecutive shots were all spurred from his first three-pointer, Freedman said. As a result of the shots he made, Freedman was “happy” with his performance. 
“That’s probably my best varsity game I’ve ever played,” Freedman said. “I’ve been spending a lot of time working on my shot and I’m glad that I made it.”
Despite the team’s win, both Freedman and Ramirez thought that the team’s performance as a whole was weaker than usual. 
“We didn’t play as good as we usually do in other games,” Ramirez said. “In other games, we could have blown that team out by 30 plus, but we came out and we still got the win.” 
Varsity basketball coach Jarvis Turner also thought that the game was not as strong as it could have been. However, he did not view the outcome as negative. 
“I’m always happy with a win,” Turner said. “I thought that we could have played a little bit better, but overall it was good.”
This win was not just due to a few strong players. As a group, Turner said that it was the team as a whole that made the game.
“It’s the accumulation of guys playing hard, playing together and making the right decision,” Turner said. 
Freedman greatly appreciated Turner’s contribution to the team effort and his vital role in the win. 
“We always have a great coach and a great game plan,” Freedman said. “That usually leads the way and we usually follow his lead.”