During the varsity basketball game on Tuesday, February 12, one type of bird was on fire–despite their name, the Fremont High School Firebirds were not. The Eagles shut down Fremont’s high-octane offense, which had once put up 71 points on them in a matchup earlier in the season that resulted in a 74-71 Eagles victory. This time around, the Eagles won the matchup in a less hectic fashion, with a 60-49 win.

The Eagles limited the Firebirds to 12 points in the first half due to great team defense, especially by juniors Joey Malgesini and Steven Garverick. The first quarter featured sloppy play, with multiple turnovers on either side. The Eagles turned it on in the second quarter with the help of sophomore Danny Rosenbaum, who pitched in six of his nine points in this quarter. The Eagles scored 22 points in this quarter while holding Fremont to 6, taking a dominant lead.

The Eagles held on in the second half, holding control to the game even when Fremont’s full court press created some turnovers. Steven played well in the second half, finishing well in transition off of several feeds by senior Nate Vieira. Steven finished the game as the leading scorer with 18 points and was also the leading rebounder.

“Garverick was an absolute beast on the boards, and on offense he was attacking the rim,” coach Bob McFarlane said. “Without hesitation, he had a great game.”