Caleb Gottry attends Chandler Preparatory Academy and is a member of the AIA’s Student SID program.

Both varsity basketball teams from Chandler Prep hosted the Rams from Antelope Union Highschool on Tuesday, January 14th. For the Titan girls, it was a chance to win their first regional game and for the Titan boys, it was a chance to dominate on the court with their undefeated regional record. Entering the court with no regional wins for either boys or girls, the Rams started strong, putting up the first points in both games.

The Titan girls played well as a team with each player contributing on the court in some way. Sophomore Tatum McDonald used her height to pull down over a dozen rebounds and score three baskets in the post. The Rams physicality sent the Titans to the line twelve times and juniors Ava Callesen and Dannaka Kallander capitalized with Callesen going 4-4 and Kallander 2-2. Junior Andrea Winniesdorffer led the team defensively with tight coverage and three steals. The Titans ultimately struggled on offense to finish shots, shooting less than 40% from the field. They managed to take the lead a couple times, but the Rams ultimately pulled away in the second half and held on for a final score of 28-26. Head Coach Lytle said this about the near comeback and overall execution of his team:

“We tried really hard at the end, but by the end, it was too late. We have a lot to work on, but they tried hard.”

Head Coach Wilson for the Titan boys echoed Lytle’s sentiment for his own team, saying,

“We need to work on execution: playing with confidence and being solid in what we do. Antelope Union is a really tough team, they played really hard, and they deserved to win tonight.”

The Titan boys struggled to take their typical early lead, with several scoreless possessions. The Rams managed to stay within two scores until the Titans pulled ahead near the end of the second half. Just like the girls, the Titans capitalized on the Rams physicality with junior Andrew Hahn going 10-12 and senior Cameron Nikjou going 4-5 at the line. Junior Joey Pupillo continued to be a leader for the Titans with two steals and ten points. The Titans sloppy turnovers and missed opportunities kept Tuesday’s game closer than expected with a final score of 43-33.

After both teams collected wins against Lincoln Prep on Wednesday and a split in road games on Friday, the Titans play next against Leading Edge Academy on January 21st at 6 and 7:30pm at Chandler Prep. Titan Up.