Unified basketball fell 53-73 against Brookline Monday, Oct. 27 at home. Despite the loss, energy was high all afternoon, and individual players accomplished major personal goals.  

Math teacher Keith Whelan, the head coach, said that senior Suzannah Dangelo sent the stands erupting into lasting applause. “She’s been working really hard to get the strength to get the ball up to the rim and today she scored her first basket in a unified basketball game,” he said.

Throughout the first portion of the first half, North and Brookline were close in score, trading baskets and working together with their teams. With nine minutes left in the period, Brookline scored 11 times, only letting North score one basket before the second half. 

Early in the second half, North began to catch up, with sophomore Eric Hoaglund making four baskets in a row. 

Both teams continued scoring evenly until the last three minutes of the game, where North scored six times. Even with the strong finish, the lead that Brookline built up earlier paid off, and the game ended in a loss for North. 

“Even though we lost, everybody developed their own skills and played well,” said senior Charlie Carroll, a captain alongside seniors Coco Appel and Luke Washek.

The team has been working on celebrating each other’s personal wins and using teamwork to let everybody shine on the court, according to Whelan. 

“For some people, dribbling the ball is the same achievement as getting a three pointer and we are celebrating that,” said Whelan. “Our team is celebrating successes on the court that the typical basketball fan wouldn’t recognize as a success.”

Different players on the team are all working on different skills, but everybody recognizes successes when they happen, added Whelan. Senior Catherine Fix experienced her own personal success with a close three-pointer, only narrowly missing the rim. 

The Tigers, 1-2, will travel to face Natick, Walpole, and Hopkinton in the Redhawk Round Up game Thursday, Nov. 6.