On Friday, February 17th, the South Windsor High School boys basketball team upset the 14-win Bristol Eastern Lancers by a score of 51-47, earning the team a spot in the playoffs.
It was Senior Night for the Bobcats, honoring the squad’s four seniors: Joe Bemis, Josh Vadavalli, J.P. Dargati, and London King.
Following the pregame ceremony, the ‘Cats came out firing. King hit multiple shots across the court to help South Windsor lead 15-10 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats locked down the formidable Lancers offense, holding them to just eight points, expanding the lead to 11 going into the locker room for halftime.
The start of the second half could have been more kind to the home squad. Bristol Eastern went on a 12-0 run, taking their first lead of the game, but junior Tyler Pottinger had a handful of layups and free throws to give the Bobcat a 35-34 lead with one-quarter of play to go.
With the crowd on its feet, King hit a couple of huge three-pointers to open the fourth quarter. As time ran out, Slei Elder drove into the lane and converted a tough layup, putting the ‘Cats up by 6 points.
With limited time, the Lancers had no option but to play the foul game, sending Junior Ethan Burke to the free throw line, up by two points with four seconds left. Burke drained both shots, putting the stamp on the game and sending the Bobcats to the playoffs.
Following the game, senior London King told The Prowl, “Our mindset pregame was to play our game, stay solid, and play hard. We did exactly that.”
South Windsor head coach Jim Dargati credited the win to the team’s defense, explaining, “I think our defense gave them problems and just played outstanding.”
This marks the first time the Bobcats will play in the postseason since 2017, as well as further showing how this senior squad has helped change the culture of South Windsor High School basketball.
The Bobcats have one more regular season game to take care of, as they travel to Enfield on Monday, February 19th to battle the rival Eagles.
