On Friday, February 2nd, the South Windsor High School boys basketball team hosted the reigning class S state champions Windsor Locks, pulling off a shocking 65-59 upset. This marks the Bobcats first victory over a 10+ win team since the 2021-’22 season.
With the opening tip-off about to take place, fans packed the stands, filling the bleachers to cheer on the team. The first quarter was highly competitive, with some back and forth shots ending the quarter with a small Raider lead.
The second quarter was much the same, full of free throws and three pointers. The visitors got to the line several times, knocking down their shots to send them to the locker room up by 5.
When the third quarter began, the Bobcats came out firing. The Raiders struggled to stop South Windsor senior Joey Bemis, who dominated down low, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Fellow senior London King led the way for the ‘Cats, tallying 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. King and sophomore Brayden Edwards showed off their three point shooting abilities, draining multiple long range shots that helped South Windsor end the third quarter with a lead.
As the fourth quarter began, the Bobcats led by 7. Windsor Locks junior Jack Grasso knocked down a handful of three pointers to bring the Raiders back in the game, even snagging a lead. However, the ‘Cats would not let that last long.
Throughout the game, head coach Jim Dargati saw that adjustments needed to be made, calling up a play to get the ball into King’s hands. As a result, King drilled a triple with just under a minute left that put the final nail in the coffin. Windsor Locks had a chance to tie the game but couldn’t connect on a shot, giving the ball back to the Bobcats to close out the game at the free throw line.
“We needed this win for momentum going into Monday’s game against Tolland and Tuesday’s game, which is our senior night,” London King explained. “I hope we can keep this same energy at the start of next week and get a few more wins to close out the season.”
This was a huge win for the Bobcats. Following the game, The Prowl talked to Coach Jim Dargati.
“That’s a great team win for the guys tonight,” Dargati stated. “We took a seven point lead in the second half, unfortunately gave it back, but the kids really dug in and grinded it out; It was a testament to their togetherness.”
This win moves the team to 5-10, and with only five games remaining, the ‘Cats will need to win at least three of those games to make the state playoff tournament. The Bobcats will be back in action on Monday, February 5th, at home to take on rival Tolland, looking to avenge their earlier loss to the Eagles.
