The LFNY Varsity Boys Basketball team after their victory against York Prep on February 12th.
With February break in full swing and Lycée students spending their vacations in countries around the world, six members of the LFNY Varsity Boys Basketball team* remained in New York to try and make history. Earlier in the month, the team had clinched the school’s first ever Varsity Boys playoff appearance. Coming off of a three-win season in 2012, the Lynx defied all expectations in 2013, finishing the season 15-7 and earning the third spot in the league playoffs.
However, when they stepped onto the court on Monday, February 11th for their semi-final game against Birch Wathen Lennox, many eyed the six players in Lyceé blue and figured that the historic run might finally come to an end. Yet, much as they had all season, the Lynx thrived on being the underdog. Led by their typically aggressive defense, the three seniors and three sophomores built an early 11-2 lead and never looked back.
York Prep, number one in the league
In front of a crowded LFNY gym, the Lynx used incredible passing and non-stop hustle to score 52 points. Each member of the six-man team scored during the game, led by 20 points from Oscar A., 12 from Kenan Z., and 11 from captain, Max D. Although BWL would make the score closer in the fourth quarter, the game was never truly in doubt and the Lynx were able to advance to the finals against York Prep.
The number one team in the league, York Prep had split the season series with the Lynx, each team winning one game. At the start of the championship it seemed as though nerves and the extensive amount of playing time that each of the six LFNY players experienced the day before had taken a toll. The game was much slower paced; the Lynx appeared tentative; and their shots were not falling. After a pretty sluggish first half, the team was down by three and needed an injection of life.
They found it, as they had all season, on the defensive side of the ball. With constant communication and furious pressure, the Lynx flipped a switch and stole the momentum away from York. Strong defense by seniors Elliott R. and Abdoulaye M. shut down the opposing team’s best player, and the Lynx had a three point lead already built before Ben K. passed to Max D. to set up a half-court shot just before the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. The shot hit the backboard and rebounded through the net.
With the fans cheering, the players rushed to each other, putting their arms around each other as they walked back to the bench. The momentum had truly been stolen, and LFNY cruised in the fourth quarter to win the school’s first ever Varsity Boys Basketball championship.
The LFNY now a basketball school
After the game, the six players took photos of the scoreboard and their championship medals, sending them to their teammates around the world so that they could share in the celebration. All season long the team operated as a family, and the final game proved to be no different. They had spent four or five nights a week and their Saturday afternoons pushing each other to work harder than they had before. They bickered and bonded but learned to fight for each other by the end.
As the season drew to a close, gold medals hung around their necks, and they had proved to themselves and the rest of the league that the Lycée Français de New York was now a basketball school.
* All photos courtesy of Mei-Hua Dowell.
About the Author :
A born and bred New Yorker, Eric taught in San Antonio and played professional baseball in Australia before returning to New York to join the Lycée team. Led to English by a passion for stories, he is a published author and director of short films.