The De Anza Dons men’s basketball team lost 56-38 to the West Valley Vikings on Jan. 20. Much energy went into the plays of this conference matchup, though the game resulted in a loss for the Dons. 

During the first half, the Dons struggled on both sides of the ball against the strong plays of Vikings coach Scott Eitelgeorge. However, certain players made a significant impact on the scoreboard.

Dons Guard George Henderson (4) made great passing plays while on  offense, ensuring the ball would get across to the frontcourt, then distributed the ball to teammates for scoring oppurtunities. Forward Chris Saint-Amand (23) scored a three-pointer just over 30 minutes into the game. Coach Jason Damjanovic substituted players a couple of times, including a switch between James Tyler (2) and Jamarea Biggins (31). The first half ended with the Vikings leading 28-14.

The second half amped up the pace with the Dons averaging a two-point shot for every one to two two-point shots scored by the Vikings. 

Guard Denzel Copeland (3) displayed his skills as a blocker. He frequently grabbed rebounds to box out  against opposing players, and prevented movement to the backcourt. His quick blocks opened opportunities for Henderson to steal the ball, and keep activity on the frontcourt. Despite good defense, and activity kept on the frontcourt, the Dons lost in the second period. 

The Dons certainly kept strong suit during the game, yet guard Keian Taylor (43) said after the game he thought he and his teammates were playing timid. 

“We have a good defense, but we don’t execute our plays,” Taylor said. “We never ran our plays all the way through,” 

“They outplayed us, they out-coached us,” added coach Damjanovic, describing the plays of the night’s game.