Last Tuesday, January 27th, the Torrance High Tartars faced the South High Spartans in a back-and-forth game. The home-court advantage and preparation for the upcoming game allowed the Tartars to come out on top with a 61-51 win.
Starting out strong in the first quarter, the Tartars led the way 16-12 with hundreds of people in the stands watching, criticizing their every play, and cheering them on. With all eyes on them, they got off to a great start.
Heading into the second quarter, the Tartars let off the gas a little, giving the Spartans room to come back and lead the scoreboard 19-16. As the Spartans closed the gap, the boys quickly locked in and remembered all the effort and training they put in to prepare for this game, “We practiced hard and came out very aggressive, closing out on their shooters and ultimately made the plays that we needed to make,” stated captain Cash Correa. As they remembered how hard they had prepared for this moment, they closed out the second quarter 34-19, leaving South High in the dust.
After halftime, the Tatars started with the ball. The Spartans took off with a nine-point run. According to Correa, this was the turning point in the game that sparked more intensity and fight for the boys to give it their all and take home the win. The buzzer rang for the end of the third quarter, and the Spartans thought they had the Tartars at 35-34 until the Tartars not only tied the score but then added 10 more points, ending the third quarter 35-44. Torrance.
In the final quarter, both teams continued to score but couldn’t keep up defensively, preventing either side from creating a big enough gap until the Spartans took a 51-44 lead. Coach Andru Vaughan called a timeout, which switched these boys into a different gear, securing the Tartars for a 51-61 victory in the last quarter. Cash Correa played a huge role in Tuesday’s game, just as he did throughout the season, as he leads the team in rebounds and assists, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists.
Now that the Torrance High Tartars have secured their 19th overall win and 4th league win, they are one step closer to a spot in the playoffs, which means a lot for this Torrance team.
