Photo by Annabelle Elmaleh
By Brendan Locke
Sports Reporter
As the Newton South boys’ basketball team looks forward to a game against top-seeded Mansfield in the first round of the state tournament, Denebola got a chance to catch up with senior captain Lucas Nathanson.
After two straight losses recently, how are you going to bounce back and come out strong tomorrow night?
“Those were some tough losses, but we just got to put them behind us. We had a lot of guys sick and injured when we played Natick, and now that I’m hurt we kind of have to rally behind that and try and just come out with a lot of energy to out-work Mansfield.”
What have you guys done to prepare for this big game?
“We’ve just been practicing really hard; our practices have been really intense and competitive, and guys are ready to be here. Some of the guys who haven’t played in a playoff game before know that they need to step it up, and guys who have been here before know that they just need to step up to the challenge. But all in all, we’re just trying to stay positive and be ready for tomorrow night.”
Mansfield is the number one seed; what do you expect to see from them that’s different from previous teams that you guys have faced?
“They move without the ball really well. They set a lot of off-ball screens, so we’re going to have to work really hard to get through those and get out on shooters. They also do a really good job trapping, so we have to make sure we limit turnovers. Also, they run the fast break really well, so we have to contain them in transition.”
You guys are considered the underdog in this game, but how confident are you with how the team is going to play?
“Anyone can win in the playoffs. A team can go 1-15 and still beat a team that’s 16-0, it really doesn’t matter. We’re coming in confident as ever, with the mindset that we can compete with anybody.”
