On Dec. 5, the Parkdale Panthers held home court at Parkdale Collegiate, beating the Forest Hill Falcons 56–40 in Tier-2 senior boys' basketball.
With a dominating 23–11 second quarter, the Panthers cruised to victory, relying on a speedy backcourt to outpace and outwork the Falcon defense and a swarming full court defense to force turnovers and score easy baskets.
Rigdor Dorje, the Panthers starting guard, was glad with the team performance. Speaking to him postgame, Dorje thought the team rebounded well from a 64–45 Dec. 3 loss to the Humberside Huskies.
"On Tuesday we were a little shaky, we didn't really know what we were doing, but today we came out and seemed a lot more at home," said Dorje, who scored 12 points.
The Falcons, who stumble after winning their season opener Dec. 3 — a 48–44 win against the Harbord Tigers — looked panicked in the Parkdale Collegiate gym. For the game, they tried to rush up the court, taking lopsided shots.
Mahan Shiuhi, who scored nine points for the game, recognized the team's anxiety, that they were trying to match the Panthers' uptempo style, to their peril.
"We didn't run our style [of play], which is a low-tempo, controlled, organized system," Shuihi said.
He hopes that the team can regroup and play better next time.
"I know it's the second game of the season, but we have to capitalize [on games] right away," Shiuhi added. "We only have ten games, [but] we have to work on defenses like this, because this is how most teams will play, pressure you. And you have to know how to break the press."
All photos by Perry King/Town Crier