It felt like a wake-up call — a very loud one.
Brooklyn Law and Tech’s boys basketball team dropped a disappointing 55–52 showing to Holy Cross on Jan. 15, part of the Martin Luther King Showcase showcase at Lincoln High School. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Jets and left the team searching for answers after failing to produce on either side of the ball.
“It’s a call to start paying attention to detail more,” said Jets coach Kenny Pretlow. “We had sloppy turnovers, we weren’t passing the ball efficiently enough, and we weren’t making shots.”
The Jets (14–2) got off to a slow start, but were able to turn things around late in the first quarter and even took a one-point lead after the opening eight minutes of play. That was, however, about as good as things would get for the squad.
Brooklyn Law and Tech was held without a point for the first four minutes of the second quarter, racking up turnovers and empty possessions.
“It was just frustrating because we knew we did it to ourselves,” said junior forward Victor Ogdobo. “If we never put ourselves in that hole, we never would have been in that predicament — trying to work our way back.”
It didn’t get any better in the second half either, as Holy Cross opened the third quarter on a 10–2 run, taking a double-digit lead with 3:49 left in the period.
The Jets squad did its best to claw back, sparked by Ogdobo’s presence on the block. He scored 16 of his team-high 22 in the second half.
“I had to try and do what I can do for my team,” said Ogdobo, who also hauled in 14 rebounds. “At first I wasn’t playing all that well, but I did my best to kind of rally because I knew that the fire could make everyone else play better too.”
Brooklyn Law and Tech made it a four-point game with just under four minutes to play, but Holy Cross’ Elijah Perry drained a corner trey on the Knights’ next possession and the Jets could never bounce back.
It was a disappointing game for Brooklyn Law and Tech, as the squad couldn’t turn the corner in the non-league matchup, failing to settle into any sort of a rhythm.
“We went into our pressing style, and that got us back in the game, but even then we never really looked on top,” Pretlow said. “Even when we did get the shots, they just weren’t enough.”
The Jets racked up double-digit turnovers in the loss and failed to sink baskets from the free-throw line down the stretch. Brooklyn Law and Tech finished 9-of-20 from the stripe, upset with leaving points on the court.
“We usually make our free throws,” Pretlow said. “But today, I just don’t know what it was. We were a step slow.”
Brooklyn Law and Tech is anxious to bounce back when the team returns to league play, but the loss showed some of the team’s weak spots, and the Jets know there’s still plenty to work on.
“It’ll be a reference point,” Pretlow said. “When we’re in the next game and we’re playing like this, I can say it’s just like the Holy Cross game. Turn it around.”
