The West Branch Boys’ Basketball team played on Friday in a win-or-go-home game against North Star. West Branch had a better record going into the game, but North Star presented challenges. The Warriors fell behind in the first quarter, 28-15.

Warriors senior guard Craig Fluck commented on the first quarter, saying, “It was crazy watching this first quarter. I feel like North Star couldn’t miss a shot. Our defense was right there, and we were all up on them, but they still made the shot anyway.”

In the second quarter, the Warriors played stronger defense, holding North Star to an even quarter. At halftime, the Warriors were down by 13. Coming out of the half, both teams went bucket for bucket, but the Warriors couldn’t keep up with North Star’s three-point shooting. The third quarter ended with a score of 65-42, North Star. The starters were pulled halfway through the fourth quarter, and the Warriors took their fourth loss of the season.

Warriors’ starting point guard Lukas Colton reflected on the ICC game, saying, “We went into the game ready to play, but when the ball went up for tip-off, we did not compete. We started strong with a layup, but that was the end of it. They went up, and they did not look back from there. It was a humbling experience, but it got us ready and motivated to go get the next one, and we kept our spirits up.”

The Warriors will be hosting Penns Manor on Tuesday, February 18th, for the first round of districts. If they win, they advance to the District 6 semi-finals, but if they lose, their season is over.