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Trojans sweep the Liberty Lightning in a doubleheader matchup

During Liberty’s Mental Health Night, the West High boys and girls basketball teams faced off against the Lightning on Jan. 31.
Known as "Mental Health Awareness Night," the West High and Liberty basketball teams showed their support by wearing "OS14" shirts that read "Bigger than Basketball" to honor Owen Skelley, a beloved student who died by suicide three years ago.
Known as “Mental Health Awareness Night,” the West High and Liberty basketball teams showed their support by wearing “OS14” shirts that read “Bigger than Basketball” to honor Owen Skelley, a beloved student who died by suicide three years ago.
Maya Mueller
Girls basketball edges a win against the Bolts

Coming off a dominant win against Linn-Mar on Jan. 28, the West High girls basketball team was ready to take on Liberty on Jan. 31. After falling to the Lightning at home earlier in the season, the Trojans were determined to bring the energy for the rematch.

The game tipped off with Liberty gaining possession, but two minutes into the game, there were still scoreless possessions from both sides. This was until Ava Frese ’26 drove down the court and found Abby Neumiller ’26 for a three-pointer, giving West an early lead.

However, Liberty quickly responded and pulled ahead by a point. This wasn’t for long, though, as Grace Fincham ’26 knocked down another three, helping West close the first quarter with a 13-8 advantage.

Early in the second quarter, Liberty began closing the gap, but Sasha Baldwin ’27 stepped up and put down a three-pointer for West. With the momentum on their side, the Trojans entered halftime ahead 25-17.

During the break, there were tables set up to raise mental health awareness, as the game was dedicated to the cause. The tables included organizations like the I’m Glad You Stayed Project.

Both teams came out strong in the second half, with Liberty quickly cutting West’s lead to just three points at 25-22. However, Baldwin responded once again and scored another three-pointer for the Trojans. By the end of the quarter West had regained control and were ahead with a score of 37-27.

In the final quarter, Liberty fought to keep up, adding nine points to their total. But the Trojans kept their momentum and scored 10 of their own to secure a 47-36 victory.

After this win, the Trojans improved their record to 12-6 and are expected to go up in the rankings this week, positioning themselves for a favorable bracket in regionals later this month. The girls will look to carry this momentum during their home matchup against the Cedar Fall Tigers on Feb. 7.

The boys basketball teams gains a dominating feat over the Bolts

With a 9-5 record and a fourth-place ranking in the conference, the Trojans were more than ready to take on the bolts on Jan. 31.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Night, both teams warmed up in “Bigger than Basketball” shirts to raise awareness about the issue of mental health.

The matchup started evenly, with both teams tied at 2-2 a minute in. However, the Trojans were determined to take the lead. Junior Julain Manson came up with a key steal and dribbled down the court to find Ethan Headings ’26 for a layup. Moments later, senior Jack McCaffery took advantage of a loose ball and went in for a dunk, securing a strong lead for the Trojans. By the end of the first quarter, they were up 24-8.

After a series of back-and-forth possessions, Henry Elser ’26 knocked down a three-pointer to extend the lead. Headings followed up with another three, helping the Trojans widen the gap even further by halftime, leading by 29 points.

Halftime was over, and the Bolts were looking to close the gap as they put down 23 points while the Trojans put down 21. Ultimately, though, the Trojans remained in control and were up 63-36.

McCaffery was on fire during the last quarter. He sank a three-pointer and another dunk; the Trojans closed out the game with an 83-54 win.

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