The Geffen Academy Boys Varsity Bruins, who began their regular season on Tuesday afternoon against the California Academy of Math and Science, found themselves playing against many familiar faces. Less than nine months earlier, the Bruins experienced a heartbreaking loss to this same team by one point, as they were unable to come through when it mattered most. Looking to avenge their loss from their previous season, the Bruins came out like a well-oiled machine, hitting nylon on many of their threes while simultaneously limiting their opponents to any easy baskets. As it's been all season, Geffen Academy was propelled by their dynamic duo of Stevan Markovic and Nathan Muhumuza. The two combined for 43 of the team's 55 points, with both players scoring from all three levels of the floor throughout the contest. Muhumuza, who drilled a three to beat the halftime buzzer, put the Bruins up ten as they headed into the halftime break.
As the second half resumed, the Bruins were unable to pull away from their pesky opponents but also negated each run CAMS produced. However, when Muhumuza began to be blitzed by multiple defenders, the Bruins had difficulty manufacturing enough offense to keep them within's arm distance from the opposition. Leading by nine with seven minutes remaining, the game seemed all but over. But it was anything but that. Some clutch free throws allowed CAMS to crawl back into the game, and the Bruins found themselves in a less than ideal position entering clutch time. When CAMS junior guard Jaden Pineda knocked down a left corner three to knot the score with just over four minutes to play, it signified the beginning of the end for Geffen Academy. Costly turnovers and ill-advised shots led to some crucial buckets for CAMS junior guard Aiden Lee, and he put the game away at the charity stripe when the Bruins were forced to foul. A last second desperado for Geffen Academy, both Muhumuza and Markovic attempted wild threes, but no such luck. The Bruins fall to 0-1 on the season, and this is a loss that has certainly left a sour taste in their mouths.
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