PASADENA, Calif. After entering halftime tied 27-27, EF Academy exploded in the second half to defeat Southwestern Academy 66-33 on Nov. 21, turning a tight matchup into an overwhelming victory.
The first half was evenly matched, with both teams trading baskets and struggling to gain separation; however, tone shifted immediately after halftime.
EF Academy opened the third quarter with aggressive defense, a faster pace, and sharper execution in order to outscore Southwestern by nearly 30 points in the final two periods.
One of the defining moments came in the final seconds of the third quarter. With two defenders on him, junior Jonah Vaknin threw up a long shot from mid court as the buzzer sounded and it went in. The surprising 3-pointer made the whole gym go crazy and gave EF Academy a huge boost.
“Starting the third quarter was when everything changed,” junior forward Aron Hyun said. “Energy brings hearts.”
Sophomore Brian Yu agreed that the momentum flipped once EF’s shots started going in. “We played really good team basketball,” he said. “When Jonah hit that half-court shot, the whole team got hyped.”
The Hawks relied on balanced scoring and improved ball movement in the second half. Open 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers and transition layups pushed the lead into double digits, while EF’s defense forced turnovers and limited Southwestern to only six points in the final quarter.
“I’m proud that I was able to score the mid range shots,” sophomore Jonathan Sang said. “We played stronger and less scared.”
The court-side audience also noticed the shift in intensity. “The team cooperated perfectly, and everyone tried their best to bring the victory,” said senior Queenie Wang. Another spectator, Sean Lee, highlighted the team’s energy and singled out Hyun as the standout performer.
The coaching staff urged players to stay aggressive, according to Sang. “They told us to keep playing and get rebounds,” he said. Hyun added that the team “locked in” during the second half and communicated better on defense.
The 66-33 victory gives EF Academy momentum heading into the rest of the season. With a dominant second-half performance and growing on-court chemistry, the Hawks appear ready for tougher opponents ahead.