Kelly Brait
Staff Reporter
In their last Friday-night homestand of the regular season, the boys basketball team suffered their second loss to New Trier. The 65-54 loss Feb. 20 was an improvement upon their last matchup, when the Trevians beat the Titans by more then 30 points.

“Against a team like New Trier we need to make up for our lack of height by being more physical, which we really didn’t do,” senior guard Mike DeCosmo said.

In a game of big men the Titans drew the short straw, missing senior center Jack Cooley. His absence has hurt them on both ends of the court, as Cooley led the team in points, rebounds and blocks before his thumb injury.
The Titans lack of production has taken a toll, as they scored a season low of 40 points on Feb. 14 against Schaumburg.The team has also missed Cooley’s ability to block and alter shots.

Head coach Scott Nemecek complimented junior Chris Bauer’s ability to play out of position and fill Cooley’s vacancy over the past few weeks.

Despite the significant injuries to both Cooley and senior Trent Monckton, assistant coach Ben Widner is proud of the squad.
“The guys have had a great attitude all year, and have dealt with our setbacks in a positive way,” Widner said.
But everything changed on Tuesday night when Cooley finally returned. The Titans faced Maine East in their final home game, and the big man’s return led to an 80-71 victory.

Cooley had 21 points in the win, four of which came from two thundering dunks.
Seniors Ryan Hopkins and Trent Monckton also stepped up, scoring the majority of the fourth quarter points. Hopkins had six three-pointers on the night.

The Titans have remained above .500 with a record of 14-11 overall.
Tomorrow the Titans match up against Prospect at the United Center.

“Playing in a big arena is a once-in-a- lifetime experience for most people, and everyone is going to get to play some significant minutes,” Nemecek said.