The men’s varsity basketball team lost to Crispus Attucks 94-91 in double overtime in the City championship game last month. But on March 4 at 6 p.m. at Lawrence Central, they will get the chance to beat the Tigers and move on to the semifinal round of Class 4A Sectional 10.

Despite losing Armaan Franklin ’19 to Indiana University, along with several other key seniors last year, the Irish go into tournament play with a record of 18-5, with key wins during the season over Carmel, Ben Davis and Bishop Chatard, among other opponents.

Head Coach Mr. Jason Delaney responded to a reporter’s questions about the upcoming tournament game.

How does your team match up against Attucks?

I think that we match up really well versus Attucks because we both play at a high pace. Both teams are ranked in the Top 10 in the state in scoring.

Does the chance to beat a team in the Sectional to which the Irish lost earlier in the season affect your team’s outlook?

I think it adds some fuel to the fire because we had to watch them celebrate and they brought an end to our run of city championships.

How does preparing for a Sectional game differ from preparing for a regular season game?

You know that you have been preparing for a year for this time, so the mental focus and physical execution has to be at its best. You build your regular season schedule to give you the best preparation for March.

How will the Irish defend Attucks’ top player, Sincere McMahon?

Sincere is an extremely talented player that you won’t shut down, but you hope to slow down. The key is that the other players don’t go above their averages. In the first matchup that is a place that we didn’t do a good job.

Who was been among the outstanding performers for the varsity this year?

Honestly every guy that has played this year has done something to help us win a game. We’ve battled through so much adversity that it has taken every player that we have to get the job done. They as a group have risen to the challenge.

If the Irish win their Sectional opener, they will take on the winner of the Lawrence Central-Lawrence North game in the semifinal. What is your perspective on those teams, given they are ranked in the state’s Top 5?

We just have to focus on beating Attucks first and then we’ll deal with whoever may be there.

What will it take for your team to beat Attucks?

Protect the paint, rebound and execute on the offensive end.

How do you plan on changing your game plan this time around to come out on top?

You look back at the first meeting and we did some things towards the end that cost us the game when it came to execution. We make some adjustments, but you don’t change your total game plan.

Having played Attucks before, and unfortunately losing, do you think that helps or hurts your chances to win and advance?

I think it helps you become familiar with them. They won the battle, but the war is what you prepare for a year.