After a tight loss to Pace High School to begin their season, and a sound victory at the Clinton School, the LMU Boys Basketball team played its home opener against the High School for Health Professions and Human Services.

At home, the team dominated, demonstrating confidence, discipline, and teamwork all game long. Strong ball movement, tight defense, and outstanding concentration under pressure helped the Gators keep a commanding lead throughout the game.

Head coach John Carey was proud of his team’s performance. “Happy to get this first home win of the season,” Carey said. “We had a great second quarter, which put us in a good position to start and helped us win in the end. I would’ve liked to score more after, they got up to us in the end, too close for my liking, but…this definitely helped us grow and get a little better.” 

Museum School Senior Leon Viger, a transfer student who joined LMU as a junior last year and has since grown to be an essential part of the team’s roster, had one especially impressive performance. Viger was a dominant player on the court, creating opportunities and scoring twenty-two points, eighteen in the second quarter alone, helping LMU establish its lead early. He was rightfully named the game’s MVP for his passion and ability to manage the pace of the game.

Viger first got involved in the sport after being inspired by Kon Kneuppel, whose passion and consistency showed him that anyone can become great with enough dedication. Viger considers Coach John as an early mentor who coached his development and encouraged him towards improvement, despite the fact that he had only been playing for seven months. The 1v1 games in the park, where he would compete against Harrison Polak, another senior at NYC Museum School, led to his improvement as a player, and his victories at the park continue to inspire him today. 

Viger describes his current school team as a “fresh, energetic, overall supportive, positive environment” that has helped him grow as an athlete and as a person. Viger says he truly “lives for the game,” pouring his time and energy into becoming better every day. 

For his senior year, Viger’s goal is to win a championship for LMU and make his “mama proud” in everything he does. Viger left the game saying, “We played hard, we did what we had to do, and we did it for the swamp.”