Atherton, California- Menlo Men's Basketball faced arguably their toughest challenge of the year with the #2 ranked Arizona Christian Firestorm coming to Haynes-Prim Pavilion. Despite their highly regarded opponent, the Oaks honored six graduating seniors pre-game. Menlo faced down ACU and competed the entirety of the game. Coach Rooney's team played with intensity and found a way to do little things on the court. While the Oaks eventually fell 82-74, Menlo would grab 13 offensive rebounds and come away with seven steals.

Seniors Last Game in Haynes-Prim Pavilion

Menlo acknowledged six graduating seniors prior to the games start. Harrison Bonner, Corey Le'aupepe, Ziggy Lauese, Jake Tranter, Khalid Price & Evan Dirksen. For these players and the team as a whole today carried extra emotional weight. Not only did the Oaks have to contend with one of the best teams in the nation but the last game inside the confines of Haynes-Prim Pavilion. Regardless, the seniors were up to the task of leading the Oaks.

Harrison Bonner Stuffs the Statsheet

 Leading the seniors was 6'5 guard Harrison Bonner. Bonner did a little bit of everything for the Oaks as he grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and was active in passing lanes with a game high four steals. Menlo's coaching staff relied heavily on Bonner. He would play 37 minutes and play great perimeter defense helping limit the Firestorm's guard play.

Kaito Williams From Deep  

It was a struggle early on for dynamic scoring guard Kaito Williams. The junior had a difficult time finding the range through most of the first quarter. But, when the Oaks needed to rally, Williams' three point shooting proved to be a huge boost to end the first half. In the final 1:37 of the first half Williams knocked down three straight threes. He would also block ACU's final shot attempt of the half. Kaito would make two more threes in the second half to cap off a solid shooting night from distance.

Up Next…

Menlo will be on the road next week with games against Westmont and The Master's University. Their matchup against Westmont will likely be the most important of the year. Both teams are fighting for playoff berths. Plus, the Oaks defeated Westmont earlier this year as they rallied from a 20 point deficit to shock the Warriors. The GSAC is always a competitive, down to the wire conference. 2022-2023 is proving to be no exception!