Q:  North Park won the last matchup between the two teams, what do you think allowed Augie to win this time? Are you happy with the way you and the Vikings performed overall?

A: “We definitely weathered the storm better this time. Basketball is a game of runs. North Park had quite a few runs against us early on so we dug ourselves a hole, but the team really came together in the second half to knock away at their lead and take control of the game.”

Q: What have you felt was the highpoint of the season?

A: “I would say the high point of the season were these last two wins. Last Saturday we beat Carthage in essentially what was a “must win” scenario. And last night was another one to seal our spot in the tournament and to try to take fifth place overall. Both these wins were against great programs and really proved to our team that we are more than capable of making a run this post-season.”

Q: how are you feeling about nearing the end of your collegiate career as a student athlete?

A: “It’s bittersweet. I’m excited to begin a new chapter of my life, but leaving this sport will definitely be hard. I wouldn’t do anything different regarding playing a sport in college. I’ve loved every second of it. It’s a lot of hard work, but nothing worthwhile is easy.”

Q: What do you hope for the program going into future seasons?

A: “I hope that the program continues to improve. We have a lot of great talent coming up, so I have no doubt that they can and will do that. I also hope that the culture we have left the program with will continue. I feel like this year we really tried to create a sense of family within our team and this really did help our team chemistry immensely.”

Q: Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game?

A: “Right before we stand for the national anthem and [announce] starting lineups, our team runs off the court to go through a high five line by our coaches and teammates. Lex (Alexis Jones) and I always high five Coach B and then rub his head. We don’t really know why we started doing it, but we’ve done that for years now. I don’t know if you would consider that a ritual, but that’s what we do.”