The true story of a basketball team throughout the course of a season is rarely told solely in wins and losses.

It is often the trials and tribulations off the court that define the team and its players, with high win totals not always equaling a worthwhile and positive experience for each participant.

This is no truer than for the Saratoga Springs High School boys’ basketball team, who after winning the Suburban Council title last year, have fallen to 6-14 this season thanks to the loss of eight seniors and a host of injuries to this year’s squad.

“We have dealt with a lot of adversity this season, and I’m very proud of our players for working hard and staying positive,” Saratoga head coach Mitch Snyder said. “It would have been easy to quit and give up, but we haven’t done that.”

Despite a trying season full of adversity, the Blue Streaks are peaking at the right time and are playing their best basketball of the season as they head towards the playoffs.

In a late season test, Saratoga squared off against league rival Shenendehowa Tuesday night in their home gymnasium. Led by a combined 43 points from junior Jordan Stevens and senior

Mike McCarthy, the Blue Streaks kept the game close leading the Plainsmen after the first and third quarters.

Nearing the end of the game, Saratoga held onto a four-point lead before Shenendehowa surged back with a 9-0 run to take the lead, 57-52, with 1:33 remaining.

McCarthy capped a Blue Streak comeback with one of his career-high six three-pointers with just under six seconds left in the game to even the score. But it was the Plainsmen who struck last, scoring on a breakaway lay-up from Shenendehowa’s Doug Milvaney to end the game with the Plainsmen on top, 60-58.

“We lost a heartbreaker, but we played well against one of the best teams in the Suburban Council and feel like we are playing our best basketball going into Sectionals,” Snyder said.

The Blue Streaks have continually battled injuries and sickness to many of its players this year, taking the floor with only six players at some points in the season. Stevens, last season’s Suburban Council Most Valuable Player, missed seven games due to an injury to his left hand.

In addition to Stevens and McCarthy, Saratoga has benefited from the play of junior James Tucker and quality role minutes from several other players.

“We have done many things well that don’t show up in the stat book,” added Snyder, who is most noticeably proud of the positivity and perseverance his players have displayed throughout the season.

“The most important thing is for student-athletes to work hard and believe in the concept of doing things together in the right way; after that, wins and losses are farther down on the list,” said Snyder.

Now healthy, the Blue Streaks look towards the playoffs to end the season on a high note.

Although the win and loss record for this season may not have met expectations, it’s easy to see promise in the young core of players who will return next season with improved confidence and game experience.