While Argo guards Yusuf Saleh and Kassam Saleh share the same last name, the two seniors aren’t related.
Besides their surnames, the Salehs also have a common passion for basketball that was fully on display in the Argonauts’ 61-38 South Suburban Red victory over visiting Richards on Feb. 14.
Making things more special was that it was senior night for Argo.
Yusuf Saleh finished with a team-best 13 points for the Argonauts (13-16, 3-10) while Kassam Saleh chipped in 12 points. Syncere Westbrook contributed 11 for the hosts while Darron Greer Jr. had nine points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Junior guard Nicholas Jafilan led Richards (4-24, 1-11) with a game-high 14 points. Carter Gillen and Lleyton Brown added eight points apiece for the Bulldogs.
Kassam Saleh is a three-year varsity performer for Argo, while Yusuf Saleh has spent two seasons on the varsity.
“Winning on senior night means everything to me,” Yusuf Saleh said. “It’s a blessing to finish with my brothers whom I’ve worked with all summer. All the work we put in shows and we just want to keep going.
“This program has meant everything to me from day one. …This has been a great experience. We play for each other. These guys trust me and I trust them. It’s all about brotherhood and bonding.”
With Yusuf Saleh scoring nine points in the second half, Kassam Saleh had a solid beginning to the game, providing nine points in the first half as Argo grabbed a 28-14 lead.
“Playing at Argo means a lot to me,” Kassam Saleh said. “This is the same group of guys I started with and I’m able to finish with them my senior year, so that means a lot to me.
“I’m thankful for the relationships I built with all my head coaches, the assistant coaches and the 13 guys on this team. This is something I’ll always remember.”
So will Argonauts head coach Pat Maietta, who started five of his seven seniors in their final conference game.
“Our seniors are all great kids,” he said. “They’re hard workers, high character and unselfish. I’ll miss them a lot and they deserve success.
“They’re all like brothers. They welcomed the younger kids on the team and that’s what I want in our seniors. They’re program kids and four-year players.”
“It was good to see that we had more than a couple guys in double figures,” Maietta said. “I was once told by an old coach that if you have three guys in double figures, you’re successful.
“When we share the ball, we’re decent. But we have times where we think the basket is bigger than it is. We still have to work together to get the best shot.”
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