Dec. 5 the Buena Girls Varsity Basketball team entered the gym looking ready to play and hyped for their first league game of the 2023-24 season against the Oxnard Yellowjackets. During their warm-ups, the lady Bulldogswere making shots and were focused getting ready to play their best for the first league game of the season.
Oxnard won the tip off but Buena was determined to get the ball back soon. Oxnard missed their first shot, and Buena got the rebound. They did end up missing their shot, and Oxnard got the ball, had a fast break down the court, and scored the first 2 points of the game with a layup.
A few minutes later, a timeout was called by Buena with Buena trailing 9-2. As the first quarter ended, Buena trailed Oxnard 12-7.
“I feel like when they were hitting their shots that they were slowly starting to pick up their energy,” senior starter Lilyana Marquez said.
As the 2nd quarter started, Buena was strong-willed to score points and make a comeback. Their hopes were slowly let down when Oxnard scored the first points of the 2nd quarter. At the first timeout of the second quarter called by Buena, the girls had still yet to score more points, the game was 18-7 with Oxnard still in the lead. As the game approached halftime the score was 21-11.
The team emerged from the locker room with renewed spirit ready to start the third quarter hoping to come back. Their hopes were once again let down when Oxnard scored the first point of the third quarter.
“I hope to pick up our energy next time we play them, especially since it’s at Oxnard we can have a complete turnaround and play better,” Marquez said.
Basketball is very much about communication, as well as playing obviously, if our energy is low, we’re not going to have a good game and not communicate well,” — Lilyana Marquez
As the first timeout of the 3rd quarter came, both teams were scoring readily. The score was 26-14 with Buena still trailing. As the 3rd quarter ended, the score was 35-19, with Buena behind.
At the start of the 4th quarter, Buena’s hopes to win the game was slowly going away. Oxnard had called a timeout around the middle of the 4th quarter, the score was 40-19. Around a minute later, another timeout scored but Oxnard had put up 2 more points. After this timeout, Buena scored 6 points until the game was over. It was a sad loss here at Buena.
“I feel like basketball is very much about communication, as well as playing obviously, if our energy is low, we’re not going to have a good game and not communicate well,” Marquez said.
