Sports

Boys’ basketball loses first home game

BVH loses to CC during their first home game with a score of 39-74

Gabriella Bomjardim, Photographer|January 14, 2022

Junior, Gavin Hormaechea, looks towards his teammates to see who is open.

On Dec. 7, music was blasting through the Bonita Vista High (BVH) gym speakers. BVH varsity boys’ basketball players were warming up for the game while spectators found the best seats to get a better view of the full court. The team played against Cathedral Catholic (CC) in their first home game of the season, but were defeated 39-74.

“We just need to simplify things and become committed to doing the little things: boxing out, staying in front of guys, not letting guys cut in front of us easily. Little stuff like that is what we need to do to get better,” BVH varsity boys’ basketball head coach Don Dumas said.

BVH has not played CC this season but has lost to them the past two seasons. This year the team had drafted up a plan prior to the game so they would not lose again.

“Our thoughts before the game were to not let Cathedral in the paint and limit their layup shots,” shooting guard and junior Michael Barragan (11) said. “Once we did that, they started shooting [3 pointers] and making a lot of shots and that’s something we weren’t prepared for.”

In the first quarter, CC made most of the shots leaving them in the lead with a score of 22 points. BVH made some shots as well. The first six points were made by small forward and sophomore David Soto (10), Power forward and junior Micheal Hanson (32), and Barragan. Finally, guard and junior Jesus Figueroa (1) made the final three-pointer that left them with nine points in the first quarter. 9-22 at the end of the first quarter.

“The shots I made in the game were really good shots and they were smart ones too. I had some misses but they were good shots to take,” Barragan said.

The score increased on both sides in the second quarter. CC was in the lead again with forty-five points. BVH small forward and junior Mikeal Pink (21) got one foul shot—an unguarded scoring attempt that a referee awards a basketball player after an opposing team member commits a foul against them—and made it. Point guard and senior Angel Terrones (3) passed it to Pink and he made a three-pointer, leaving the score 13-45 at the end of the second quarter.

“

I’m proud of our team. Even though we were losing by a lot at halftime, our team kept trying and trying and we never gave up

— Michael Barragan

“We made some good shots after the half and boosted our confidence to keep playing better than we did the first half,” Barragan said.

During halftime, the teams go in separate rooms and talk about their strategies for the rest of the game. People from the audience run on the court and start shooting baskets with the music roaring again. Ten minutes later, audience members return back to their seats, and the teams are back on the court. The third quarter begins.

“It’s hard to say [who I’m the] most proud of, because I look at the team as a whole and not individually. I am proud of the people that went in after the starters because even though we were down by a lot of points we never gave up,” Pink said.

In quarter three, CC was still in the lead with a score of fifty-six. For BVH, Pink drives in and makes a layup—a shot near the basket, in which you run up towards one side of the basket, jump, and lay the ball off the backboard into the hoop. A layup is worth two points.

“I feel good about the shots I made, I feel like I could have made some better-shot selections on some of the shots I missed but I can’t dwell on that because it’s a game, you keep going,” Pink said.

Pink then went in and made a three-pointer shot. BVH gets three foul shots and makes all three. Barragan makes two two-pointer shots. Small guard and junior Gavin Hormaechea (13) makes a basket, getting a two-pointer and then makes another two-pointer shot. Small forward and junior Bo Cortez (24) goes for the layup and makes it, leaving BVH at a score of thirty. Ending the third quarter with a score of thirty 30-56

“We knew that we were playing a really tough team, Cathedral is a great team to play every year, we had a game plan against them but we couldn’t execute right, as a team we need to build and start playing well against good competition,” Barragan said.

During the fourth quarter, BVH made only 3 pointers this quarter, leaving BVH with a score of thirty-nine points. This left them defeated with a final score of 39-74. Although they did not achieve their goal of beating CC, they plan on working on their weaknesses so they can beat them the next time they play them. They were happy they played as a team.

“Prior to the game, I thought we had a really good chance against Cathedral. I know they are a good team. I was nervous before the game and my nerves got the best of me,” Pink said. “After the game, I was devastated. We lost by a lot but I took that night to think about it, and I had to let it go because we had more things to focus on.”

Most of the players stated how their defense was their biggest struggle in the game.

“It’s more about defense, not really about the offense. We can miss shots but if we can’t stop them then we’re gonna get killed like this,” Terrones said.

Even with the loss they never gave up and worked on preparing for their next game against Canyon Crest Academy on December 12. They lost the game with a score of 46-52.

“As a team, we work hard and we are [going to] keep getting better every day we practice and every day we play a game,” Pink said. “We’re just [going to] take it one at a time, we are not the old team we used to be but we’re still a family though so at least that’s something.”