(Graphic by Emma Boersma)

Girls basketball falls to Buckingham, but players say ‘everyone worked hard’

Date: Jan. 8

Opponent: Buckingham Charter

Location: Vaca Pena Middle School in Vacaville

Result: Country Day lost 58-16 to fall to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in league.

Country Day scoring: Senior Heidi Johnson 11, sophomore Joanne Tsai 2, sophomore Naomi Cohen 2, senior Brandy Riziki 1.

Inside info from freshman small forward Daisy Zhou: “This game was extremely tough, but it was a great opportunity against a really experienced team! We really need to work on being more aggressive during the game and knowing what to do on the court. This will only come through practice.

“We also  need to remember that to get the ball is our responsibility. Basketball is a physical game, so we cannot be afraid of hurting someone and also expect to win.”

Inside info from shooting guard Riziki: “On the court, we can be more self-aware and drive forcefully with energy. If we show the initiative to work on these skills during practice, I believe that we can at least take a couple more wins this season. Everyone worked really hard during the game, which shows improvement.”

Inside info from point guard Johnson: “It was another frustrating game. We had more players and everyone worked hard, which is good, but the players were still not ready when they stepped onto the court. People didn’t know where they were supposed to be or the play that was happening.

“It is disappointing when we’ve gone over aspects of the game in practice but can’t implement them in the game. At the end of the day, I am very appreciative of everyone on the team for coming out and giving their best. But we do need to step up our game.”

Inside info from center Cohen: “This game, we needed to work on our ballhandling because we had trouble keeping the ball in our hands. We can work on this by doing dribble exercises during practice and being more confident on the court.”

Comment by coach Latonia Pitts: “Today’s game was rough, but the girls finished strong (scoring five points in the fourth quarter), which I was proud of. We seemed out of sync in the game and couldn’t get our hands on the ball or fall into a consistent rhythm.

“The girls began to get a bit better in the last few minutes, but it was too late to make a comeback.”

Next game: Thursday, Jan. 10, 6 p.m., at Western Sierra.

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