By Reese Meister
The Barons’ girls basketball team lost to the El Toro Chargers on Thursday, Dec. 15, with a score of 40-46. Although the Barons had many impressive offensive and defensive plays, various missed shots left them trailing in points for the majority of the game.
Sophomore Karley Waite started the game off strong for the Barons, using her height to secure possession on the tip off. The team had the opportunity to shoot, but missed.
The ball traveled back and forth between teams, but neither the Barons nor the Chargers were able to score in the initial minutes. This changed when Waite drew a foul on her shot, making one of her free throws to secure the first point of the game.
After a steal by senior Dianna Burke, the next points came from junior Melody Nishi as she hit a shot from behind the three-point line. Nishi was the Barons’ leading scorer with 18 points, almost half of the team’s score.
“Melody Nishi has been on fire with her three-point shots,” assistant coach Dawn Lawler said. “She’s a great shooter, and she keeps us in every game.”
Nishi’s teammate, senior Mary Nguyen, agreed that Nishi had played a key role in the Barons’ game.
The Chargers countered the Barons’ strong offense with a layup, but Burke soon had another block and, Nishi, her second three-pointer.
After taking a timeout, the Chargers came out with a new energy. Bridget Boyd and siblings Emily and Camryn Bradshaw led the offense of the opposing team, soon closing the score again. Baron sophomore Candice Tran later hit a long two-point shot, and the quarter ended with a score of 9-11.
The second quarter was characterized by nine more points from Nishi and quick ball movement around the three-point arc by Mary Nguyen and junior Samantha Nguyen. However, the Chargers fought back against the strong plays by the Barons, scoring several three-pointers and field goals to lead 21-23 by halftime.
Lawler mentioned Mary Nguyen as another key player, having various defensive stops and leading the team throughout the game.
“Mary Nguyen, our senior, did well on defense—she always does,” Lawler said. “It’s one of her strengths—and she runs the team for us as our guard.”
Throughout the game, Burke, Waite and senior Mars Shepard consistently got rebounds for the team, which continued in the third quarter. Shepard performed with more crucial blocks and a layup and junior Yso Thantrong led several key passing sequences and turnovers.
The third quarter also featured impressive defensive plays by freshman Sophie Hsieh, another standout player recognized by Lawler. Later in the quarter, she took advantage of a two-on-one play to pass to Mary Nguyen, who scored a layup. In one of the most exciting plays of the game, Hsieh stole the ball and took it down the court for a layup to take the lead.
After a series of possessions and the Chargers’ three-point play off of a fouled shot, though, the Barons trailed by seven points heading into the fourth quarter. The Barons started off strongly with a full-court press and Nishi hit her sixth three-point shot to begin to close the gap.
The team had several great blocks and steals, making it difficult for the Chargers to maintain their lead. At one point, Hsieh hit a three-pointer to close the gap to just one point. The game became very fast-paced; both teams fought to put more points on the board.
With 58.3 seconds remaining on the clock, one of the Chargers’ players slipped while dribbling, placing the ball out of bounds. The Barons took a timeout to plan how to come back from just two points behind the Chargers.
However, during their play, the Chargers stole the ball, which seemed to be a turning point in the game. While the Barons did their best to recover, attempting to regain possession by fouling the other team, they were ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite the loss, Lawler was able to reflect on the positive aspects of the game.
“[The team] moved the ball really well. We had great open shots—we just didn’t hit them,” Lawler said. “But they worked really well as a team and our defense was amazing.”
The Barons’ next game will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 6:30 p.m. against the Upland Highlanders. Until then, the team will keep practicing to improve their performance.
“[We could work on] shooting and having confidence in our shot, even if we’re struggling,” Mary Nguyen said.
Lawler also expressed the importance of improving the team’s shooting.
“We’re going to continue on working on creating shots for ourselves, which means they need to open up the game a little bit better, find the open shot and attack the basket,” Lawler said. “We’re a young team, so they’re still learning. And I think ultimately, we’ll get where we need to get to by the time we get to League.”
