By Emma Nguyen
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) (5-6 league, 14-13 overall) girls’ basketball team played against the Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) Oilers for their senior night. Five seniors were recognized, including Sophie Hsieh, Kailyn Huynh, Avery Jones, Kailey Nishi, Kaylana Sitanggan and Helen William. The Barons fought hard but lost to the Oilers 47-60.
Key players included freshman Bailey Dinh, who scored 16 points – the most of the game – for the Barons, Jones with powerful defensive stops throughout the entire game, and Hsieh with her effective communication and empowering leadership.
“Bailey Dinh, she shot really well,” FVHS girls’ basketball head coach Camryn Hamaguchi said. “Tonight was very aggressive. Sophie Hsieh played really well. Regardless of scoring; because they were face guarding her, she still did a great job.”
The first quarter began with the Barons on offense, but FVHS was quickly countered by the Oilers’ tough defense. Hsieh brought back momentum for the Barons and passed to Nishi to score 2 points for the Barons, bringing them onto the scoreboard.
Hsieh continued to shine on offense throughout the first quarter, assisting many of her teammates. Freshman Skye Temple shined defensively with her successful rebounds, ensuring that the Barons kept possession. Key baskets from Dinh and Nishi brought the Barons into the lead 13-10 and ended the first quarter.
The Oilers opened up the second quarter with power, scoring multiple free throws and impressive baskets. Jones excelled during this quarter, grabbing two boards that let the Barons to score. Nishi and Temple also showed strong defense while sophomore Truley Nguyen swished a crucial basket to keep the score neck-and-neck, yet the first half ended with a score of 21-22
During halftime, the FVHS Cheer Competition team performed their competition routine, while the FVHS Song Sideline team performed a sideline routine titled “Back in Black”.
The third quarter featured powerful teamwork from the Barons. Nishi and Dinh were a strong duo, with Nishi displaying her clever offensive skills to outsmart the Oiler’s defense and Dinh’s incredible accuracy earning the Barons crucial points. Hsieh also proved her strength on offense as she assisted Nguyen in a field goal. Yet during the end of the third quarter, the Oilers ramped up their energy and gained momentum, bringing the score to 33-37.
“[I hope to focus on] being a little bit more physical,” Hamaguchi said. “I think that the reason why we lost today is because they were just more physical than this. Just being stronger with the ball, not getting pushed around; that will be huge for us in the next game.”
The game wrapped up in the final quarter as the Oilers began to widen their lead through an aggressive play style and numerous free throws. Dinh was the star player, scoring multiple tricky baskets in an attempt to close the gap between the Barons and the Oilers. The Barons fought hard until the end, but ultimately lost the game 47-60.
“[I] love them all so much. They are all amazing,” Hamaguchi said. “I’ve only been here for two years, so I can’t even imagine all the great things they did before I got here. They’ve been incredible leaders and teammates, and they’ve just been uplifting this program, and they’re leaving a legacy behind for all their younger teammates. So [I] just want to say I’m very grateful for them, and I love them all.”
The Baron’s next game is Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at Los Alamitos High School against the Los Alamitos Griffins.
“Hopefully we can get to the playoffs so that we can prolong our season, especially for our seniors. I think that things are still looking up regardless,” Hamguchi said.
