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Bucks stay undefeated after edging Sweetwater 58-54

Thu, 12/07/2017 - 11:37 am

SWEETWATER— The Breckenridge High School basketball team remains undefeated after overcoming an early deficit to take 58-54 victory over 4A Sweetwater.

The Buckaroos trailed by seven early, but after implementing a full-court press early they eventually evened the score.

“Anytime you can switch it up is a good thing,” Breckenridge coach Colby Hartfield said. “We were a little sluggish and usually our press will get them going.”

A 3-pointer by junior Diego Arellano tied the game 13-13, but they would trade-shot-for-shot until finally pulling away after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior Taylor Stanley. Breckenridge later went on a 6-0 run thanks to shots from junior Ben Abbot and returning first-team, all-district sophomore Aaryn Medina, who led the Buckaroos in scoring with 25 points.

“I feel a lot bigger, stronger and faster than last year,” Medina said. “I just went at the defense. I found my shots and just went out and attacked them.”

With Medina getting hot in the second half, Sweetwater defenders hacked away at every opportunity. This forced Medina to pick up his points at the free-throw line after numerous hard fouls. The Mustangs strategy backfired with mounting fouls putting the Buckaroos in the bonus, then double bonus with precious time ticking away in the fourth quarter. Medina maintained his composure and helped his team pull away, but a free throw by Stanley with seconds left in regulation gave Breckenridge a two-possession lead.

“I just had to stay focused,” Medina said. “I had to help our team stay in the game with free throws. We just had to take care of the ball and avoid turnovers.”

With the win, the Buckaroos improved to 2-0 after trouncing Coleman in the season opener. Considering the Bucks were just a game away from making the postseason last year, Medina feels his team comes into 2017-2018 ready for a run in the playoffs. 

Last year, the Buckaroos did not pickup their first victory until nearly a month into the season and Medina feels this year’s team shows a lot of promise.

“We’re feeling good right now,” Medina said. “Most of the starters are back and we know how to gel with each other and play with each other. It’s a better start than last year.”

The Bucks begin tournament season this weekend when they head the Dublin Lions Club Tournament Friday, then remain on the road Wednesday for a game against Jim Ned before returning the Breckenridge to host their annual Lions Club basketball tournament.

Hartfield said Medina has taken a leadership role with the team,, which showed Saturday considering his team bested a 4A squad on the road despite facing a nearly double-digit deficit early.

“Last year, we lost a lot of close games,” Hartfield said. “This year, I am really proud to see them get two in a row and they were both on the road ... This was big for us.”