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By Nathaniel A. Lopez
On Tuesday March 2, The Ray basketball teams hosted Fort Thomas for the final game of the regular season.
“We’ve struggled to get over the humps these last few games,” Coach Vanessa Camacho commented on their 29-55 loss against Fort Thomas.
The boys team was able to close out their night with a high scoring game. The Bearcats scored 27 points in the first quarter, putting them ahead by six points. The second quarter also saw them score 26 points, while the third quarter they scored 35 points, finishing the fourth quarter with the lowest amount of the game, 14 points. The Bearcats finished their last regular season game with the win in a 102-76 game.
On Friday, March 5, the boys basketball team hosted Basis Flagstaff in the first round of the state playoffs. When the Bearcats came out, they had a visibly smaller group than Basis.
The game started with Johnavon Pace tipping the ball to his teammates. Alex Bravo was the first to score, scoring twice back-to-back. The pacing of the first quarter was very fast. The Bearcats were moving quick, and were able to switch from defense to offense smoothly. By the end of the first quarter the Bearcats already had 23 points on the board, putting them 19 points ahead.
During the second quarter Basis tried to close the gap, but the Bearcats kept putting points up on the board. Derek Figueroa made a buzzer beating shot at the end of the quarter. The Bearcats continued to play at a quick pace throughout the entire game, even Basis’ fresh players who would come in would be worn down by the Bearcats unmatchable pace. The boys closed out the night with another win, the final score being 73-48.
On Tuesday March 9, the boys will travel to St. David to continue their quest to the state finals.
Saturday March 6, the Lady Bearcats traveled to Anthem Prep for a state playoff game.
“We started off with hesitation and uncertainty, which didn’t help us,” said coach Camacho. “As time passed we picked up and hustled for the rest of the game and fell short.” Coach Camacho applauded her team for enduring a tough season and playing with heart. The final score was 26-43. Closing out the Lady Bearcats season with an 11-9 record.
“At the end of the day, I couldn’t have asked for a better team or season,” concluded coach Camacho.
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