Regents unable to struggle via fatigue, drop to Briarfield Academy in point out championship – The Oxford Eagle

The Regents women basketball staff fell to Briarfield Academy on Saturday in the MAIS Class AA point out championship immediately after consecutive occur-from-driving victories in their previous two online games.

The Lions defeated Riverdale Academy in the quarterfinals on Thursday soon after trailing by 11 with 5 minutes remaining and defeated Humphrey’s Academy in the semifinals on Friday following trailing by 5 with 45 seconds remaining, but were being not able to finish a 3rd straight comeback in opposition to a Briarfield team that arrived into the sport as heavy underdogs.

Regents seemed winded in the fourth quarter as they struggled to finish easy appears to be on the offensive conclude when conceding a great deal of open shots on the defensive facet of the ball.

“Our girls just acquired weary,” stated Buckner. “Even even though they were being weary they held battling and battling but at some position there is a restrict.”

Regents struggled to establish their entire-court push, allowing Briarfield to conquer them more than the top for uncomplicated layups in transition. Buckner pulled his workforce out of the press early in the next quarter just after the Rebels scored on back-to-again uncontested layups.

“They looked like they had been taking pleasure in us urgent them since they had been in a position to thrust the ball a little bit far more,” he claimed “They experienced some fast, athletic girls that were being equipped to get down the courtroom and they were acquiring some quick layups.”

Their offense kept them in the game through halftime, as senior Jamya Fondren place the crew on her back with 10 of their 21 initially-50 % factors.

The Lions led by as a lot as 8 in the second half before the Rebels went on a 15- run to open up their premier direct of the game at 41-34. Regents was not able to halt the bleeding, offering up quick looks in transition as Briarfield ran them up and down the floor.

“They began leaking out and they obtained a pair uncomplicated buckets in changeover, then they just form of ran away with it,” said Buckner.

Briarfield’s enthusiasts designed their existence felt down the extend, obtaining louder and louder as the Rebels inched closer to victory. The Lions appeared rattled by the raucous setting, as they surrendered offensive rebound right after offensive rebound down the extend that led to plenty of second-probability factors.

“We did not box out, we were just hunting at the ball,” Buckner explained. “Some of that’s likely tiredness, some of it was being awestruck. It was a fairly intense atmosphere in there so some of that was almost certainly jitters.”

Regents ran out of vitality down the extend, as they were unable to find a ultimate burst of vitality to near their 3rd match in 3 times.

“Three video games in three days played into my energy level so I can only visualize what it did to these ladies,” Buckner claimed.

Buckner’s squad refused to give up nonetheless, battling their way back into the activity in the final moment just after trailing by 8 with just above a few minutes remaining.

The Lions experienced a prospect to tie down 51-49 with 15 seconds on the clock, but Wonder Joiner stepped on the baseline as she drove in direction of the basket, giving the ball back again to Briarfield with a lot less than 10 seconds to go.

The Rebels produced both of those absolutely free throws to put the video game out of reach, ultimately successful 55-49 in a hugely contested closing.

Fondren concluded with a video game-higher 26 points, which includes 10 in the fourth quarter alone.

“Jamya, a senior, at instances tonight it seemed like she was attempting to put the crew on her shoulders, and she was in a position to at instances. She did well tonight,” mentioned Buckner.

Regents star Wonder Joiner struggled to uncover her shot through the match but found other approaches to lead, putting up 13 rebounds, six helps and two steals to go together with her 14 details.

Buckner reported his crew would not even be in a placement to gain the condition championship devoid of his star’s leadership and self-confidence all over the season.

“She’s additional than just an wonderful basketball participant, she’s an astounding university student,” explained Buckner. “Straight A’s, normally smiling, just a excellent girl. She’s like a coach’s aspiration, I like owning Miracle on our basketball group.”

Buckner claimed he could not be extra proud of his crew irrespective of the loss, expressing he admired their character and poise in the course of the year.

“I just wanted to say how very pleased I am of these ladies,” he explained. “One of our goals, one of our prayers is that we glorify God in all we do and these women have done that this calendar year and they’re heading to proceed to do that. I just can’t hold out to see what they’re heading to achieve in the upcoming.”