Girls varsity basketball fumble their way into a loss

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

January 18, 2012

The varsity basketball girls played the rivalry game away, on Warren’s turf on Jan. 11 at 5:15 pm. The game would end with a victory for the Bears, but not without the Lady Vikes giving them a fight.

First possession of the ball went to Warren, and with only a few seconds into the game they managed to put in the first shot. After, Kaylan Lane, 12, took out the ball, the Lady Vikes worked their way down to offense. As the girls neared the front court offense, the ball was passed to the open player on the outside, and the first three point shot was scored giving Downey a small lead in the game.

“Going into the game, many people expected us to lose and not be in the game at all, but I was proud that at the end it was a close game and now were preparing for round two,” Anissa Segura, 12, said.

The first quarter passed with fast breaks from both Warren and Downey, but there were many mistakes on both sides of the court, which contributed to a very fast paced game. With only a few minutes left in the second quarter, the Vikes managed to steal the ball from the Bears. Warren felt the pressure as guard Kristin Johnson, 11, went for a lay up shot and was fouled, giving Downey an opportunity for a three-point play. The play earned the Lady Vikes some momentum and the first half of the game ended with a score of 28-16, with the Bears in lead.

Third quarter quickly began and both teams were anxious to start the game. The first possession went to Warren, but there was no shot as they lost the ball.

“Our goal during this game was to slow down their offense and shut down their key player #22,” Lane, 12, said.

Both sides of the court felt the heat during the third quarter. The teams were losing possession of the ball due to poor ball control on offense, but at the end of the third quarter Warren was up 37-29.

“I just tried to get open, and help the ball on offense,” Johnson, 11, said. “We all wanted the win and I was just trying to help the team.”

The Downey Vikings did not give up, and they pushed through the fourth quarter. The girls tried putting shots in until the last minute of the game. Despite their efforts the Lady Vikes fell short and the win went to Warren High. The fight ended with a final score of 51-40, the game was not an easy win for the Bears as they had to fight to win against the Vikings.

About the Contributor

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

Norma Flores, 12, is a writer and photographer for The Downey Legend for the second year in a row. She wants to portray Downey High through images that kindle others to want to be involved with their campus. “I’ve always had an interest in writing and photography,” Flores said. “I would like to show others what I’m capable of.” A goal Flores has in mind is to be an FBI agent, criminal profiler, or a part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit because she is interested on how an individual’s mind is persuaded to commit a certain type of crime. Her main interest is swimming, but she also enjoys reading books and writing whatever comes to her mind. Flores’s hobbies are working out and running because she feels free when doing so. One of her dreams is to become an Olympic swimmer. “I want to make my life worth it and would like to impact on other’s lives too, because the world has a lot to offer to us,” she said. “We shouldn’t conform because we each have some sort of role to play, and we should push ourselves over our own comfort zones and be daring.” Although Flores may have a lot to show to her peers regarding her capabilities, she may also inspire those who do not know her through the dedication expressed by her own skills.