It was clear from the opening tipoff that the MacDonald Condors were the superior team as they hosted the Latino College Preparatory Academy Golden Eagle Warriors on Tuesday, Dec. 17. However, the fact that a first-year varsity team could dominate a game as thoroughly as they did is nothing to sneeze at.
MacDonald would cruise in this game to the tune of a whopping 50-8 victory over the Eagles, but the Condors have also been on the opposite side of such a lopsided score. Twice this season, the Condors have been held to just eight points while their opponents racked up 49 and 55 against them.
Given that MacDonald, as a school, is only in its third year in existence and that its varsity girls basketball team does not have any seniors, any victory, whether by one or by 42, is impressive.
“I saw some growth. We talk about stacking days, getting better every day as individuals and that helps us as a team,” remarked Condors Head Coach Gil Vasquez. “We are more process focused and not the outcome. The outcome is going to come, but we are focusing on the process. I’m happy with where the girls are; it’s nice to have a game like this where I can have a lot of the younger players in. We have eight freshmen, so it’s a lot of growing pains this year, we are going to take our bumps.”
While the Condors are young and relatively inexperienced at the high school level, the squad features a trio of captains, Tiani Buten, Lauren Lingad and Nyataba Liah, who are leading by example for their teammates.
Junior captain Buten was leading the way with her tenacity at both ends and high basketball IQ, coming up with multiple steals and being the facilitator on the court against the Eagles.
“A game like this helps build our confidence. It’s nice to see that we aren’t the only team that is still developing,” chimed Buten after the win. “It’s also good to be able to get more chemistry out there and build that trust in each other.”
Fellow junior captain Lingad was also demonstrating a high basketball IQ and a knack for forcing steals and finishing at the rim at the other end.
“Our teamwork and communication were great tonight,” remarked Lingad. “I feel like we were in the moment tonight and just playing basketball.”
Rounding out the trio of captains is sophomore Liah, who is the tallest member of the Condors varsity team. Liah knocked forward the opening tipoff right to teammate Talya Sayan, who then quickly put home an uncontested layup to open the scoring less than ten seconds into the game.
“I definitely think we still have a lot to work on in practice, but tonight we worked together really well,” noted Liah. “The effort was there; it was a great game.”
With the win over the Eagles, the Condors improve to 3-4 on the season. MacDonald will open up its league portion of the season on Jan. 4, 2025 when it hosts Gunn.
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