The Whiteface Antelopes battled against the #20 ranked Roscoe Plowboys in Area Round of the 2A Division 2 boys basketball playoffs this past Friday at Post High School, resulting in the Antelopes losing, 43-35, and being eliminated from the postseason.
Whiteface was in the game for its entirety, always within striking distance, but they could never fully close the gap in the loss.
“It was a very physical, hard-fought game. I was proud of the way our guys battled,” Antelopes Head Basketball Coach Brandon Flores said. “I thought we got some really good looks on offense but just didn’t connect when needed. I thought our defensive effort was solid. We gave ourselves chances to win; they just hit some big shots down the stretch. It never feels good to lose, but our guys should hold their heads high and be proud of their fight and effort.”
A big reason why the Antelopes were in the game was Ivaniel Gandara, who scored 19 points behind three threepointers made and 2/3 free throws made.
Other Antelope scorers included Jose Flores with seven points, Victor Borunda with six points behind 2/2 free throws made and Isaak Soliz with three points behind ¾ free throws made.
The loss concludes Whiteface’s basketball season at 14-13 overall, and when reflecting back upon it, Coach Flores gave his thoughts.
"It was definitely a season of learning. We lost some really good leaders from last year’s team and weren’t sure what it would look like this season. We had some guys step up in huge ways,” Coach Flores said. “Our district is extremely tough. It was a dog fight every night we played. Our guys fought and fought and got back into the playoffs and got another gold ball. In my opinion, that’s a successful season. I’m looking forward to the next season already. We will definitely miss Victor (Borunda) and the energy he brought to the floor, but looking forward to returning everyone else. We will reload and be back ready to go.”