The intense rivalry between the Bison and the Lions was in the air during the Jan. 4 doubleheader when both girls and boys basketball teams faced off in the Orange High School gym.

The girls team, which started the game with an impressive record of 5-3, were first to take to the court. Unfortunately, the Lions got the victory with a final score of 39-53.

Freshman point guard Zoe Walters was key to the Bison offense. 

“The team was feeling good,” Walters said. “We had the confidence when going into the game knowing it was going to be a challenge.” 

The Bison trailed throughout the game, but put up a fight on both offense and defense.

Walters reflected on what the team could’ve done differently. 

“We should have focused more on their greatness rather than their weaknesses,” she said. “As for the offense, we could’ve done better running the plays, boxing out and getting rebounds, but we did well creating good open shots and balancing the floor.”

“This was for sure a game we should’ve won,” she added.

Towards the end of the game, the Bison felt as if they had given up hope, a feeling that is not typical for this team. 

“I think we were definitely more defeated during this game,” senior post Londyn Travis said. 

The girls ultimately weren’t able to reach their goal, but the Bison are eager to learn from the experience. 

“We underestimated them and weren’t expecting their speed,” Walters said. “Now we know what to expect, and I [believe] we’ll come back and get the win next time.”

On top of that, the boys started their game with a record of 1-6 and ultimately lost, with a final score of 51-66.

The boys started strong and remained on top at halftime. 

Junior guard CJ Payton reflected on the team’s excitement before the game.

“[We were] definitely eager to play and show what we could do against our rivals,” he said.

In the first two quarters, the Bison played excellent defense and executed their game plan effectively.

“Coach gave us good help against their offense, and we used our defense to get steals and transition points,” Payton said.

However, the third and fourth quarters of the game were a turning point. 

Senior guard Jacob Thomas emphasized that they lost some confidence during this half. 

“We played a little too spiritless after halftime,” Thomas said. “They put pressure on us, and we started to speed ourselves up and hand them the game.” 

The Lions started utilizing turnovers and out-rebounded the Bison, seizing momentum and outscoring Beachwood in the third quarter.

Thomas focused on the effect of mental struggles during this game. 

“The most challenging part was the mental aspect… staying composed despite the intensity and noise from the Orange crowd given it was their home court was very important, but challenging.”

Unfortunately in the end, Beachwood fell short, leaving players and fans eager for redemption in the next matchup.