The CORE Butte boys varsity basketball team opened the 2026 Dennis Burnum Classic with a tough matchup Thursday evening, falling 86-21 to University Prep at Oroville High School’s gymnasium.
The game marked CORE Butte’s first contest of the new year and their first since winter break, coming on the same day students returned for the spring semester. Despite practicing throughout the break, CORE entered the tournament still searching for its first win of the season, carrying a 0-9 record into tipoff. University Prep, by contrast, came in at 11-4 and showed that experience and depth early.
University Prep set the tone in the first quarter, jumping out to a commanding lead behind constant scoring and frequent substitutions. CORE struggled to slow Uni Prep’s offense, trailing 25-7 at the end of the opening quarter. A CORE parent on the sideline noticed an advantage Uni Prep had: “Every time they sub, they replace their whole team, a whole new team comes out. CORE is playing two teams.”
The second quarter saw flashes of improvement for CORE, including their first three-pointers of the game and a brief scoring stretch that cut into the deficit. Still, University Prep continued to control the pace, and they pushed the halftime score to 48-14.
University Prep pulled away decisively in the third quarter, draining three consecutive three-pointers and capitalizing on turnovers to extend the lead to 74-16 by the end of the period. The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern, with CORE continuing to battle but unable to overcome Uni Prep’s size, depth, and shooting. The game ended at 6:03 p.m. with an 86-21 final.
The loss extends CORE Butte’s losing streak to 10 games, while University Prep improves to 12-4 on the season. The final score was reminiscent of CORE’s 100-25 loss to Biggs High School in December, though this time the Panthers were held under triple digits.
Despite the result, CORE head coach Ben Salberg emphasized growth over the scoreboard. Salberg said the team experimented defensively, using a half-court 1-3-1 zone for the first time in live action.
“For the first time, we did a half-court 1-3-1 zone, which we’ve never really run,” Salberg said. “It’s something we practice every day as a drill, and I just thought, why not try it? I saw guys looking for opportunities and not just playing scared. I think confidence was a big thing tonight.”
Salberg also pointed to individual progress as a sign of success, even in a lopsided loss.
“Yes, we didn’t win,” he said, “but Sam [Nystrom] got a bucket tonight and gained confidence. Brian [Patton] finally made a free throw. Josiah [Condit] started cutting to the basket. Those are little wins. Every guy did something I was looking for.”
Depth was another major factor, with University Prep rotating 15 to 17 players compared to CORE’s eight or nine.
“That’s what you get,” Salberg said. “Every single guy on their team was over six feet and could dunk. When you’re playing teams like that, you have to redefine success and not let the loss weigh too heavily.”
Looking ahead, Salberg said ball fakes will be a major focus in practice, citing too many turnovers from “telegraphed” passes.
“Whenever we catch the ball, if we’re going to pass, we have to make a ball fake,” he said. “We’ve got to get sharper.”
CORE Butte now moves into the tournament’s consolation bracket and will face either Las Plumas or Yreka on Friday, Jan. 9, at 3:30 p.m. at Oroville High School, as the team continues its search for a breakthrough win.