Dec. 16 was the day of CORE Butte’s last basketball game before the New Year. The three teams had a difficult matchup against the undefeated Biggs.
(4:00) JV Boys: Biggs 60, CORE Butte 17
Biggs’ JV squad entered with a dominant 8-0 record. The Wolverines showed immediately why they’re unbeaten, opening the game with a rapid scoring run that put CORE in a deep deficit within minutes.
Freshman Ismael Cardenas was the bright spot for CORE, scoring the majority of the team’s baskets and providing much-needed energy. But Biggs’ pace, size, and interior scoring were too much to counter.
Wasting no time, Biggs jumped out to a 28-17 lead, scoring at will in transition and the paint in the first quarter. Then they extended the gap to 34-9, while CORE struggled on three-point attempts. Biggs’ defense continued to control the game, pushing the score to 54–14. While CORE added a pair of late scores, Biggs closed strong for a 60–17 final.
After the game.
“Simply put, the better team won.” Said assistant coach ‘C.J.’ “We were trying to play small, but in the end it all comes down to which team wants the ball more.”
CORE’s JV record drops to 0-3 heading into winter break, their third consecutive loss since the season started.
(5:30) Varsity Girls: CORE Butte 37, Biggs 35
The varsity girls delivered the highlight of the night with a dramatic comeback win, snapping their three-game losing streak and rising to 4-3 on the season.
Biggs opened the game strong behind standout guard Daisy Siepert (#2), who scored most of the Wolverines’ early points. CORE trailed 13-3 after the first quarter.
Everything changed in the second quarter when Biggs benched #2, CORE surged, catching up to 13-12 by halftime.
The second half became a whistle-heavy, physical contest. Both teams traded free throws and baskets, entering the fourth quarter locked at 25–24. The final stretch featured multiple fouls, several players fouling out from both teams (including Biggs’ earlier-mentioned MVP), and increasingly frustrated comments from the crowd, such as:
-
“Any touch is being called a foul!”
-
“This is unfair!”
In the final minutes, CORE found composure. Even after losing defensive anchor Serina Rogers, the Lynx executed late and edged out a narrow 37–35 victory.
Postgame comments from coach Makayla Bumgarner.
On the narrow win: “My girls worked their butts off to make the right calls during the game. When it’s close like this, it comes down to who folds under pressure first.”
On the reffing: “It’s really hard for me to keep my temper when that happens because it gets to your feelings. There’s nothing you can do.”
Both teams now sit at 4–3.
(7:00) Varsity Boys: Biggs 100, CORE Butte 25
CORE Butte’s varsity boys ended the night facing one of the strongest opponents on their schedule. Biggs, fresh off winning every game in the Maxwell Tournament last week, played at a level few high-school teams can match, handing CORE an insane 100–25 defeat, the highest point total allowed by the Lynx this season.
Despite the score, CORE actually showed improvement in ball movement and teamwork compared to earlier games. But Biggs capitalized on turnovers, earning repeated second-chance points and running the floor relentlessly.
Quarter by quarter, the score went as follows: 28-7, 58-18, 82-21, and finally 100–25
Coach Ben Salberg emphasized that playing strong teams is part of the growth process: “That team won the Maxwell tournament. They’re a good team. And when you have 30 turnovers, it becomes easy for the other team to score. We can’t put trust in each other when that happens.”
“They actually played better than usual today, but Biggs is simply a better team. You only get better by losing to teams that challenge you. Winning feels good, but improvement comes from nights like this.”
The boys head into break at 0-8, with open gyms and practices scheduled during winter vacation so that they come back stronger than before in the spring.