Looking toward CIF playoffs, the Diamond Bar High School boys basketball team bounces back from tough season losses, finishing third in the Hacienda League with a 7-3 record.
Working through the challenges that come with playing more experienced teams as a young group, the team has focused on fine tuning their teamwork and chemistry.
“I feel that since I’ve gotten more playing time, I’ve been able to adjust to varsity better,” junior power forward Apolo Yonemoto said. “The more you play, the easier it is to adjust. If you don’t play that much, it is harder to adjust since it takes time to adapt.”
Notably, senior guard Antoine Tran set the school-wide record for most three-point shots made in a single game, with eight shots during the team’s matchup against South Hills.
“All my teammates were supporting me and encouraging me, and I felt really good and happy to be a part of it,” Tran said. “It was really good and unexpected, because I didn’t expect to play this much in the beginning of the season and I feel like we came a long way.”
However, the season was not without challenges. Many of the team’s starting lineup faced injuries this year, some of which put their players out for multiple games on end.
“When a lot of people go down, new people go up,” Tran said. “I’m really happy that our team took this step in playing and stepping up because some guys that haven’t been playing that much stepped up to the challenge.”
This shift in unity has allowed the team to adopt an optimistic view toward their upcoming playoff run.
“With a rough start to our season and with many injuries, I am proud of our team’s resiliency and growth,” senior co-captain Jack Lin said. “Making CIF was great, but as a team, we want to make it far and upset some top teams. So, we have to continue playing hard and playing together.”
The Brahmas are set to face Oak Park High School away in the first round of CIF on Feb. 7.
