Buffalo looks to contiue tradition

By SCOTT TYLER

H-P Sports Editor



The Buffalo girls’ basketball program has had a storied history and this year’s Lady Bison team looks to add to that history when they start the playoffs Friday.

Buffalo, which is making its seventh straight trip to the playoffs, will play in the Class 2A-Region III area championship round against Corrigan-Camden at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Madisonville High School.

“They understand the tradition,” Buffalo head coach Ron Shaw said of his team. “It is important to them and they want to continue that playoff streak.”

Buffalo is 21-10 on the season and won the District 22-2A title with a 10-3 record. It is the fourth straight year the Lady Bison have won the district title.

While the Lady Bison had a playoff spot clinched for a couple of weeks, they did not wrap up the district title until the final game on Feb. 7 when Buffalo defeated Rosebud-Lott 50-49.

The win over Rosebud-Lott gives Buffalo five wins in its last six games.

“The main thing is that we have momentum coming into the playoffs,” Shaw said.

Buffalo has played some very close games during district, which Shaw thinks will help his Lady Bison squad. Buffalo won five district games by less than four points.

“Our district was very competitive,” Shaw said. “We had some close games which made us focus and play our best to win.”

Despite having a rich-tradition in the playoffs, this year’s Buffalo squad has little playoff experience and the Lady Bison are young with six sophomores and no starters from last year. However, Shaw is not concerned about the youth coming into the playoffs.

“After 31 varsity games, they have shown they can play at the varsity level,” Shaw said.

Buffalo will be playing a Corrigan-Camden squad which defeated Newton in the Class 2A-Region III bi-district playoff round.

Shaw has had a chance to see Corrigan-Camden a couple of times this season, including Tuesday in the playoff game and says his team matches up well against Corrigan-Camden.

“They have good size overall and good team speed, which concerns us,” Shaw said. “They have an outstanding post player and good guard play and I am expecting this to be a close match up.”

With the teams matching up on the court, Shaw said Friday night’s game will come down to the “little things.”

“We need to take care of the ball and get good shooting opportunities,” Shaw said. “We have to get on the boards and match them rebound for rebound.

“We got to play our game.”

If Buffalo can do that, the Lady Bison could add another chapter into the rich tradition of Lady Bison basketball.

————

Scott Tyler may be contacted via e-mail at styler@palestineherald.com