Following a Foothill League win over West Ranch on Tuesday, the Canyon girls’ basketball team hosted the undefeated Thousand Oaks Lancers on Wednesday in the first of three straight non-league games, as the Cowboys have a scheduled by from league play on Friday.
And during the match, the Cowboys were defeated at home to the Lancers 63-43 and recorded their sixth loss of the season.
Following the game, Canyon head coach Jessica Haayer expressed frustration with the loss and stated that the team has a lot of work to do.
“Our defense is not where it needs to be,” she said. “It’s something that I’m focusing on every single day. But when you’re not in a stance, not boxing our, you’re giving second chance opportunities, it just doesn’t work against a team that is undefeated.”
The Lancers (7-0), who entered Wednesday’s matchup against Canyon (4-6, 2-1) with a perfect record, are ranked as the 49th best team in the state via MaxPreps.
And in the first quarter, the Lancers outscored the Cowboys 21-3, which surprised Haayer as the Cowboys secured a double-digit win against the 8-2 West Ranch Wildcats a day prior.
Haayer voiced her frustration in the break between the first and second quarters and began to see life in her team again.
The Cowboys held the Lancers to 11 points and shot better from the field as the team scored 10 points.
“I let them hear it, and I think that I challenge them every single day to do whatever it may be, like to get in a stance, play defense, or communicate,” she said. “If you don’t do it, I’ll pull you out, you know? So, I think their energy level is just a little bit different. But at least that’s what I hope.”
Throughout the game, Haayer made substations and played around with the rotation to generate momentum which proved to have helped the Cowboys cause as the Lancers outscored Canyon by one point in the second half.
One player that Haayer believed to have been a difference maker for her team was Darby Dunn, who scored 22 points in the loss, and has just been a player she can always count on being a leader by example.
“She’s a ball player that I want to mimic,” Haayer said. “She finishes first in every run. Like yes, she makes mistakes, but she also plays well to make those mistakes. And I constantly said it down there, ‘match her energy.’”
In total, six different Canyon players scored, but only Shannen Wilson scored the second highest in points with six.
Despite the loss, Haayer added that she’d rather have her team overcome difficult matchups like Thousand Oaks as she believes those games provide more insight and preparation for her team in the playoffs.
“I purposely select a hard schedule because I think it sets you up for the playoffs,” she said. “I think teams come and walk around like they think they’re great and they’re not. You can compare yourself to the likes of Oak Park, Windward, or whoever else we played. We’ve played some top teams, and we have a lot of work to do to get there, so there is a purpose for it.
The Cowboys play again on Friday at Moorpark High School as they matchup against the Musketeers with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m.
