TYLER, Texas — It's hoop season here in East Texas and district play has just begun. Friday night, Tyler High girls' basketball team lost their first district game of the season in heartbreaking fashion to defending district champion Huntsville.
The team rebounded Tuesday against Nacogdoches by an overwhelming 40 points, starting the game with a 21-0 run.
Head coach Amber Wiley says their team chemistry allowed to get back on track.
"In their mind mentally, they're all right, they're okay," Wiley said. "We're just going to come back in the lab, put in our work and do what we have to do."
The Lady Lions' lopsided win was led by our player of the week, Kalyse Buffin.
"We don't want to lose anymore," Buffin said. "We just have to go out and play hard. Just play as a team. That's really what is going to get us far and just playing my game like I know how."
Buffin had 16 points in the win, doing a little bit of everything. Shooting from three, finishing after the foul and even getting her teammates involved, never taking her foot off the gas.
Did I mention she's just a freshman? Buffin may be young, but judging by her play, we both agree right now, she's unstoppable.
"That's my mindset all the time," Buffin said. "I feel like nobody can stop me."
When it comes to young talent, what separates those that go far from those that peak is the willingness to learn and grow.
She's very coachable, and the good thing about her, she understands that she's gonna make mistakes, being a freshman, but in those mistakes, becomes a learning lesson for the next day," Coach Wiley said. "So she's never going to put her head down, or she's never going to give up. In the same token, she is, like I said, very coachable. So she's gonna take the advice from every coach and his staff. And she's gonna apply it to the next day."
Buffin's ability to score at will isn't new. In her last 8th grade game, she scored 47 points. In a 10 game span, she averaged 34 points.
While her play speaks for itself, Coach Wiley knows Buffin is going places.
"The sky's the limit for her. Again, she's surrounded by great teammates, and the upcoming teammates that will be here coming through winter, it is going to continue to just advance her but at the same time, she's going to advance them. They're gonna continue to work together. Nothing is going change about her, and she is going to advance, especially to the next level."
We are proud to name Kalyse Buffin as our East Texas Professional Credit Union Player of the Week.
