Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School girls basketball team found itself on the wrong side of a three-point barrage in the fourth quarter of Monday's season opener in Middleton.

The Buffalo knocked down four treys in the final period but watched visiting Buchholz (Gainesville) hit five, as the Bobcats swiped a 46-44 victory away from VHS on its home floor.

The Villages (0-1) led at the end of each of the first three quarters to eventually lead 26-23, before being outscored 23-18 in the fourth frame to fall on the season's opening night.

"The effort was there ... but we've got to learn how to battle," said VHS head coach Marquez Porter. "With the program we're building, we're going to be in a lot of big games and we've got to learn how to handle that. A few times in the second half we let our emotions get the best of us, and we just couldn't reel ourselves back in and get everything together."

Junior Zion McRae, who scored 43 points in the Buffalo preseason opener last week, led the way for VHS with a team-high 19 points. Freshman Eva Mann added eight points and sophomore Ray'niah Gould finished with five.

The Buffalo will return to action at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night, when VHS hosts The first Academy (Orlando).


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.