Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are at about the middle of a season they have never played before. Without a crowd to cheer them on, maintaining social distancing and frequent health screenings, they manage to compete. 

  “It’s definitely a blessing. I’m definitely so thankful that we are able to play and to continue to play and that the school works so hard for us to keep playing. Definitely every time I step on the court, I think about all the testing that we have done and everything that leads up to just playing that one game,” Justin Edler-Davis, forward for the Runners said.  

  De’Monte Buckingham, guard for The Runners, and Justin Edler-Davis, forward for the Runners, said they are tested every other day to ensure they are fit to compete. 

  After winning one out of two conference games against the Long Beach 49ers, the Runners swept both the Cal Poly Mustangs and Hawaii Rainbow Wahine for a total of five conference wins in a row. 

  The Runners took three non-conference losses against the Santa Clara Broncos, the Arizona Wildcats, and the Stanford Cardinals, and three wins against Bethesda Flames, Idaho Vandals, and St. Katherine Firebirds for an overall standing of nine wins and four losses. 

  Their next game is up against Riverside Highlanders, who recently swept the Cal Poly Mustangs leaving the Highlanders right behind the Runners in the conference with three wins and one loss. 

  “I would say we just have to keep playing the same way we’ve been playing. Keep motivating each other and being there for each other, listening to coach’s tells to go out there and do. Just following each game plan that we have been doing each and every other game. I feel like we just have to go out there and bring our same intensity and bring back two wins,” De’Monte Buckingham said. 

  As of now, the women’s basketball team stands in fourth in the Big West Conference, with two non-conference wins against the California Golden Bears and Fresno State Bulldogs, and two conference wins against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. 

  Three game winning streak attained from sweeping the Rainbow Wahine and Fresno state came after losing four games in a row; once against the Pepperdine Waves, then to the Santa Clara Broncos, and finally getting swept by the Long Beach 49ers. 

  The women’s basketball team was not available for comment at this time, as they were in preparation for their next game against the Riverside Highlanders.