By Billy Swartzfager | [email protected]

The Bingham girls basketball team is looking to finish its season strong. It reach the in quarterfinals during last season’s state tournament, losing to American Fork. The Miners placed second in their region. So far this season, the team has played well enough to stay in the third position in Region 3 but have a tough road to get ahead of Copper Hills and Taylorsville, both of which have only a couple of losses. 

This season, the team is focused a theme they call W.I.N., which means What’s Important Now. They players are focusing on what they can do to make any particular moment the best that it can be. The team feels that taking care of the present will lead to success.

“We know that as we take care of those details, it will influence the big picture we want in order to have a successful season,” said Charron Mason, the team’s head coach for the last four years.

This year’s squad is led by many returning starters. Sierra McNicol, a senior and team captain, has an influential attitude and leads vocally and competitively, according to Mason. Junior Kendzee Cloward, also a team captain, sets a tone for hard work. Journey Tupea, a sophomore, sets a good example and encourages the other members of the team. And Danielle Orr, a junior, leads the team as a vocal competitive captain. 

The Miners practice hard and spend a lot of time participating in structured drills which develop and enhance the fundamentals. The girls watch film to help them see what needs to be worked on as well. 

In December, the team traveled to San Diego to play in the So Cal Prep Holiday Classic Tournament. The trip served two purposes. First, Bingham got the opportunity to face off against tough teams from outside their normal competition pool. 

“We enjoy playing competitive teams outside our area that really test our limits and help us to get better,” Mason said. “We also really like playing with a shot clock.”

The other result of the trip was the building of  camaraderie, which is crucial in the development of some of the team’s more unique qualities, according to Mason. Mason said the girls don’t back down from hard situations and work to find solutions to tough obstacles, and are seen by other teams as an unbreakable family unit.

“The Girls had a great time in San Diego getting to know each other better and strengthening their relationships as teammates,” Mason said. “There is something magical that comes from teamwork. I love the relationships of depending on and defending one another.”

The team came home from San Diego winning three of its four games. The Miners began region play Dec. 20, defeating Brighton 59-36. Another region win came after the New Year against Jordan in a 68-22 rout on Jan 3. But, Bingham was handed a region loss against top-ranked Copper Hills on Jan 5, 43-30. 

The Miners will have to make up some ground and play tough if they want to stay alive long enough to make the postseason. They will have other opportunities to tackle Copper Hills and Taylorsville prior to season’s end, and a host of other opponents as well. 

“I love the persistence of this group,” Mason said. “We have had a few close losses, but they are still determined to be successful. I love that they are choosing to believe in themselves and their team despite having to deal with some tough situations.”