EDITOR’S NOTE: The Mission Bay High girls lost a 69-65 decision to Mount Miguel High on Tuesday in a semifinal Div. 3 matchup of CIF post-season play. Under the tutelage of first-year head coach Sade Wiley-Gatewood, the Mission Beach High School (MBHS) girls’ basketball team has been thriving. “Everybody’s happy. Everybody’s playing as a team. If you want to win games, you have to play as a team and stay positive with each other,” said Wiley-Gatewood. After suffering a minor letdown with three consecutive losses, MBHS regained its confidence with a total team effort against La Jolla High School in the Buccaneers’ last regular season game of the year. MBHS used a suffocating full-court press defense and a tireless array of slashes to the basket and deft three-point shooting to blow out the Vikings 75-21. The Bucs boast not one but two stars on their roster: Briteesha Solomon and Keyahndra Cannon. Solomon, a 5-foot-9-inch sophomore, averages a team-high 22.4 points per game to go along with 13.2 rebounds, 8.2 steals and 3.5 blocks. She also finds time to dish out an average of 4.7 assists while shooting a whopping 51 percent from the field, including nearly 40 percent from the three-point line. Not to be outdone, Cannon, a 5-foot-10-inch junior, scores an average of 19 points per contest, 7.5 steals and 11.1 rebounds while distributing a team-high 8.4 assists. “That’s my dog. We go everywhere together,” said Solomon of her close relationship with Cannon. “We’ve been playing together since we were in the fifth grade, so we know each other really well. We know each other’s weaknesses, our strengths and how to get each other pumped up. There are things that she can do that I can’t and there are things I can do that she can’t.” With two stars leading the way by example, the rest of the Bucs have learned to set aside differences and egos that have gotten in the way in the past. “They came a long way. They have developed as people and individuals on the court,” Wiley-Gatewood said. “Their attitudes became better, the way they play became better. It’s a different Mission Bay team.” With a more disciplined mindset and a group of talented players Wiley-Gatewood believes the sky is the limit for MBHS in its quest for a CIF championship. “I think we have a great chance to win CIF and everybody should watch out because we’re coming hard,” she said.