BASKETBALL

This first week was a bit tough, mainly because I spent most of the summer without playing serious basketball. Although I got tired quite easily, I am satisfied with my performance in the practices. This year, I will be playing with and against players 1 year older than me, and that is going to be a challenge for me. Moreover, I will be playing in the best possible league of the Basque Country (Liga Vasca), where basketball level is very high. Nevertheless, I think I am beginning to adapt to the new situation and I hope I will take out the best from during this season. 

These first 3 practice sessions were mostly focused on tactics to face our first game that would be against Easo Saskibaloi Taldea, a well-respected team from San Sebastian.

We played at their court, which is a one hour drive away from where I live. Sincerely, I was very excited to finally begin this exciting new season.

Before the game began, I thought we were going to lose by a lot because the team we were facing was on of the best in the league. I warmed up successfully (even almost successfully dunking), and felt like that at least we would not lose, they would have to beat us. The first half of the game was surprisingly tied and our team began thinking that the game could be won. I myself perfomed a couple of good plays that ended up with my first baskets in Liga Vasca. I felt proud of myself, but I knew the match was not yet over. At the end of the match, after our physical inferiority showed itself, Easo was able to beat us by 16 points. Although we have lost, I feel like our team still has potential to be one of the best. We have given our best, and fought together as a team. And the best of all was yet to come wih the maginific party we created in our return bus.

During this week's practices, we focused on gaining physical form and working on tactics. I feel that I am becoming a better teammate and basketball player.

I was very excited about this week's game because it would be our first match played at home. I was eager to give my best and to see our fans cheer us. Our rival, Tabirako, has always been our biggest rival since both teams play in the province of Bizkaia. I have played against them for 9 years in a row and only won them once, so I was very motivated to try to beat them one more time. 

Although I was confident our team could keep up with Tabirako's rhythm, we started the first quarter with a big loss that we could not turn around despite our efforts. I personally did not play my best, but I was still happy because I manage to stop my opponent in defense and scored my first three-pointer of the season. Overall, I feel like we could have done more and that we need to improve in many aspects of the game during the following the practices.

The first practice started with a pep-talk from our coach analyzing every aspect on the game, showing us where to improve on. Throughout the week, I felt quite tired because I got sick. I did not attend Wednesday's practice and confronted the game somewhat negatively due to my incapabilities of giving 100%.

Our rival was Unanumo, probably the best team in the league. We played away in famous "La Casilla" where the Bilbao Basket (professional team) used to play. Like in other games, I was not a starter, and played for 3 minutes during the first quarter. In those 3 minutes, I was not spectular, and for some reason my coach decided to put me on the bench until the end of the last quarter. I feel quite disappointed with this decision, I cannot figure out anything that I did wrong during those first 3 minutes. By the time I was subbed in, our team was losing by 30. In the last 5 minutes that I played, I outstandingly performed; scoring 6 points, giving many assists, and stealing 4 balls. This is the game that I have most proudly felt of. I have finally proved that I have the level to be one of the best in this league, and no matter the coach's decision, I will strive to give my team our first win.

This week's practices have been tough for me. Apart from having physically-intensive exercises, I felt that my coach's feedback was becoming more negative. Even though this might not be the case, I think the situation from the last game might have affected me. This is a mental behaviour I need to improve on in order to become and better basketball player.

Our next rival was Iraurgi, a team for Gipuzkoa usually known for their aggressiveness. This is a team that directly competes with us and we should be be able to beat them. As always, I started in the bench, and by the time I got in our team was losing by 15. I could have given up from the beginning, but I felt a sense of resposibility to my team on the right track again. By the beginning of the third quarter, thanks to a great  defense and some offensive individualities, the game became tied and stayed the same way until the last minute of the game. Our team performed well during this last minute, but many niglegences from the referees unjustly gave the final lead to Iraurgi. Despite the loss, I feel like we have greatly improved and that we still have a chance to stay in the best league.

This week was quite peculiar. We had a total of two practices. This is because part of my team went on a trip to Serbia on Friday to play on a tournament. Due to the same reason, we did not have a match on the weekend; instead, we played on a Wednesday, which was holiday in Spain. My teammates arrived on Tuesday, meaning that I had to go practice with another team from my club on Monday. I personally did not like the practice, since we spent most of the time shooting; and that became repetitive and boring. At least I ran and prepared physically for my next decisive game.

On Wednesday, we would be playing against a rival of ours, Electroalavesa Araberri. Two years ago, we descended of league against them in the last minute, and I was very motivated for the revenge. I did not want to go through the same experience again, I mentalized myself to give everything I had and to win the game. As usual, I did not start due to the coach's decision. The match started very slowly, with very few attempts to take the lead. As a result, we went to lose by 10 points. Then I entered the game and we effectively managed to take the lead by 9 points. I was very happy with my defense and with the 3-pointer I made. After 10 minutes in the bench, my team was losing again by 10 points and my teammates felt devastated. Once again, I got in the game and created a lead of 3 points with 5 minutes remaining of the game. However, due to a technical decision that I consider as a big mistake, my coach decided to take me out for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, our team finally lost by only 2 points, reminding me of the same situation as two years ago. Even though I scored, assisted, defended, and gave all I had, I obviously was not happy with the result and hoped that this would not happen during the next game.  

This week was very short in terms of number of practices. As we played against Araberri on Wednesday, we only had one practice, on Friday. After the unexpected loss, our team's moral was quite low as we realized that it was becoming less possible to maintain ourselves in Liga Vasca's first league. I was personally very tired after the match and could not perform at my highest. In addition, I felt a bit angry with my coach after every time he corrected me on something. This is because our coach basically made our team lose in the previous game. 

Our next match was to be played in Getxo, against ZAST Zarautz. Zarautz might be the asiest team we will ever play against in this team, so we need to beat them. However, they have won one game and we have lost all of them. It is also the most similar team to ours; with small players and no standalone star. 

Finally, I was in the starting line-up of the game. Interestingly enough, the start of the game was a success, having an 8 point lead in the first quarter. I played my best game in all of the season, with a total of 12 points, many assists, and no turnovers. After many ups and downs from our team, we finally won the game with a 9 point lead. 

My teammates and I finally went home happy and with hope in our eyes. This is the turning point for us in the season, I believe that we can win a lot more games from now on; but this is only achiieved with great effort.

During this week, we had three practice sessions. Wednesday was focused on gaining strength, and might have the hardest practice in the entire season. On Thursday, we were shocked by the sudden decision from a teammate to stop playing basketball. I can understand his arguments, but I never thought it could happen. We will certainly miss him. Friday's practice was accompained with the club's presentation, where all the Getxo Saskibaloia teams united to form a very friendly party. I had lots of fun, making me somehow forget we were about to play Baskonia the next day. The team Baskonia might be the best in our league, and it is the U-18 team of the professional team from Vitoria playing Euroleague. Two years ago, we lost against them by 80 points, so the only thing we wanted was to have some fun.

I again was in the starting line-up and the game starting surprisingly tied with them being only 6 points above at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter ended with a 10 point loss, and we started to truly believe that we could give a surprise by winning the game. After huge effort from the team, we were not able to win it, but we felt we did a great job. We lost by 11, but looked like we won against the best team of the league.

This week I felt very tired since we where going through exams at school. For that reason, I did not attend Wednesday's training session. Nevertheless, I felt motivated to end the week and to perform by best in this week's match.

The first phase of the league had ended last week, and this was going to be the first game in the second phase. We only won one game out of six in the first round,so we wanted to do better in the second round. The game was against the first team in the league currently, EASO SBT. Their team was enforced with one more player compared from the first game, so chances were that they were going to win.

I was a started, and we ended the first quarter tied. We were doing a great job in defense and we were able to move the ball in offense. The situation carried on until the beginning of the third quarter, when the rivals where created superior and ended up beating us by 25 points. I did a pretty good match, with good defense, many assists, and three baskets. I feel proud of myself for being able to be one of the best guards in the moment. Unfortunately, my team is not doing very well, and our chances of maintain ourself in the first legue are very low. I hope that we can show our true potential in the coming weeks.

This week came along as usual. Wednesday's training session was the hardest one for me, as it was focused on gaining physical strength. We did exercises like lifting weight that we never did before. The next day, I felt sore for the first time in the season.

This weeks game was going to be against Tabirako, away from home. From the beginning, we did not expect to win; however, I wanted to give my best to show what I can do. I was about to play against probably the best point guard in the league, making the game even more special. 

The first half was horrible for our team, as well ended up losing by 30 points. The second half, however, was a whole new match. We started to defend well and to be effective in offense. Every minute, we shortened the distance until the points that we put ourselves 8 points behind. Unfortunately, we lost the game, but I was sure that we would have won the game if we would have 3 more minutes. I felt very proud of my team for the improvement and of myself for stopping my rival point guard and actually making my team play well. I hope we will play as well as the second half every game.

Our coach realized how well we played in the second half of the last game, and focused the practices to try to make us play that way automatically. 

We were going to play home against Unamuno this week. They already won against us, and we did not hope to win this time. Our goal was to continue playing the same way as in the second half of the last game. Interestingly enough, the match proceeded the same way as the last one. We started the first quarter losing by 25, and I thought were going back to the times we used to lose by 50. However, I did not want this to happen again, therefore I put all I could in the court and tried to make my team function well again. By the end of the game, we began to play better than them and ended losing by 20. I find it funny to think that we won by 5 in the second quarter against a top team in the league. In my opnion, if all of us focus in what it is important, we achieve great things in the second phase of the league. We have talent and we know each other very well. the only thing that we need is power of will. Personally, I want to keep doing the things I do right and to improve more in my finishing. If we accomplish all these things, we can really dominate in the following matches. 

This week came along as usual, training hard and getting my t-shirt wet. Wednesday was the hardest day because the practice was focused on strength. 

We were about to play against one of direct rivals. Once we start the second phase of the league, they will be one of the best teams and we need to beat them to maintain category. I think we can definitely win the game, however, we are making too many mistakes in the recent games. 

The game started off quite bad for our team, although we left the first quarter only 4 points below. The second quarter was not good but thankfully they did not score much. We played our best until 8 minutes were remaining in the match. Even though I was not tired yet, I was substituted. Unfortunately, we went from being up by 8 to being down by 8. My coach substituted me in with only two minutes left in the game, and I could not do much to win the game.

Sincerely, I am very upset with our performance as we had to win the game and we did not. I think I did not commit any mistakes but my coach said I did all throughout the game. This dismotivates me and I am sincerely not very happy with my coach. I hope this improves by next week.

On this week's last training session, I got hit in my nose by a teammate and had to go to the hospital. I was bleeding a lot and my nose hurt. Finally, after waiting for an hour in the hospital, the doctors communicated that my nose was broken but that there was no displacement. This means that I would not need surgery; however, I would have to wear a protective mask every time I play basketball. 

This week's game is against Araberri. We have already lost twice against them in the last minute, and we do not want that to happen again. The first time I tried on the mask was one hour before the match, and therefore, it was not comfortable. I also had a hard headache due to the nose, and my coach and I decided I would not play much. 

The game started horribly, losing by 16 in the first quarter. Just before the end of the first half, my coach subbed me in for me to try to play and to see whether I could improve the situation. In the two minutes I played, I performed quite well, giving some assists and stealing many balls. As a result, I played much of the third quarter, where we tied the game. With six minutes left in the game, I got subbed in again, and we put ourselves and 10 point lead thanks to great defending. Even though the end of the match was tense, we managed it correctly and finally won our second game of the season! 

We are very happy to finally win and we are hoping to perform perfectly in the second phase of the league. I am feeling better with my nose now.

Fortunately, we were able to rest for one week since there were no matches going on; so the training sessions were "lighter". Nevertheless, the following week, we going to face ZAST Zarautz, a team we have already won against. Therefore, we were hoping to win to games in a row, something inimagined by us in the beginning of the league. 

The place we were going to play in was quite far away, so our club rented a bus for the team to go there. It was a fun experience to go to the arena altogether, but the trip was also quite tiring.

This is probably the last game I will play with the mask on. I have been getting used to it, however, it is not ideal to play basketball with it because it obstructs a lot of my view. Nonetheless, my performance was as expected. The game became quite easy for us, beating them for the entire game. We did not play our best due to various reasons, but everyone suddenly knew we would win. And we did! 

I am happy with our performance and I think we are on the right track to being first in the phase to come. Now, the only thing left to do is to enjoy our Christmas holidays and get rest. 

This week was the first week after the Christmas. This, however, does not mean that I am not in shape to play because I have been going out to run during my vacation. 

On the first day of training, we played a friendly game against our club's senior team. We did a nice job and I felt great playing again. I was very much wanting to play a real match once again.

This week's game is versus Baskonia and is the last game we will be playing in this phase. The next games will still be Liga Vasca but we will play against more reachable teams in order to maintain the category. Baskonia will end the league first, and it is full of talented physical players. The game started quite well, and for the three first quarters, we only lost by 10; something that is unbelievable for our team. The forth quarter, however, was a disaster and we lost by more than thirty points. I personally made a couple of shots, assisted by teammates many times, and also stole some balls in defense. Although we did not win, this is a good way to end this phase and to start the next one with hope and chances.

After not maintaining our position in the best sub-league of Liga Vasca, we will be playing in the second sub-league to fight to not descend for next year. In order to do so, we will need to finish in second place or better out of six teams. Things is achievable, as the teams we now play against are of our level.

This week, we trained very hard to be prepared for a win in the first game. In fact, on Wednesday, we had a very hard physical training session. 

This week's game was against Baskonia B, or the younger team of Baskonia. We expect them to be strong and difficult to beat. From the beginning, though, we demonstrated our dominance in the game; and this continued for the entire match. At the end, after a solid defense and effective ball movement, we ended up winning by 18 in their home. 

I am and the team is very happy of our performance as we have shown that we will be a very difficult team to beat during this phase. I personally made 11 points and put some blocks, which I am proud of. 

This week went easier for me because of the fact that we won by many points in the previous match. As a result of being proficient in tactical terms, the training sessions focused of strength. 

This week's game was against an old-known team, ZAST Zarautz.  We have played against them twice and have won both of the times. We were going to play home for the first time in the second round, and we need to give our supporters a great start. 

The match started off a bit weird for us, although we clearly made an advantage of 10 points by the end of the first quarter. Their team was weaker in all aspect, and after probably the best performance of our squad in the entire season, we won by 26 points.

We are very proud of our work because the perserverance in training like playing has finally brought good result. Now, were are looking forward to maintaining the first place in the league. I am confindent that we end up being a Liga Vasca team at the end of the season.

This week we were very motivated to keep on with winning streak. As a result, the training sessions came very productive; although many of my teammates skipped a practice for studying. 

This week we were going to play away from home against Iraurgi. This game is a real challenge for me personally because the guard I will be facing is one of the best I have ever faced. In order to stop him, I will try to dry him in defense and I will try to provoke fouls in offense. 

The game started out perfectly for our team, winning by 14 points in the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter also went well ending the first half with a 18 point lead. We were making making shot and defending structurally. I personally made 8 points and gave many assits. The third quarter, however, was horrible. There was a misunderstanding in defense, and they created a 19-2 lead. We were not on target in offense either; finally ending the third quarter losing by 7. In the last quarter, I took full responsibility of the team and got to 3 points down with 2 minutes remaining. Unfortunately, we were not able to make any baskets and lost by 3 points.

Although I performed my best in the season with 17 points and plenty of assists, my team was not able to win; meaning that we have to work hard to win every single game from now on. 

This week we have worked hard to improve on the minor details that made us lose by 3 points in the lat game. That was the only game we can lose this season, because our goal is to end up first. 

This week we were going to play against Loyola Indautxu, a team coming from a lower league. I have played against them many times in my life, and I am very motivated to beat them once again. The first quarter started very well for our team, ending up by 12 points; very similar to the previous game. I made 2 three pointers and made the team play. In the second quarter, we had a little hiccup and they got to be 2 points down. This, however, was quickly solved by adding a 14 point lead in half-time. The third quarter also went well, and we increased our lead to up to 18 points. In the last quarter, it was noticeable that we were superior in fatigue management, and therefore ended winning by 24.

I personally made a total of 10 points and gave some assists. I am proud of my performance although I think I could have attempted some more shots. I am confident that our team will manage to maintain itself in Liga Vasca, we just need to work hard every week.

This week's practices came by easier with the fact that we won by a considerable amount of points last game. Although we also focused on stength, this time it was not that hard because I finally got used to it.

This week's game was against Easo B. This is the second team of their club; but this, however, does not mean they are a weak team. For the moment, they are first, and we need to beat them to start to ensure our future place in Liga Vasca.

The game started off tied, with both team not scoring much. I made a couple of shots that helped our team stay competitive. The second quarter, in the contrary, was one of the best we have ever played. After properly distributing the ball and defending, we ended the first half with a 10 point lead. This, considering their great tactical performance, was an achievement. After the second quarter, the game had its ups and down, and we ended up winning a 9 points. We made a great job maintaining our lead; and I personally continue with my shooting streak, making 12 points.

I am very proud of our work that have lead us to being confident with how we play. I am again very confident that we will be on top of the league.

This week has been quite tough for me since I have had many exams to take and reports to give in for school. In addition, Wednesday's practice was also hard since it was the first time we trained with heavy weights. As a result, I was demolished on Friday's practice. I was also had a cold, which made things worse.

This week we were going to start the second round playing against Baskonia B. We had previously beat them away by 18 points, and therefore we were confident that we will beat them again. The game started off very well for us, having an amazing 18-0 lead in the first five minutes. This already told which team would win the game. I personally felt a bit more tired that usual and was not that proficient in scoring. The game carried on without many changes in the scoreboard, and after a solid game, we ended up winning by 25 points. This is great considering the we were only 9 players and that 2 got ejected at the beginning of the last quarter. I made 6 points, gave as many assists as one possibly can, and stole some balls. For the next game, I think I need to practice my shooting more. 

Just after the match, we received the news that Easo, our closest rival, lost against Zarautz; meaning that we are even closer to being in Liga Vasca next year. We need to keep working as we are right now, and we can assure our position in just 2 games. 

This week has been very exciting for our team since our closest rival to maintain Liga Vasca lost against Zarautz, a way more inferior team. Now, we depend on ourselves to be on top of the league. This week, we have kept on working hard as usual, and we are very motivated to achieve our objectives.

This week, we were playing away against ZAST Zarautz. We have previously beat them by quite a lot of points, but they are meant to be a tough team to beat in their place, as demonstrated with Easo (our rival). We played on Sunday, just after the Carnival celebration party takes place where I live in. As a result, many of my teammates were tires while playing, making our performance worse than expected. Sincerely, we played terrible. I think we have never played this bad, especially offensively. Throughout the entire game, we went losing by about 5 points and even lost by 12 points after the referee called 4 surprising technical fouls on our team. Our will and need to win, however, never died. Previously, we had lost two games in the last minutes of the game. This time, we put all we had on the table and ended up taking the lead in the last minute.

Even though we played one of the worst games in the season, we finally have learned to win in the most important moments. This has been one of the best experiences in my basketball career. I am still proud of our work, although I need to improve a bit my scoring; with a mere 4 points (although many assists).

This week is probably the most important week in the season. Iraurgi is one of our closests rivals, and winning against them would mean having more chances to maintain our place in the league. In order to compete as expected, our practices we focused on playing five on five games and on practicing defense and our plays. 

Before the game, we got great news from the other matches that had already ended. Since Easo SBT lost against the last in the game, we had the chance to maintain ourselves in the league just by winning. I personally was very motivated to win the game since this is the moment I have been waiting for the entire season. The game started off like our game in their arena, with our team taking the clear lead. In contrast to when we last played against them, however, we were able to hold the lead; and after many minutes of fighting and sacrificing, we won the game! This was one of the best moments I have experienced in my live. Working so hard for an entire year, and being awarded for that is very enriching. My teammates and I were sure to celebrate our great season. I personally made six points and took the game to my team's dominions. This moments are what makes this sport so great, and I hope I will experience something similar next season.

This will be the last week of our league, and we have already guaranteed ourselves the first place. This week, therefore, is to celebrate and to relax a bit from the fast pace of our previous practices.

This week, we were going to play against Loyola Indautxu in their arena. I felt that our team was devastated from working so hard throughout the year, and we were also not very  motivated about winning. The game began tied, and continued to be like that until the forth quarter. At this time, we were very unlucky with our shots and were not focused in defense. As a result, we ended up losing the game by 7 points; ending the Liga Vasca season with a somewhat bitter taste. Nevertheless, we were still very happy that our work from the season had given its fruits. I personally made 6 points, did my job, but did not do an outstanding performance.  

Now that Liga Vasca has ended, it is time for my province's final four competition. But first, we need to play two games to qualify for it. Our rival would be Galdakao Ibaizabal, a team that has played the season in a lower leage than my team. As a result, we are supposed to beat them in both games. 

The first game started of as expected, with our team taking a considerable lead. In the third quarter, unfortunately, an opponents fell on my foot and I got injured. This is not a very common injury, but I can tell that it is quite painful. As a result of the injury, I was not able to play the last quarter of the game and could not play the second match of the qualifiers.

Thankfully, we won the first game by 27 and the second bame by 11, meaning that we will play the province's final four tournament in two weeks' time. I will do all that I can to get recovered for those matches.

The injury turned out to be worse than expected, since I was unable to walk properly until Wednesday. That day, I went to practice but trained aside from the group. On Friday, I was able to run with pain and trained normally with the rest of my team.

This was the last weekend of the season, and was about to play the Final Four competition to decide which team is the best in the province. The first game was against Tabirako, and after losing by 20 for the entire game, we ended getting as close as 3 points. Unfortunately, we lost and lost all opportunities to end up being first. Our first goal was to end up 3rd or better, and in order to do so, we had to win the second game against Berrio Otxo. Once again, we lost in a game in which we were the favorite team. The last game was against the champion Unamuno; against who we lost to by a big difference.

Overall, I played well despite the injury, but my team did not manage to win any games this weekend. It happens sometimes. Nevertheless, I am still proud of my team and will remeber this amazing season for many years to come.

In July, after ending the season, I decided to stick to a workout plan in order to be fit for the following season. I thought the best thing to do was to prepare myself physically but to also rest after a tiring 10 months of playing basketball and studying. My workout consisted of stretching, runnig for 20 minutes at a fast pace, doing strength excercises, and hooping for 30 minutes. 

I followed this routine every single day, even when I was away from home. I think this routine really suits me well since I find it fun and useful. I am planning to continuing this workout during August.

During the first 3 weeks of August, I continued with the workout plan. I was away the first two weeks without the access to a basketball court and therefore decided to spend more time doing strength and flexibility exercises. My team's official preseason began on the 20th of August and thanks to my routine, I felt in great shape and highly motivated to make great achievements this year playing at the highest level possible (Liga Vasca).

On September, the league began with a matchup against Unamuno. Physically, I and my teammates were doing good but were very tired from the daily practice sessions we had been having. As a result, our team suffered from the first minute and lost by 30 points. This loss was expected but not with this severity. We did not give our best image and needed to practice better in order to improve our game.

The next two games were against Easo and Baskonia, two hard teams nobody expected us to beat. We lost both games, however, we gave a great image of improvement, losing by only 4 points against Easo and being tied for 3 quarters to Baskonia. Our first games have definitely been the hardest. This has let us improve significantly and now I feel prepared to win against our closests rivals. 

I personally did not perform excellently but did my job defensively and moving the ball. My scoring average was of 5 points, which is low, and did not make any three pointers. Next month, I will have to improve on my scoring performance.

After losing our first three games of the league, I and my team was very motivated to start winning. The first game of the month was against Iraurgi, a team of similar performance to ours. Thanks to our hard work and intensity in the game, we ended up surprising everyone by winning by 32 points. This win definitely gave us hopes for the rest of the season.

The next two games were against Araberri and Mondragón, two accesible teams. Due to the momentum of playing against the best teams and facing them, we won both games easily and played at a level no one expected of us at the beginning of the season.

I personally have continued to play well in all aspects of the game, and have improved my leadership on the court. I have had an average of 9 points, which is quite good but not great, and have not scored any threes. I am not feeling very comfortable with my long range shots and need to practice those more in order to achieve my goal of hitting a three-pointer per game.

The last game of the first round was played during the first week of November. The team would be Tabirako SBT, a team I have played and lost against many times in my basketball career. As a result, I was extremely motivated to play at my best and beat them.

The game was great from the beginning to the end. From the first quarter, we started off winning by 15 points, with a great defense and taking advantage of their defensive flaws in offense.

This month was also the beginning of the second round of the league. Therefore, we will be playing against the same teams as the first round. Our first two games are against Unamuno and Baskonia. We were not very hopeful for these games, and although we played quite well and were close to winning, we ended up losing by a small margin of around 6 points. 

I personally played quite well, making 7 points per game, many assists (probably the most yet in the season) and doing dirty work for my team. It is true that I have been a bit low on shooting percentages and still have not been successful with three point shots.

December has been a short month taking about basketball games and practices. Due to Christmas break and December's bridge-holidays, we only played two games; one against Easo and the other against Araberri. 

The first game, against Easo, was bitter-sweet. I started the game a bit slow but little by little began to play very well, making many points, playing great defense and moving the ball efficiently. However, at the beginning of the third quarter, being tied in the game agaist a team we lost against in the first round, my coach decided to sit me for the rest of the game. We lost the game by 10 points. This game hit me quite hard but I knew that I can make a difference in the game. That game gave me a lot of self-confidence. 

The next game, against Araberri, was very good. We control the game from the beginning until the end and won by 20 points.

My scoring average was 8 points, which is good for the little minutes I played this month. I am proud of my performances. 

Thanks to our surprisingly good performance in the first round of the season, we have made it to the A1 Liga Vasca league, a true achievement that I have personally never accomplished. Regardless of the difficulties this league entails, I am confident that my team will step up and surprise many who initially claimed we would get relegated. 

The first game is against my personal rival, Loyola Indautxu. I have never liked them, since they play harsh and are quite cocky. We will be playing in their arena, which is quite hard to play in. The game started out tied, and I began with a great rhythm, making may shots and distributing the ball well. However, by the third quarter, our team slumped and went losing by 10 points. In the last quarter, we made a great effort, even putting ourselves on top with few seconds to play. After some terrible referee decisions, we forced the overtime, where we got smoked by the many threes our rival made. This was a sad loss, and although playing at my best, the win did not come.

The next to games were against Unamuno and Easo, two tough to beat teams. The game against Unanumo was one of the best I have ever played. We never won against that team, and after playing hard for 40 minutes we came out with a surprising and motivating win from their arena. 

With the momentum from the previous win,  we headed to played against Easo, a game which we dominated but lost in the overtime due to some unbelievable referee decision. This has truly been the worst refereed game I have ever played or seen. Nevertheless, my team and I are in great shape and have high hopes for the league. This month, I averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, and many uncounted assists. 

This month, our team needs to show what we are made of and prove people that we are real contenders to making it to the Final Four. The first match was against Iraurgi, a team we already beat twice in the first round. Unsurprisingly, after playing good defense on their strongest player and moving the ball well in offense, we ended by winning by 30 points.

The next game was against Baskonia, a team we had no real hopes to win against. Prior to the game, we were notified that some players from other countries that were given scholarships to potentially play in the Pro league would play against us. This was scary but I felt it more of a challenge and an opportunity to show my skills. They were superior than us the entire game, and although I commanded the team quite well, the injury of our tallest player led to a loss of 25 points. 

The next game was once again against Loyola Indautxu. I came to the game extremely motivated for revenge and played accordingly. After a tied game, our team stepped up a notch in the last quarter to win an extremely important game that placed us forth in the league. 

The last game of the month was against Unanumo. Although they are supposedly better than us, I was confident they would have a very hard time beating us. After physically giving everything I had in a game I played 35 minutes and made 12 points, we won by 9 points. After the game, we celebrated as if we had won a world championship. It was truly one of the best moments in all my basketball career. All the effort and hours of practice that we had put in throughout the years had finally come to effect. We were now classified third in the league, something that has never happened in my club's history, and we would only need to win against Easo in the Final Four tournament in order to attend the Spanish Club Finals. This would be a dream come true, and a fantastic way to end my highschool basketball career.