All their lives Seniors Abby and Becca Buchs have been a team, one that has helped Taylor's women's basketball team to become one of the best in Taylor’s history.
Their individual careers are just one part of a longer journey that began in kindergarten, where they began playing basketball, softball and practiced gymnastics as well.
In sixth grade, they were asked to pick their favorite sport to focus on. They both picked basketball.
“We kind of decided it was our favorite in middle school,” Becca Buchs said.
Following their passion for the sport led them to join the team at Taylor in 2016. It was a rocky start. During their freshman year, both Abby and Becca Buchs received very limited amounts of playing time and according to Head Coach Jody Martinez, both of their skills were underdeveloped.
“When I came in May of 2017, they were wrapping up their freshman year, they were kind of thin and not toned to where I like my players at,” Martinez said. “I was told they didn’t play defense, I was told they were more offensive-minded, that all they wanted to do was shoot and those kinds of things.”
Martinez challenged them to spend the summer getting into shape. The twins came back in the fall, in better shape than ever.
“Their dedication to development is very impressive,” Martinez said.
As the old saying goes, “shooters shoot” but not all shooters shoot consistently. Since their freshman year, Abby and Becca Buchs have become more consistent and careful shooters.
Under Martinez’s guidance, Becca went from scoring 54 points her freshman year to scoring 564 points her senior year. Abby went from scoring only 14 points to scoring 496 points.
Together, they’ve scored a total of 2,573 points over their Taylor career.
Senior Jamie Netzley said she is very proud of seeing all their hard work pay off.
The twins have helped their team see victory over some of their toughest rivals, such as Indiana Wesleyan, Huntington and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
In their first bout with Mount Vernon on Jan. 11, during the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals, the Trojans shared a score of 62 with Mt. Vernon, until Becca Buchs came along and sealed the Trojans’ victory with a game-winning three-pointer.
“I give all the credit to Jamie Netzley on defense, she got that steal for us, all of the defense kind of collapsed around her and she found me wide open on the three,” Becca Buchs said.
At the end of this season, the twins will have ended their college basketball career.
After graduation, both Abby and Becca Buchs plan to extend their leadership skills beyond Taylor and into their various fields. Abby Buchs wants to be a financial adviser.
“I really just want to be able to help them [people] reach whatever goals they might have,” Abby Buchs said.
Becca Buchs said she wants to be a business consultant and hopes to get a position in Indianapolis.
Also, Becca Buchs said she’d like to have a hand at coaching basketball. In fact, Martinez said he wouldn’t mind having the twins back as assistant coaches if they wish.
“I’m gonna miss them dearly,” Martinez said. “Three years of grinding together and trying to build one of the top teams in the nation the last three years now, the baton’s going to be passed to the next group and I feel like the twins have done their job as leaders in developing the returners next year.”
Martinez hopes next year’s seniors will beat the records of this year’s seniors.
As for what’s next . . . only God knows, but what is known is this season has been one for the books.
