There is only one acceptable standard at the Mission Bay basketball program. Win.

Coming into the season, the Buccaneers were viewed as one of the top teams in San Diego County. With most of their starters returning to the floor this season and a fleet of talents such as Pablo Balderas, Kevon Fitzpatrick, and Atreju De La Cruz also supplying high-quality minutes, it’s a team that goes 10-plus deep.

So far, the young Bucs have lived up to their billing and showed again this past week why they are still in the top tier of San Diego basketball as they ripped off three straight wins against Madison (55-45), San Diego (61-45), and Bonita Vista (56-38).

“It took us a bit of time to get rolling with players coming back from playing football since they had not played basketball in over a year, but they’re starting to get in a rhythm, shots are starting to fall, they’re getting their legs back, touch and timing,” said Mission Bay head coach Marshawn Cherry, “The team is starting to get on a good roll, and the continuity is starting to come together.”

In last week’s trio of Bucs victories, what perhaps stood out most was the edge and intensity the team brought on both ends of the floor. The fuel to that fire can be directly traced to the senior duo of Marcos Korch and Isaah Whitehurst.

The duo played physical defense, effectively drove to the paint, and set the tone physically for the Bucs.

“Marcos was great all week for us, and he’s one of our ‘pit bulls’ as I call him. He’s tough, gets after people, likes to get physical, makes contact, and talks to you a little. He ran the point, extremely well for us, and hit his shots,” Cherry said. “His best friend Isaiah is our other ‘pit bull’ he was excellent against San Diego and Madison.

Also stepping up for the Bucs was senior Gavin Girouard. The smooth-shooting senior would be in the double digits versus both San Diego and Bonita Vista. He used his speed and ball handling to create space and create high-quality shots from the mid-range and beyond the arc.

“Gavin is our silent leader, and he hit big shots for us again this week, just as he has done since he’s been with us,” Cherry said. “He just keeps getting better and better. He’s a capable defender and shot-wise, he is our most reliable shooter. Plus, he always brings quiet confidence to the floor, and when he talks, the guys listen.”

Another Buc who posted an efficient week was senior Charlie Hutchison. The 6 feet 6 inches tall power forward shined in the win over San Diego, going into double digits as he was too much for the Cavers to handle in the low post.

“Going into that San Diego game, we knew they were softer in the middle, so we wanted to take it inside. Charlie responded with a great game,” said Cherry. “Charlie was an All CIF second team player and all-league player last season, and he is a mismatch with his combination of size and ability to put the ball on the floor, get the rim, and facilitate. He had it working around the rim, and when he’s playing like he did against San Diego, he is hard to guard.”

With the 3-0 week, Mission Bay has now won four of their last five and boasts an overall record of 13-7. The streak indicates that the Bucs are starting to get hot at just the right time, as five of their final eight regular season games are with Western League foes.

“Coming up, we’ve got a tough one versus the Saints, and we feel like that is a make-or-break game for us,” said Cherry. “We feel like we have to get this win and that win can catapult us and give us the momentum we need to get us to playoffs and hopefully a spot in Open playoffs as a top-four team in the county.”