To conclude one of its strongest seasons to date, Buford girls’ basketball and veteran coach Gene Durden bowed out of the state playoffs with a third-round exit to Newton on Feb. 25.
The Wolves did so with their usual class, grit and determination to advance deeper toward a trip toward a state championship game — a place Buford hasn’t found itself in quite awhile — and did so with an impressive set of pieces that were a unique element to Durden’s 2024-25 squad.
Over recent seasons, Buford lacked its usual roster depth. That element returned in this latest campaign, but the Wolves didn’t have much experience to match. That might be seen as a detriment, but it instead became one of the team’s biggest strengths as it beamed bright lights for what rests ahead.
Buford bid farewell to three seniors. Audrey Adams, Jayla Christian and Cybele Forbes played their roles over four seasons to contribute mightily in their final go-around in which Durden said they did “a great job of developing the right locker room culture.” They had significant influence, and the biggest came in their mentorship. Buford’s two biggest on-court pieces, junior Lydia Ledford and sophomore E’Miah Fields return for the looming 2025-26 season.
“We are very excited about the core group we have coming back,” Durden said. “We gained a lot of very valuable experience this year and can not wait to see what the future has in store for our program.”
Buford finished with a 25-3 record and a stellar 11-1 mark in region 8-6A. It won the region championship — to guarantee two home playoff games and a No. 1 seed — for yet another consecutive season. The Wolves’ biggest challenger in region play became Mill Creek. The two schools, separated by a few miles in geographical distance, created a semblance of a rivalry in the 2024-25 season. Buford lost the first matchup by nine points, won the second by 12 and squeaked out a two-point win in the third in what resulted in a region championship.
Buford finished 12-2 on its home floor, 9-1 away from Buford Arena and 4-0 in neutral-site contests. Aside from Mill Creek, the Wolves’ only other regular season loss came to North Forsyth (55-44).
“I am very proud of this team due to being so inexperienced in the largest classification in the state,” Durden said. “These ladies had many challenges coming into the season and they did a great job of meeting the standards and expectations of our program, which is something that is very hard to do.”
Buford girls’ basketball prides itself on team unity. High school sports present an ever-changing dynamic with the interwoven element of social media and athletes playing for the premier college offer or name, image and likeness deal. Every coach and program has to adjust to a change in the times, but Durden noticed some of the roots of his program appear in the most special of ways.
The Wolves proved to work as one to a greater degree. They picked each other up, supported one another and spent time with each other away from the basketball court. Those aspects of togetherness, not only chemistry, played part in each of the 25 times Buford walked off of the floor with victory.
“I think this team made the biggest stride in establishing back the locker room culture that is so important to have in a winning program,” Durden said. “They displayed the love and respect teammates should have in a program.”
Even though Buford couldn’t close out the highly-anticipated 2024-25 season with a state championship, it might’ve laid the foundation for it to come soon. Only time will tell.
“I love the way this team found ways to win games,” Durden said.
FEATURED PHOTO: The Buford High School girls basketball team won the 8-6A region title but bowed out of the state playoffs in the third round with a loss to Newton. Photo courtesy of Buford athletics.
