Odessa High’s Aneth and Roxana Jimenez have played basketball their whole lives.
No matter where the Lady Bronchos’ duo picked up a ball however, it wasn’t for the same team — until this season.
For the first time, Aneth, a senior, and her sophomore sister Roxana are teammates for Odessa High and have started a handful of the team’s games together.
While Odessa High has gone through some growing pains so far this season, the Jimenez sisters are two of the players Lady Bronchos head coach Olivia Pyburn turns to when times get tough.
“It’s pretty neat for them because they are sisters,” Pyburn said. “Anytime you can do something with your sibling its pretty exciting, especially something that they both love doing.
“They play very well together and they take care of each other on the court and off the court.”
This is not the first time, however, both sisters have played for Odessa High’s varsity squad.
Aneth Jimenez is in her third season with the Lady Bronchos. Unfortunately, both previous years playing for Pyburn ended with leg injuries and she didn’t see the court once district play began.
Roxana Jimenez was called up to varsity last season after her sister was sidelined and played in several District 2-6A contests.
“It’s very interesting, we’ve never played together, so it’s kind of a new thing trying to find each other,” Aneth Jimenez said. “The connection is there, but it’s interesting.”
“I actually like it, I’ve been looking forward to this season because of it,” Roxana added.
Aneth is the Lady Bronchos’ senior who’s seen the most playing time so far this season, meaning she’s able to lead the whole team, just not Roxana.
Roxana holds her own on the court however, using more physicality in her game in the low post, while Aneth primarily plays on the perimeter hoping to find the right spot for a jump shot.
No matter their individual styles, their sisterly bond doesn’t detract from anything the Lady Bronchos do. And as Odessa High gets closer to the start of District 2-6A play, the Jimenez sisters know they’ll have a say in whether Odessa High can make the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Pyburn added that during practices, Aneth uses her veteran experience to keep an extra eye on Roxana, jumping in to correct minor things before she does.
“They have a great relationship,” Pyburn said about the Jimenez sisters. “They don’t do a lot of bickering at each other. I’m excited to watch them grow and have a lot of fun on the court.”
