© East County Sports.com
ANTIOCH, Calif. (12-31-06) -- ROBBIE SANDOVAL and his Mount Miguel Matadors have been playing basketball incognito the past couple of weeks. No bragging, no announcements, just stealth basketball.

Despite flying below the media radar, the Matadors continue to be one of the nation's better girls basketball teams. And this team has yet to play at full strength, even though they have compiled a 10-3 record.

Mount Miguel lost to the state's No. 2 ranked team, Brea Olinda, 60-47, in Saturday's (Dec. 30) finals of the premier Platinum Division of the West Coast Jamboree in Oakland.

"I'm not all that disappointed," said Sandoval of the Matadors loss to the 13-0 Wildcats. "We play the best competition around. All three of our losses have come to teams that are ranked nationally or ranked in their respective states. I've been coaching long enough to know that if you want to give your kids exposure to the college coaches, you have to play in these kind of major tournaments."

The Matadors held a 15-14 edge over Brea Olinda after the first quarter, but then fell behind 26-21 by halftime. The Wildcats steadily increased their margin before sealing the victory.

PRECIOUS ROBINSON led the Matadors with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. DANESIA WILLIAMSON pitched in 11 points, 4 steals, 3 assists and 3 rebounds, while AUTUMN SPIKES contributed 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals.

Robinson, Williamson and LASHAWN JOHNSON represented Mount Miguel on the all-tournament team.

Mount Miguel scoring: Precious Robinson 18, Danesia Williamson 11, Autumn Spikes 10, Lashawn Johnson 4, Victoria Murphy 4.

SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 64, STEELE CANYON 58 -- Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES promised his team that if they won the championship of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Classic Prep Division, he would take them lock stock and barrel to Magic Mountain.

Well, the Cougars could see the mountain… but couldn't make it up the hill.

The Cougars did prove themselves worthy of an appearance in Saturday's (Dec. 30) championship game as they held several leads, and maintained the advantage at 47-45 by the close of the third quarter. Eventually, however, the Eagles' advantage in team speed and a superior transition game denied the Cougars the championship and their trip to Valencia.

Despite falling behind 16-6 in the early going, these Cougars, unlike some of their predecessors, refused to back down.

The Cougars went on a 10-0 to tie the game and then took a 25-24 lead on BRIANA EITER's second 3-pointer of the game. The lead went back and forth from there before Steele Canyon settled on a 35-31 halftime lead.

Steele Canyon (8-6) shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, hitting 15 of 30 shots. Senior TINA MERLINO paved the way by scoring 14 of her team-leading 20 points in the first half. The 6-foot senior was 7 of 10 from the field, all of her shots coming from within eight feet of the basket.

It was a different story in the second half. The smaller but quicker Eagles of Santa Fe Christian (10-1) sealed off the paint, denying the taller Cougars close range shots.

"They did a much better job of denying the ball," said Merlino, who also topped the Cougars with 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals. "They weren't doing that in the first half. We were able to get the ball inside and put it in the basket."

Forced to take more shots from the perimeter, Steele Canyon, which saw its 7-game winning streak end, connected on only 10 of 21 shots (34 percent) during the final two quarters.

Meanwhile, the Eagles, who were only 10 of 28 in the first half, canned 14 of 30 shots in the second half.

"We started letting them run their stuff in the second half," Merlino said. "They started driving more instead of shooting from the outside."

Freshman JANVIER BARBARIN added 15 points and 6 rebounds for Steele Canyon, which also received 11 points and 6 rebounds from Eiter, and a team-high 7 assists from SAMANTHA BEASLEY, who was named to the all-tournament team.

"Yeah we all wanted to go to Magic Mountain as a team, and we wanted to get this championship even more," Merlino admitted. "In situations like this we used to lack confidence. But that's not the case now. We've moved up a whole level. We've got that confidence going now -- we're a whole lot more competitive than we were in the past."

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 20, Janvier Barbarin 15, Briana Eiter 11, Xanning Tyler 4, Belinda Pickens 4, Samantha Beasley 2, Samantha Silva 2.

EL CAPITAN 56, EL PASO-PARKLAND 41 -- A quadruple-double by sophomore ASHLEY DUFFY and a career-scoring high by junior SAM SPRING helped El Capitan snap a 4-game losing streak in Saturday's (Dec. 30) final round of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Grossmont.

Duffy connected on 9 of 23 shots, including 3 of 8 from beyond the arc, for 21 points. But that's only part of her story. Duffy made El Capitan girls basketball history by reaching double digits in steals (13), rebounds (10) and assists (10).

Not surprisingly, Duffy was named to the NCAA Division all-tournament team.

There have been some great players in this program, but none of them have ever achieved a quadruple-double.

As flashy as Duffy was on this afternoon, she did not score a single point in the opening quarter. Fact is, El Capitan trailed 6-5 after the first eight minutes, with VALERIE LOGEL (basket) and LIANA PITMAN (3-pointer) providing the Vaqueros' offense.

It wasn't until the final quarter that the Vaqueros (7-6) final put the game in the win column with a 20-7 scoring spread.

Spring's performance was not all about scoring, as she also had 7 steals, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 21, Sam Spring 12, Liana Pitman 9 (3 reb.), Ashley Bunce 5 (4 reb., 2 stl.), Crisela Banks 3 (4 reb.), Jamie Ferguson 2 (3 reb., 2 stl), Abby Carlino 2, Valerie Logel 2 (3 reb.).

MARIAN CATHOLIC 83, SANTANA 50 -- The Sultans appeared to be court-weary as they squared off against unbeaten Marian Catholic in Saturday's (Dec. 30) NCAA Division of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Prep Classic at Steele Canyon.

The Sultans, who saw a 10-game winning streak end, trailed only 41-34 at the half. The third quarter was all about Marian, as the Crusaders (15-0) stung Santana with a 21-2 scoring spree.

"We got tired, forced our offense and didn't get back on defense very well. We played like a tired team," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW.

Santana was playing its third game in 24 hours.

"Marian was the better team tonight," Mottershaw said. "They were quick, strong and shot the 3-ball real well."

Not many teams have won more games than the 14-3 Sultans. Mottershaw was quick to note that Santana's only three losses have come to Top 10 ranked Eastlake, Bishop's and Marian.

A 5-foot-8 senior post player, DANIELLE BALOUGH manages to be the high scorer no matter what the competition throws at her. She tallied 16 against Marian and was named to the all-tournament team.

SHAE BASS added 7 points and 7 assists, while ASHLEY BAKER topped the Sultans with 7 rebounds.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 16, Shae Bass 7, Brittany Fenn 6, Jamie Elias 5, Miki Sankary 5, Nicole Brzeczek 5, Briana Padilla 3, Keila Morris 2, Ashley Baker 1.

SANTANA 65, ESCONDIDO 53 -- JAMIE ELIAS scored a career-high 22 points -- more than half of them coming on four 3-pointers -- as Santana (14-2) eliminated Escondido (8-7) in the semifinals of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Steele Canyon.

With Escondido leading 15-10, Santana began the second quarter with an 18-0 scoring run to take control.

Season scoring leader DANIELLE BALOUGH added 20 points for the Sultans, while ASHLEY BAKER rolled a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The fuse to this Santana offensive explosion was SHAE BASS, who -- although scoring only 5 points -- dished out a career-high 16 assists. Bass also grabbed 7 rebounds and made 2 steals.

This was an Ironman performance by the five Santana starters, including NICOLE BRZECZEK, who contributed 7 points. This quintet played the full 32 minutes.

"We pounded the boards, cut down on our turnovers and played good defense starting in the second quarter," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 22, Danielle Balough 20, Ashley Baker 11, Nicole Brzeczek 7, Shae Bass 5.

HELIX 55, GROSSMONT 49 -- The Highlanders avenged an earlier 16-point loss to the Foothillers and captured the third place trophy in the WNBA Division of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Prep Classic Saturday (Dec. 30) at Steele Canyon.

BRITTANY WILLIAMS paced the Highlanders (10-4) with 19 points, 8 steals, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks. Williams scored 16 of her points in the second half.

Helix senior MELE LEASAU, an all-tournament pick, was a force on the boards with 19 rebounds against the Foothillers. She also scored 14 points and blocked 6 shots.

Helix crept to a 19-18 halftime lead and then used a 20-13 scoring run to get some breathing room in the third quarter.

"In the first and second quarters the score was very close," said TRINA MERIDETH. "We exploded in the third quarter then we let them back in the game. We held our composure late in the game and responded well to their pressure. It was a typical Grossmont Conference game between two longtime opponents. It was a great game for the fans."

Grossmont's La'KENYA SIMON-WEST, an all-tournament selection, generated 26 points and 8 rebounds for the Foothillers (10-4).

"We did a good job defensively, held them to the same number of points we did when we beat them the first time (71-55)," Foothillers coach TIM JOLLETT said.

It was a case of good news and bad news for Grossmont. The Foothillers hit 14 of 17 free throws led by the 6 for 6 shooting of PHYLICIA SCHULTZ. Simon-West hit 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. She also buried a trio of 3-pointers, giving her 43 treys on the season.

Now for the bad news… Grossmont shot a miserable 17 percent for the field, hitting just 12 of 70 attempts.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 19, Mele Leasau 14, Jem Afusia 7, Elizabeth Caldwell 6, Jaz Afusia 5, Sinoi Leasau 4.

Grossmont scoring: La'Kenya Simon-West 26, Phylicia Schultz 6, Terra Musgrove 6, Marcee Fitzpatrick 4, Therese Riedel 3, Tina Rios 2, Michelle Gonzalez 2.

JARUPA VALLEY 54, WEST HILLS 49 -- Freshman MARILYN NADERHOFF turned in another stellar performance for the Wolf Pack in Saturday's (Dec. 30) final performance of the Ayala Best of the West Tournament at Ontario Convention Center.

The 5-foot-7 guard -- the top shooter on the team -- hit 6 of 9 shots from the field and was 3 for 3 from the free throw line for 15 points. She also gathered in 4 rebounds, dished 2 assists, blocked 2 shots and made 2 steals.

Her senior sister MUAAU NADERHOFF powered in 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

West Hills (8-6) trailed 39-35 after three quarters. The Wolf Pack tied the game early in the fourth at 39-all and marched in front on one of KIMBERLY CLARK's two 3-pointers of the game.

"After that we had a couple of unforced turnovers that led to baskets by Jarupa Valley (of Riverside County )," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "We played good defense, were solid the whole game."

In the fourth quarter a Jarupa Valley player hit a 3-point basket to break a 43-all tie.

Muaau Naderhoff hit two free throws but that's as close as the Wolf Pack would get.

"They play a different style of ball up here," said Chabrowski. "They all have good point guards. If these point guards played (in San Diego County ) they'd be all-county."

"Our kids worked real hard up here -- played five games in five days. It should really help us when we get into conference and league play."

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 15, Muaau Naderhoff 10, Kimberly Clark 9, Ashley Alderton 5, Mariah Bennett 5, Leilani Yawn 2, Sherika Miller 2, Corryn Kivett 1.

PATRICK HENRY 55, GRANITE HILLS 52 (OT) -- All-tournament selection MORGAN SABALA hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 48-all at the end of regulation in Saturday's (Dec. 30) final day of the Barona-Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Santana.

Molly Hillenbrand and Sabala each had a basket in overtime, but Amy Sylvester fouled out during the extra four-minute session.

"Losing Amy really hurt us in overtime," said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. "She is a demon on the boards and plays great defense."

Sabala topped the Eagles (8-5) with 23 points. It was the eighth time the senior guard has broken the 20-point barrier. She raised her 3-point basket count to 30 by hitting a pair in the loss the Patrick Henry.

Granite Hills scoring: Morgan Sabala 23, Lauren Bender 11, Molly Hillenbrand 8, Amy Sylvester 6, Sabrina Jimenez 4.

SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 61, VALHALLA 45 -- Senior BREE MARTIN scored 20 points and collected 9 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to earn the Norsemen a berth in Saturday night's (Dec. 30) Barona-Cougar Holiday Classic's - Prep Division.

But the steady Martin did, however, earn a berth on the all-tournament team, which is something considering there were 34 varsity teams in the five-day event.

KAYLA HOUSTON added 9 points and 7 rebounds, while EMILY ROBERTS led the Norsemen (3-6) with 6 assists and tied Martin for the rebounding high.

Santa Fe Christian buried the Norsemen from the free throw line, hitting 21 of 27 chances compared to Valhalla's 3 of 10.

"We gave a good effort against a very good team," said Valhalla coach JON OWENS. "We had too many turnovers but we stayed in the game for much of the contest."

Valhalla scoring: Bree Martin 20, Kayla Houston 9, Katie Laine 6, Amy Woods 4, Emily Roberts 4, Kelanie Blackwell 2.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-30-06) -- Two and possibly three East County teams will be playing for tournament championships on Saturday (Dec. 30).

Host Steele Canyon will play for the Prep Division championship of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic on its own floor against a yet-to-be-determined opponent -- most likely Santa Fe Christian at 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Santana needs a semifinal win over Escondido to reach the NCAA Division finals of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic. If successful, the Sultans will face off against the Cathedral Catholic/Marian Catholic winner in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Steele Canyon .
Looking further north, Mount Miguel (9-3) will meet undefeated Brea Olinda (12-0) -- the No. 2 ranked team in the state -- in the championship game of the West Coast Jamboree's premiere Platinum Division.

MOUNT MIGUEL 59, SACRAMENTO 49 -- The better the opponent, the better the Mount Miguel Matadors seem to play. Squaring off against (11-1) Sacramento , Mount Miguel (9-3) used a balanced scoring attack to sack Sacramento in Friday's (Dec. 29) semifinals of the West Coast Jamboree at Deer Valley High in Antioch , Calif.

Stalking the Sacramento Dragons as if they were the Loch Ness monster, the Matadors used a 16-8 second quarter scoring burst to take a lead they wouldn't lose.

"We built a good halftime lead and pulled away in the third quarter, but they came back toward the end of the third quarter, and cut the lead to three or four points," said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Mount Miguel extended its lead to 10 points again.

LASHAWN JOHNSON showed the Matadors the way with 19 points -- most of which came on a trio of 3s -- 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

"Lashawn had a big game," Sandoval said. "She hit a 3 at the buzzer at the end of the first half. We've done a good job of giving a full team effort. We are not going to have just one person stand out. We'll have different people lead us in scoring on different nights."

On this night, the Matadors had three leading scorers.

PRECIOUS ROBINSON pitched in 15 points, half of which came on 7 of 10 free throw shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Guard DANESIA WILLIAMSON, who scored 30 points in an earlier game, added 13 points, 7 assists and 4 steals.

Not to be overlooked was the work of 6-foot-1 junior forward AUTUMN SPIKES, who grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds, scored 8 points, blocked 3 shots, made 3 steals and dished 2 assists.

Mount Miguel scoring: Lashawn Johnson 19, Precious Robinson 15, Danesia Williamson 13, Autumn Spikes 8, Nicole Fountain 2 (3 reb., 2 stl), Victoria Murphy 2 (4 reb., 3 ast, 2 stl).

SANTANA 75, RANCHO BUENA VISTA 40 -- Scoring machine DANIELLE BALOUGH knocked down a game-high 23 points to send Santana to its ninth straight win with a lop-sided victory over North County Rancho Buena Vista in Friday's (Dec. 29) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division action at Steele Canyon .

Balough hit 7 of 10 free throws as part of Santana's 83 percent success rate on 23 attempts from the charity stripe.

NICOLE BRZECZEK had a breakout scoring game with 15 points that included 5 of 6 free throw shooting. The 5-foot-6 junior also dished out 4 assists, blocked 3 shots and made 3 steals.

JAMIE ELIAS contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for the 13-2 Sultans.

SHAE BASS, who recently accepted softball scholarship to Michigan State , chipped in 9 points and her usual game-high 10 assists for the Sultans.

"We are passing the ball well and running the offense smoothly," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW. "This is a fun group of kids to be around. We came out in the first quarter ready to play and played real hard. Our defensive effort was outstanding all game."

Santana decided the issue early in this one, taking a 25-4 lead in the first quarter and then adding to it in each of the final three periods.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 23, Nicole Brzeczek 15, Jamie Elias 12, Shae Bass 9, Ashley Baker 8, Kaila Smith 4, Brittany Fenn 2, Brianna Padilla 2.

STEELE CANYON 53, SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 33 -- Powerhouse 6-foot-1 forward TINA MERLINO continues to dominate as she scored 15 points, bagged 11 rebounds, made 3 steals, dished 3 assists and blocked 2 shots to carry the Cougars past San Dieguito Academy in Friday's (Dec. 29) Cougar Holiday -- Prep Division action.

SAMANTHA BEASLEY scored 14 points and added a team-high 5 assists for the Cougars, who stretched their winning streak to seven games.

"The girls knew that if we won this game, we would make it to the championship, and I pushed them," said Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES. "We outran our opponents. We out-rebounded them. They couldn't handle our post play. They started doubling up on our post players. That freed up our girls to get some outside shots. I'm extremely proud of these girls. They started out 1-5 and now we're on a seven game winning streak and going into a championship game."

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 15, Samantha Beasley 14, Janvier Barbarin 11 (8 reb.), Briana Eiter 7, Xanning Tyler 3, Samantha Silva 2, Belinda Pickens 1.

STEELE CANYON 49, CASTLE PARK 29 -- Once again TINA MERLINO led the charge for Steele Canyon in the first game of Friday's (Dec. 29) double-header of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic competition.

While Merlino was scoring 11 points while capturing a game-high 21 rebounds and logging 4 steals, guard SAMANTHA BEASLEY was engineering the Cougars' outside game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Freshman JANVIER BARBARIN hit 8 of 10 free throws to finish with 10 points and 8 rebounds for the Cougars.

"We played pretty good as a team. We're changing our defense a lot," said Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES. "We're making good passes, finding the open shooters. At the beginning of the season I was afraid I wouldn't have perimeter shooting. But Beasley and BRIANA EITER have developed into shooting with confidence and opening up the inside game for BELINDA PICKENS, Barbarin and Merlino."

Steele Canyon scoring: Samantha Beasley 14, Tina Merlino 11, Janvier Barbarin 10, Jobeth Devera 3 (4 reb.), Briana Eiter 2, Lailaa Turner 2, Jessica Hardy 2, Katerina Snew 2 (3 reb.), Samantha Silva 2 (3 reb.), Xanning Tyler 1.

VALHALLA 43, MADISON 41 -- BREE MARTIN scored a career high 29 points and snagged 11 rebounds as Valhalla presented first-year head coach JON OWENS with his most exhilarating victory, in Friday's (Dec. 29) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - Varsity Division action.

With 11 seconds left and Valhalla clinging to a one-point lead, the Norsemen brought the ball inbounds and called for a timeout.

"I'm about 6-2 and I was yelling my lungs out and the officials didn't acknowledge it," said Owens.

Instead the officials called a 5-second violation against Valhalla, and gave the ball to Madison .

The Warhawks managed to bring the ball downcourt where they missed a 16 foot jumper.

Valhalla junior KELANIE BLACKWELL grabbed the rebound and was fouled with two seconds left. She made the first free throw but missed the second.

In the scramble for the rebound, no one got possession as time expired.

Valhalla led 18-17 after the first half. That's when Martin caught fire, scoring 23 of Valhalla's 25 second-half points.

"We'd break their press and pass the ball to Bree and she would drive in for layups," said Owens.

Owens credited point guard EMILY ROBERTS for her overall court leadership. The sophomore had only three turnovers while grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing 6 assists and making 4 steals.

"She's our real team leader," Owens added.

Valhalla scoring: Bree Martin 29, Emily Roberts 4, Kayla Houston 3, Kelanie Blackwell 3, Katie Laine 2, Sara Staninger 2 (4 reb., 2 blk).

HELIX 73, RESEDA 17 -- Nobody in the Helix huddle is doing any boasting at the moment, but the Highlanders are no doubt one of the best teams in the San Diego Section. Helix in fact is only three points shy of playing for the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - WNBA Division championship.

Instead, the Highlanders (9-4) who routed Reseda, will face Grossmont Conference Grossmont for the 3rd Place trophy on Saturday (Dec. 30) in the Foothillers' gym.

BRITTANY WILLIAMS connected on 14 of 18 shots from the floor for a game-high 28 points to go along with 8 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks and 5 rebounds to guide the Highlanders.

MELE LEASAU was 9 of 12 from the field for 18 points, and added 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists.

JAZ AFUSIA chipped in 12 points and 4 assists, while her sister JEM AFUSIA hauled down a team-high 12 rebounds, dished 8 assists, made 3 steals and blocked 2 shots.

After Helix' 33-8 third quarter burst, both coaches flooded the floor with reserves and a running clock was initiated. Neither team scored over the final eight minutes.

"We played good defense tonight," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "We were able to give our bench players some significant minutes."

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 28, Mele Leasau 18, Jaz Afusia 12, Sam Vick 6 (7 reb.), Elizabeth Caldwell 4 (5 reb.), Tatiana Jackson 3, Sinoi Leasau 2.

GROSSMONT 87, KING DREW MEDICAL 51 -- Senior THERESE RIEDEL, who has accepted a scholarship to the University of Idaho , proved she had shaken off the flu bug Friday night (Dec. 29).

The 6-foot-4 Riedel produced one of her better double-doubles of the season, as Grossmont scored its season high in routing King Drew Medical of Los Angeles in Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - WNBA Division action at West Hills.

Riedel hit 7 of 12 shots from the field for 14 points, corralled 15 caroms and blocked 4 shots for the Foothillers (10-3).

Grossmont raced to a 31-14 first quarter lead and never let up.

Sure-handed senior guard La'KENYA SIMON-WEST hit 9 of 14 shots from the field -- 4 of them 3s -- and 7 of 8 free throws for a game-high 29 points.

Not to be overlooked was the offensive output generated by 5-foot-3 junior guard TINA RIOS, who scored a career-high 18 points. The big numbers came from Rios' ability to hit 4 of 8 shots from 3-point range.

PHYLICIA SCHULTZ added 7 points and 9 boards for Grossmont, which also got 8 rebounds and 5 steals from MICHELLE GONZALEZ.

Grossmont scoring: La'Kenya Simon-West 29, Tina Rios 18, Therese Riedel 14, Heather Springe 8, Phylicia Schultz 7, Michelle Gonzalez 3, Marcee Fitzpatrick 3, Terra Musgrove 3, Allison Baxter 2.

CHANNEL ISLANDS 48, WEST HILLS 40 -- Despite a fast start by the Wolf Pack, which saw West Hills take a 30-21 halftime lead, state power Channel Islands of Oxnard turned out the lights in the final two quarters in Friday's (Dec. 29) semifinals of the Ayala Best of the West Tournament at Ontario Convention Center .

Although the Pack scored only four points in the third stanza, West Hills (8-5) maintained a two-point lead heading into the final 8 minutes.

Nobody reached double scoring figures for West Hills, which lost senior team leader MUAAU NADERHOFF to fouls in the third quarter. That hurt. The 5-foot-10 senior hit 4 of 6 shots for 8 points -- one less point than her freshman sister MARILYN.

" Channel Islands came out a different team in the second half. We lost our focus and we had too many turnovers," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "We lost control of the game in the second half and we took Channel Islands too lightly."

West Hill scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 9, Muaau Naderhoff 8, Sherika Miller 8 (5 reb., 3 stl.), Kimberly Clark 5, Shelby Russo 3 (3 reb.), Corryn Kivett 3 (5 reb.), Mariah Bennett 3 (4 reb., 3 ast.), Ashley Alderton 1.

ESCONDIDO 47, GRANITE HILLS 45 -- The Eagles (8-4) saw their five game winning streak end at the free throw line in Friday's (Dec. 29) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division action at Steele Canyon.

The good news is Granite Hills was a perfect 100 percent from the free throw stripe. The bad news is MORGAN SABALA took the Eagles' only two free throw attempts.

For the record Granite Hills was whistled for 23 fouls to just 7 for Escondido .

The Cougars converted 13 of 23 of their free throws.

"This was the second time we've played Escondido this season," said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. "The difference was this time we had Molly Hillenbrand to play. We got drilled the first time. We handled the ball much better this time. We had a good effort on defense."

Sabala raised her 3-point total to 28 by hitting a trio of treys en route to a team-best 17 points.

Hillenbrand added 12 points for Granite Hills.

Escondido had a 10 point lead midway through the third quarter. Granite Hills cut the lead to two early in the fourth quarter and then battled back and forth the rest of the way.

Granite Hills scoring: Morgan Sabala 17, Molly Hillenbrand 12, Sabrina Jimenez 6, Lauren Bender 6, Amy Sylvester 2, Kylie Wilson 2.

JUNIPERO SERRA 55, EL CAPITAN 43 -- The slumping Vaqueros suffered their fourth straight loss in Friday's (Dec. 29) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Steele Canyon .

After taking a 25-29 halftime lead, the Vaqueros (6-6) wilted in the third quarter and were outscored 16-5.

It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as El Capitan never mounted a serious comeback.

ASHLEY DUFFY did not have a great shooting night, but managed to lead the Vaqueros with 13 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

LIANA PITMAN was 4 for 8 from the 3-point line for 12 points. SAM SPRING pitched in 10 points, while JAMIE FERGUSON contributed 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 13, Liana Pitman 12, Sam Spring 10, Jamie Ferguson 4, Crisela Banks 2, Valerie Logel 2.

POINT LOMA 49, EL CAJON VALLEY 27 -- Aztec Holiday Tournament; No information reported.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Taniya Patros 9, Sheraina Moon 7, Adriana Ussery 5, Samantha Julien 4, Leena Norwarekar 2.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-29-06) -- Following a disappointing 4-point loss to a Clovis West team that Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT believed his Foothillers were capable of defeating, the second-year head coach had to be pleased by the way his team recovered in Thursday's (Dec. 28) second round of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic competition at Steele Canyon High.

The focus of attention continues to be on Grossmont senior La'KENYA SIMON-WEST, who wowed the scouts in attendance again by scoring 38 points in the Foothillers' 56-41 romp over Villa Maria, the defending Pennsylvania state champion from Erie.

"La'Kenya just went off tonight, she was incredible," said Jollett.

Simon-West nailed 12 of 20 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 above the arc. The 5-foot-8 guard was deadly from the charity stripe where she converted 11 of 13 free throw attempts.

This marked the fourth time in 11 starts that Simon-West has broken the 30-point barrier. Her career high was a 43-point effort against Mira Mesa.

Her timing is good, as four-year college scouts are beginning to know her name. So far the lineup of interested parties include Oregon State, Long Beach State and Idaho. That list should double by the end of the year.

THERESE RIEDEL, who already has a scholarship to Idaho, continues to battle the flu. But the 6-foot-4 senior coined a double-double of 16 rebounds, 11 points and 4 blocks. Riedel has more than 60 blocks this season.

"Therese played well but is still not at full strength," Jollett acknowledged.

Although it's obvious who does the scoring for the Foothillers, few teams have been able to curb Simon-West and Riedel in the same game.

"We only had 6 shots taken by the rest of the team besides La'Kenya and Therese," said Jollett. "And there were no free throws taken by anyone except those two."

Grossmont's bearcat defense puzzled Villa Maria from the outset, as the Foothillers outscored the Easterners in every quarter.

"Junior guard TINA RIOS is so steady and solid for us in every phase of the game -- passing, defense, offensive play," said Jollett. "She's so fast and strong in her play, she's our steady rock. I can't really say enough about her. She's our quiet leader. I'm very, very, very glad she's going to be around next year."

Grossmont scoring: La'Kenya Simon-West 38, Therese Riedel 11, Tina Rios 3, Marcee Fitzpatrick 2, Phylicia Schultz 2.

WEST HILLS 61, BLOOMINGTON 34 -- Senior guard LEILANI YAWN isn't one of the premier scorers in East County basketball. But she knows how to play defense, and that was West Hills' ticket to the semifinals of the Ayala Best of the West Tournament at Ontario Convention Center on Thursday (Dec. 28).

"We started out rough but then our defense led the way," said Yawn. "We take a lot of pride in our defense. We forced this team into a lot of mistakes. That helped us get our running game going.

By virtue of its third straight win in the tournament's pool play, the Wolf Pack (8-4) will take on Oxnard's Channel Island in Friday's (Dec. 29) semifinals at 3:30 p.m.

Against Bloomington the Wolf Pack finally found its shooting touch, hitting 43 percent of 51 shots from the field.

MUAAU NADERHOFF nailed 9 of 12 shots from the floor for a game-high 23 points.

KIMBERLY CLARK connected on 4 of 5 shots from the field, including a pair of 3s, on her way to a 12-point finish.

"This place is not too bad a place to play," said Yawn of the Ontario Convention Center. "The rims are off a bit and the shooting background is tough, but the more games we play, the easier it gets."

Yawn hit 2 of 5 shots from the field and both of her free throw attempts for 6 points to go along with 3 assists and 2 steals.

MARILYN NADERHOFF tallied 8 points, 7 assists and 6 steals for West Hills.

"We will play on the same court we've played all three of our tournament games," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "We're finally getting used to Ontario. Our intensity was really there today. Once against, defense was our key. We played typical Wolf Pack basketball today."

West Hills scoring: Muaau Naderhoff 23, Kimberly Clark 12, Marilyn Naderhoff 8, Leilani Yawn 6, Mariah Bennett 5, Sherika Miller 3, Corryn Kivett 2, Rebecca Jones 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 41, THE PEDDIE SCHOOL (NJ) 35 -- The Matadors probably won't lead the San Diego CIF Section in scoring, but they will no doubt rank among the leaders for wins and fewest points allowed.

It's not often that a team can score only 10 points in a half against an opponent in a quality tournament as is this West Coast Jamboree in Antioch. But the Matadors (8-3) managed to buck the odds in Thursday's (Dec. 28) tournament action.

Trailing 16-10 to The Peddie School of New Jersey after one half, the Matadors found their offense and maintained their defense to land a berth in Friday's (Dec. 29) semifinals against Sacramento High (10-1).

LASHAWN JOHNSON paced the Matadors against Peddie with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

AUTUMN SPIKES collected 15 rebounds and blocked 4 shots while scoring 6 points for Mount Miguel. PRECIOUS ROBINSON added 7 points and 8 rebounds, while DANESIA WILLIAMSON scored 7 points, handed out 2 assists and made 2 steals.

"We were pretty pathetic in the first half, but Lashawn picked up the scoring for us tonight," Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL said. "Precious did a good job on the defensive glass. We're trying to concentrate on defense and it was pretty good tonight."

Looking ahead to Friday's faceoff with Sacramento, Sandoval said the Matadors will focus their attention on 6-foot-4 Vicki Baugh, who will attend Tennessee next year.

"She's one of the top five players in the country," said Sandoval.

Mount Miguel scoring: Lashawn Johnson 15, Danesia Williamson 7, Precious Robinson 7, Autumn Spikes 6, Victoria Murphy 5, Nicole Fountain 1.

HELIX 55, McLEAN (VA) 44 -- After a heart-breaking loss to Canyon Springs the night before, Helix rebounded with a strong second half to knock off last year's Virginia state runner-up in Thursday's (Dec. 28) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - WNBA Division action at Steele Canyon.

"We got off to a slow start but we finished well," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "We caused McLean trouble handling the ball."

The Highlanders outscored McLean 33-19 in the second half.

BRITTANY WILLIAMS hit 12 of 20 shots from the field en route to a game-high 20 points.

The aggressive 5-foot-10 junior guard also recorded 6 steals, blocked 4 shots, dished 6 assists and plucked 2 rebounds in one of her most complete games of the season.

Senior MELE LEASAU canned 7 of 13 shots from the field and added 3 free throws for 17 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

"Mele and Brittany were in foul trouble in the second quarter and were basically dominant tonight. We got some good play from the bench and did a good job using our height advantage," said Merideth.

In the loss to Canyon Springs Wednesday, the Highlanders' bench contributed next to nothing (1 point). But against McLean ELIZABETH CALDWELL, NADAH ROYSTER and TATIANA JACKSON contributed 6 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 25, Mele Leasau 17, Jaz Afusia 4 (7 ast., 3 stl.), Jem Afusia 3 (7 reb.), Tatiana Jackson 3 (7 reb.), Elizabeth Caldwell 2, Nadah Royster 1.

SANTANA 75, UNIVERSITY CITY 39 -- The Sultans steamrollered to a 52-17 halftime lead and then breezed through the second half on their way to an easy victory over University City in Thursday's (Dec. 28) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division game at Madison.

"We played a great first half," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW. "We were very team-oriented. They played us in a zone the whole game. We hit some 3s, and that opened up the inside game for us."

Four Sultans reached double scoring digits, led by sophomore JAMIE ELIAS' career-high 16 points. Elias, who hit a trio of 3s, also nabbed 5 rebounds.

ASHLEY BAKER sank 7 of 8 free throws on her way to a 13-point night, and also cleared 9 rebounds and blocked one shot.

East County passing leader SHAE BASS added 10 more assists to her season totals, while NICOLE BRZECZEK knocked down 12 points and made 3 steals.

DANIELLE BALOUGH scored a season-low 12 points, but still managed to be a major contributor to the Sultans' 12th win in 14 starts with 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 16, Ashley Baker 13, Nicole Brzeczek 12, Danielle Balough 12, Miki Sankary 7, Brianna Padilla 6, Kaila Smith 4, Shae Bass 3, Brittany Fenn 2.

STEELE CANYON 66, SAN YSIDRO 28 -- Stretching its winning streak to a school-record five games, Steele Canyon proved itself to be the best in this match of Cougars in Thursday's (Dec. 28) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic action.

The Steele Canyon Cougars (6-5) pounced on the South Bay visitors for leads of 18-9, 32-14 and 49-21 before turning on the running clock in the final period.

Freshman phenom JANVIER BARBARIN paved the way for Steele Canyon with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Senior TINA MERLINO added 12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists and 3 steals.

Even though the thrust of the Steele Canyon offensive was inside the paint, Cougars' coach FRANK QUINONES was quick to praise the work of senior guard SAMANTHA BEASLEY, who tallied 11 points, 6 assists and 5 steals.

"Samantha is scoring and getting a lot of assists -- averaging 6 per game," Quinones said.
"She was an animal tonight. And our bench played pretty well tonight. It's the first time in Steele Canyon history that they had to apply the running clock on an opponent."

Steele Canyon scoring: Janvier Barbarin 18, Tina Merlino 12, Samantha Beasley 11, Xanning Tyler 6, Briana Eiter 5, Belinda Pickens 4, Jessica Hardy 3, Samantha Silva 3, Jackie McGovern 2, Jobeth Devera 2.

GRANITE HILLS 58, SAN PEDRO 34 -- Senior guard MORGAN SABALA hit her 24th and 25th three-pointer on her way to a 22-point outing and AMY SYLVESTER compiled a nifty double-double of 12 points and 17 rebounds as the Eagles (8-3) punched out San Pedro in Thursday's (Dec. 28) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic NCAA Division action at Madison

The Eagles held the Pilots to single digits in three of the four quarters.

"In the second half we changed from a man-to-man to a 2-3 zone," said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. "And we took off our press. We eliminated our fouls from the first half because of our change to zone. Amy and MOLLY HILLENBRAND missed much of the first half due to fouls. Our four sophomores came off the bench and really picked up our game."

SABRINA JIMENEZ pitched in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, while LAUREN BENDER added 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals for Granite Hills, which has won four in a row.

Granite Hills scoring: Morgan Sabala 22 (6 rebs, 2 stls), Amy Sylvester 12, Sabrina Jimenez 9, Lauren Bender 6, Kylie Wilson 4 (2, asts, 4 stls), Molly Hillenbrand 3 (3 rebs, 2 stls, 2 asts), Alyssa Canoff 2.

VISTA 37, EL CAPITAN 36 -- This Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division game came down to the final 43 seconds on Thursday (Dec. 28) at Madison High.

The Vaqueros, who led 19-14 at intermission, wound up scrambling at the end.

Vista (8-3) knocked down a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to take a 36-31 lead.

VALERIE LOGEL countered with a basket for El Cap.

The Panthers tacked on a free throw with 29 seconds left for 4-point lead.

With 1.3 seconds left El Capitan was looking to LIANA PITMAN but the ball went to ASHLEY DUFFY, who nailed a 3-pointer.

But El Capitan (6-5) ran out of time.

Duffy finished with 16 points, including 4 of 8 shooting accuracy from 3-point range. The talented sophomore also hauled 9 rebounds, made 8 steals, dished 3 assists and blocked a shot.

Logel had one of her better offensive game, hitting 4 of 6 shots for 8 points to go along with 3 rebounds.

JAMIE FERGUSON grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 16, Valerie Logel 8, Jamie Ferguson 5, Sam Spring 3 (3 stl.), Liana Pitman 3 (4 reb., 3 stl.), Ashley Bunce 1 (6 reb.).

KEARNY 53, EL CAJON VALLEY 15 -- Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery; No details reported.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Adrianna Ussery 6, Sheraina Moon 4, C.Norwarekar 4, Leena Norwarekar 1.

© East County Sports.com
ANTIOCH (12-28-06) -- Mount Miguel has been operating in some kind of stealth situation of late. But the Matadors (7-3), who have been facing some of the nation's top teams the past couple of weeks, scored an impressive 39-37 victory over Riverside's J. W. North High on Wednesday (Dec. 27) in the opening round of the West Coast Jamboree at Deer Valley High.

The Matadors maintained the upper hand the majority of the night, but needed a game-winning basket from PRECIOUS ROBINSON with 11 seconds left to pull off the victory.

"They were trapping the whole game," said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL. "They were the most athletic team we've played so far. AUTUMN (SPIKES) made a great pass to Precious to get us the win."

DANESIA WILLIAMSON topped the Matador with 13 points, 2 assists and 2 steals. Robinson finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and a pair of steals.

Although Spikes only scored 3 points, she delivered 3 key assists and snagged 7 rebounds.

LASHAWN JOHNSON and CINDY EKWEOZOR pulled down 5 rebounds apiece.

VICTORIA MURPHY hit 5 of 6 free throws and finished with 7 points for the Matadors, who are facing undoubtedly the toughest preseason schedule of any East County team.

Mount Miguel scoring: Daniesia Williamson 13, Precious Robinson 10, Victoria Murphy 7, Lashawn Johnson 5, Autumn Spikes 3, Cindy Ekweozor 1.

WEST HILLS 35, LA MIRADA 28 -- Despite shooting a dismal 27.7 percent from the floor and 28 percent from the foul line on Wednesday (Dec. 27), the Wolf Pack was able to knock off La Mirada in the second round of the Open Division of the Ayala Best of the West Tournament at Ontario Convention Center .

"The game was too windy and too cold," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "There was a problem with one of the backboards -- it was tilted. They noticed it in the game before us but it was not fixed between games."

Freshman guard MARILYN NADERHOFF was the only Pack player to score more than 5 points in the game, finishing with 12. She was 5 for 8 from the field, including one 3.

"It's a team game and that's the way we've been playing lately," said Naderhoff. "We had a problem here (in Ontario ) with four courts going at once in the facility. The depth perception is terrible."

Senior MUAAU NADERHOFF scored only 5 points but captured 12 rebounds, logged 2 steals and dished 2 assists.

"I love playing with my sister," said Marilyn Naderhoff. "She's an awesome player. We play well off of each other -- we're not too competitive. This tournament will really get us ready for league play next month."

LEILANI YAWN snared 7 rebounds and made 2 steals for the Wolf Pack, which also got 4 steals from MARIAH BENNETT.

West Hills (7-4) outscored the Matadores 25-11 in the middle two quarters.

"We played La Mirada (6-4) three times in summer league competition," Chabrowski said. "It helped us get ready for them. We pressed a lot and it took them out of their game."

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 12, Muaau Naderhoff 5, Mariah Bennett 4, Leilani Yawn 4, Kimberly Clark 3, Shelby Russo 3, Sherika Miller 2, Ashley Alderton 2.

CLOVIS WEST 59, GROSSMONT 55 -- Foothillers coach TIM JOLLETT didn't want to make any excuses, but admitted that the flu bug had attacked his team prior to Wednesday's (Dec. 27) opening game of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - WNBA Division at Steele Canyon .

The bug no doubt sapped the strength of 6-foot-4 senior THERESE RIEDEL, who managed 12 rebounds but scored only 2 points, playing in less than half of the game.

"Not having Therese at full strength definitely hurt us, probably cost us the game," Jollett said.

La'KENYA SIMON-WEST scored 36 points -- her second highest deposit of the season -- to keep the Foothillers in contention throughout.

"She put on a show," Jollett said. "She was unbelievable -- both offensively and defensively."

Simon-West, who made 13 of 30 floor shots, including 5 treys, picked a good time to shine as Oregon State coaches were in the stands to evaluate her performance. Simon-West also made 5 of 6 free throws and grabbed 6 rebounds.

"Those coaches had to like what they saw," Jollett said. "The thing about La'Kenya (who is averaging 26.3 points per game), she's scoring her points against quality opponents with people hanging all over her."

PHYLICIA SCHULTZ added 8 points and 6 rebounds for the Foothillers (8-3).

Trailing for the majority of the game, Grossmont tied it at 51-all with 2:30 left.

"We just couldn't make that extra push, get those key baskets we needed to pull it out," Jollett said.

Grossmont scoring: La'Kenya Simon-West 36, Phylicia Schultz 8, Michelle Gonzalez 5 (5 stls.), Tina Rios 4 (5 stls.), Therese Riedel 2.

CANYON SPRINGS 58, HELIX 56 -- Proving they can play with the best teams in Southern California was gratifying, but was hardly satisfying for the Helix Highlanders in Wednesday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - WNBA Division at Steele Canyon High.

Maintaining the upper hand for the majority of the night, the Highlanders (7-4) were unable to hold onto leads of 27-14 and 41-30 as they lost to Riverside 's Canyon Springs (8-3).

The Highlanders, who rode a five-game winning streak into the fray, appeared to be the better of the two teams as they raced to a 25-14 first quarter lead. It was during that period that junior guard BRITTANY WILLIAMS converted two of her three steals into layups.

A 14-2 second quarter scoring run by Canyon Springs pulled the visiting Cougars to within one point of the Highlanders. Helix refused to buckle and countered with a 12-2 run of its own to lead 41-30 midway through the 3rd period.

After that, Canyon Springs used its superior depth to peck away and eventually move in front 46-44 early in the fourth.

What it boiled down to was shooting. Helix was a so-so 32 percent shooting from the field and 7-of-18 from the free throw line. Canyons converted better than 54 shots from the field and 7 of 13 free throws to squeeze out the victory.

Williams led the Highlanders with 22 points, 7 steals, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

MELE LEASAU added 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, while JEM AFUSIA hit a trio of 3-pointers on her way to a 12 point effort. JAZ AFUSIA led the Highlanders with 5 assists.

"Like I told the girls, if we're gonna lose, I'd rather lose to a good basketball team," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "And this was a good basketball team."

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 22, Mele Leasau 15, Jem Afusia 12, Sinoi Leasau 4, Jaz Afusia 2, Sam Vick 1.

VALHALLA 60, OTAY RANCH 54 -- Senior BREE MARTIN put together arguably her best game of the season, pouring in 22 points, snagging 13 rebounds, and making 3 steals to guide Valhalla to an impressive victory over Otay Ranch in the Varsity Division of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic at Valhalla Wednesday (Dec. 27).

"Bree was outstanding in the post," said Valhalla coach JON OWENS.

KAITLEN LAINE enjoyed her best scoring of the season with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. EMILY ROBERTS rolled a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds and also contributed 4 assists and 3 steals.

KAYLA HOUSTON was solid in support, hitting Valhalla 's only two 3-pointers on her way to a 7 point finish, which also included 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

SARA STANINGER made an impact in the middle with 6 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.

"Sara is a great shot blocker," Owens said. "It really makes shooters change their shots."

The victory snapped a 5-game losing streak for the Norsemen (2-5).

"The players were really happy after the game, and needless to say, this coach is one happy camper," Owens said.

Valhalla scoring: Bree Martin 22, Kaitlen Laine 19, Emily Roberts 10, Kayla Houston 7, Sara Staninger 2.

SANTANA 70, PATRICK HENRY 42 -- The scurrying Sultans scrambled to their 11th win in 13 outings by outscoring Patrick Henry 44-19 in the middle two quarters of Wednesday's (Dec. 27) first round of the NCAA Division of Cougar Holiday Prep Classic.

Even though Santana captured a 17-9 first quarter advantage, Sultans coach JIM MOTTERSHAW was not overly pleased.

"We were going at warp speed to start the game," Mottershaw said. "Then we finally settled down and played our style of basketball."

Not that the score reflected any change of emphasis. The game belonged to Santana from the outset.

Steady DANIELLE BALOUGH, Santana's 5-foot-6 senior scoring force in the middle, tallied 22 points, which included 6-for-6 free throw shooting. It was the 11th time Balough has broken the 20-point barrier. She also had 6 rebounds and made 4 steals.

ASHLEY BAKER led Santana's supporting cast with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block, while JAMIE ELIAS chipped in 10 points and 5 boards.

Not to be overlooked was the pin-point passing of point guard SHAE BASS who logged 11 assists to go with 9 points.

NICOLE BRZECZEK hit a pair of 3s on her way to an 8-point outing, and added 3 assists and 3 steals to her contribution.

"I was pleased with our defensive efforts all night," Mottershaw said.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 22, Ashley Baker 11, Jamie Elias 10, Shae Bass 9, Nicole Brzeczek 8, Kaila Smith 4, Brianna Padilla 3, Miki Sankary 2, Brittany Fenn 1.

GRANITE HILLS 53, PITT MEADOWS (CANADA) 36 -- Senior guard MORGAN SABALA scored a season-high 29 points to steer Granite Hills past Pitt Meadows in Wednesday's (Dec. 27) Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Valhalla.

Sabala's scoring bounty included 5 three-pointers, giving her 23 for the season's 10 games.

"Morgan Sabala was pretty hot shooting," said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER, who's Eagles raised their season record to 7-3. "We tried to get her the ball as much as we could."

The Eagles, who had not played since Dec. 8th, broke the game open with a 24-10 spread in the second quarter. Sabala led the charge by netting three of her 3-pointers.

MOLLY HILLENBRAND added 12 points for Granite Hills.

"Our presses really affected them, gave their girls all kind of problems," said Parker of the visiting Canadians.

Pitt Meadows' Brittany Butcher made 26 points against Granite Hills.

Granite Hills scoring: Morgan Sabala 29, Molly Hillenbrand 12, Amy Sylvester 6, Lauren Bender 4, Sabrina Jimenez 2.

MARIAN CATHOLIC 51, EL CAPITAN 40 -- The Vaqueros continue to struggle offensively as they fell to undefeated Marian Catholic in Wednesday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic - NCAA Division at Grossmont High.

Thanks to their tight defense, the Vaqueros managed to eke out an 18-16 halftime lead.

Marian (11-0) made some obvious halftime adjustments and ran past El Capitan (6-4) in the second half.

ASHLEY DUFFY paced the Vaqueros (6-4) with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks and 3 assists.

LIANA PITMAN, suffered an eye injury in a pre-Christmas tournament, returned to the Vaqueros' lineup to contribute 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. JAMIE FERGUSON pitched in 8 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks for El Capitan .

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 17, Liana Pitman 10, Jamie Ferguson 8 (2 ast., 1 stl.), Abby Carlino 2, Valerie Logel 2 (4 reb., 1 blk.), Ashley Bunce 1 (3 reb.).

CRAWFORD 61, EL CAJON VALLEY 18 -- Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery; No other details reported.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Leena Norwarekar 5, Taniya Patros 5, J. Norwarekar 3, Kraut 3, Moon 2.

© East County Sports.com
ONTARIO (12-27-06) -- Visiting West Hills got a little taste of arena ball in Tuesday's (Dec. 26) opening round of the Ayala Best of the West Tournament.

The 52-team tournament is being played at the Ontario Convention Center, which features four courts and simultaneous action.

West Hills won its opening round game 45-34 over Pomona Ganesha thanks in part to the career-high 22 point effort registered by freshman guard MARILYN NADERHOFF.

"This is a very hard place to play in," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "It wasn't designed for basketball. There are a lot of dead spots in the floor and no shooting backdrop. There is a depth perception problem."

Naderhoff did all of her scoring from the floor as she made 11-of-16 attempts.

Her teammates, however, shot only 20 percent as a group.

Naderhoff also sparkled with her ball handling, dishing 5 assists and recording 5 steals.

Senior MUAAU NADERHOFF hit 5 of 9 shots from the field and 3 of 5 shots for 13 Wolf Pack points. She also gathered in 6 rebounds, sharing the team lead with SHERIKA MILLER and LEILANI YAWN.

As a team West Hills recorded 19 steals.

"The Naderhoffs really took charge of the game in the second half," said Chabrowski of West Hills' 21-14 scoring advantage.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 22, Muaau Naderhoff 13, Kimberly Clark 5, Mariah Bennett 2 (3 ast., 3 reb.), Sherika Miller 2 (3 stls.), Corryn Kivett 1.

STEELE CANYON 44, BRAWLEY 42 --- Strong play from post players TINA MERLINO and JANVIER BARBARIN helped host Steele Canyon begin its own Cougar Holiday Prep Classic with a hard-fought victory over Brawley on Tuesday (Dec. 26).

The senior Merlino had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She also blocked 3 shots and chalked up 4 steals. Barbarin also spun a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Cougars (5-5) broke a 30-30 tie early in the fourth quarter and continued on for their fourth straight win. Brawley, which began the season 10-0, dropped its second straight, having lost its first game to Santana before Christmas.

SAMANTHA BEASLEY hit a pair of 3's for the Cougars and finished with 8 points. She also had a team-best 5 assists and blocked 2 shots.

"We led pretty much the entire way," said Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES. "But having two days off really hurt us."

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 12, Janvier Barbarin 12, Samantha Beasley 8, Xanning Tyler 6, Jessica Hardy 2, Brianna Eiter 2, Samantha Silva 2.

VALLEY CENTER 57, VALHALLA 42 -- A short-handed band of Valhalla Norsemen fell behind Valley Center 32-18 in the opening half and never recovered in the opening round of the Cougar Holiday Prep Classic at Steele Canyon on Tuesday (Dec. 26).

"We only had eight players due to illness, and that took its toll on our rotation," said Valhalla coach JON OWENS.

Senior BREE MARTIN topped the Norsemen (1-5) with 15 points, including 7 of 9 free throw shooting. She also blocked two shots. SARA STANINGER had 4 blocks for Valhalla .

"After getting off to a slow start, we basically played them even in the second half," said Owens.

Valhalla scoring: Bree Martin 15, Kaitlen Laine 8, Kayla Houston 7, Emily Roberts 5 (5 reb., 2 ast., 2 stl.), Kelanie Blackwell 4 (3 ast., 3 stl.), Sara Staninger 2 (3 reb.), Amy Woods 1 (3 reb.).

SOLDOTNA, Alaska 53, EL CAJON VALLEY 20 -- Soldotna's Stars from Alaska had little trouble turning up the heat on El Cajon Valley , taking a 29-9 lead and never looking back in the Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery on Tuesday (Dec. 26).

"It was one of those learning games," said El Cajon Valley coach RANDY ROBINSON. "Soldatna ran a lot of defenses and a young team like ours doesn't pick up those things."

Soldotna is located 50 miles southwest of Anchroage, located across the Cook Inlet from Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Adrianna Ussery 5, Sheraina Moon 5, Taniya Patros 4, Stephanie Jacobs 2, Kaylani Faten 2, Samantha Julien 2.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-24-06) -- Perhaps their record doesn't show it, but the El Cajon Valley Braves are making progress.

El Cajon Valley came within seconds of posting its second win in three games Saturday (Dec. 23) in the Lady Colts Tournament at Crawford. The Braves had San Ysidro on the ropes but couldn't finish the job as the Cougars clawed their way to a 41-35 victory.

"This was a very hard-played ballgame," said El Cajon Valley coach RANDY ROBINSON. "We were down 2 with a minute left and ended up losing by 6. I'm elated that we played so hard, especially defensively. We held their leading scorer to 8 points."

Sheraina Moon, who was named to the all-tournament team, led the Braves (1-10) with 15 points.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 15, Leena Norwarekar 8, Adrianna Ussery 6, Samantha Julien 2, Taniya Patros 2, Tennille Taylor 2.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (12-23-06) -- El Cajon Valley's Braves celebrated a little extra holiday cheer in Friday's (Dec. 22) Lady Colts Tournament at Crawford.

The Braves overcame an early deficit to knock off Vincent Memorial 53-32 for their first win of the season.

SHERAINA MOON scored a game-high 17 points to help the Braves snap an eight-game losing streak.

ADRIANNA USSERY pitched in 12 points, including a 3-pointer, and LEENA NORWAREKAR added 10 points.

"The girls were elated when they got their first win, and I'm so happy for them," said Braves coach Randy Robinson. "We've come a long ways in a short time. I like what we're doing, but there's plenty of room for improvement."

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 17, Adrianna Ussery 12, Leena Norwarekar 10, Taniya Patros 4, Stephanie Smith 4, Samantha Julien 4, Stephanie Jacobs 2.

VALLEY CENTER 48, EL CAJON VALLEY 18 -- Facing the top team in the North County Conference's Valley League was a bit of a shock Friday night (Dec. 22) following the Braves' first victory of the season earlier in the day as part of the Lady Colts Tournament at Crawford.

The Jaguars (8-2) pounced on the Braves 17-3 in the opening quarter and then matched that effort in the second quarter to lead by 28 by intermission.

Adrianna Ussery hit a pair of three-pointers and finished with 8 points to lead the Braves.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Adrianna Ussery 8, Sheraina Moon 4, Leena Norwarekar 2, Stephanie Smith 2, Taniya Patros 2.

MONTGOMERY 48, EL CAPITAN 38 -- The visiting Vaqueros (7-3) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in Friday's (Dec. 22) non-league game at Montgomery .

Things started out OK for the Vaqueros, who took an early 6-0 lead. After that, El Cap went flat and was forced to play catch-up the majority of the evening.

Montgomery (5-6) seemed to rattle the Vaqueros with full-court pressure, causing a couple dozen turnovers and several easy transition baskets.

El Capitan shot only 23.6 percent from the floor (13 of 55) and 9 for 18 from the free throw stripe.

JAMIE FERGUSON topped the Vaqueros with 10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block. CRISELA BANKS added 8 rebounds and VALERIE LOGEL bagged 5 boards for El Capitan .

Junior LIANA PITMAN of El Capitan suffered an eye injury in the third quarter and had to leave the game. The eye continued to bleed after the game and Pitman was taken to a hospital for further examination.

El Capitan scoring: Jamie Ferguson 10, Ashley Duffy 7 (2 asts, 2 rebs, 3 stls, 2 blks), Sam Spring 6 (2 rebs, 2 asts), Liana Pitman 5 (5 rebs, 2 stls), Brittney Loring 4, Abby Carlino 3, Crisela Banks 2, Ashley Bunce 1.

© East County Sports.com
PALM SPRINGS (12-22-06) -- When Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES traveled with his Cougars to the Palm Springs Coca Cola Classic earlier this week, he admitted that he didn't feel very well. But a man of dedication, Quinones took his place in the coaching box just the same.

His health did not improve after the opening game, when the Cougars suffered a 34-point loss to Alameda.

However, the Cougars' final three games in the 12-team tournament were all victories, and helped improve his health as well as his outlook on the season.

The Cougars knocked off host Palm Springs 31-25 to capture the third-place trophy in Thursday's (Dec. 21) final round of the tourney.

"I was pretty upset after the loss to Alameda," Quinones admitted. "But now, after watching Alameda become the eventual champion, I don't feel so bad."

Once again the star of the show for Steele Canyon was TINA MERLINO, who rolled a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Cougars'win over Palm Springs.

The Cougars secured their latest win with a 12-4 scoring edge in the fourth quarter.

Merlino was named to the all-tournament team.

"I thought overall the tournament was pretty good," aid Quinones. "t was a nice tournament to come out to the desert and play some teams we don't usually see. I feel confident now that we can compete. Now we've got to get ready for our tournament."

The Cougar Holiday Classic opens on Wednesday (Dec. 26) at Steele Canyon at noon.

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 12, Briana Eiter 8, Samantha Beasley 3 (7 ast.), Belinda Pickens 2, Janvier Barbarin 2, Samantha Silva 2, Jazmin Daigle 2.

GROSSMONT 69, LA COSTA CANYON 47 -- For the second time this season, the Foothillers KO'ed North County power La Costa Canyon in a non-league game at LCC Thursday (Dec. 21) night.

The major difference from the lethargic Kiwanis Tournament third-place battle between these two teams a week ago, the Foothillers (8-2) flashed in front of the Mavericks 22-13 after one quarter, and 37-21 by halftime.

Grossmont has displayed uncommon balance in its scoring attack, led by LaKenya Simon-West's 23 points.

THERESE RIEDEL, TINA RIOS and MICHELLE GONZALEZ scored 12 points apiece to help the Foothillers strong-arm the Mavericks.

"Anytime you get that kind of balanced scoring, you have to like your chances of winning," said Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT.

PHYLICIA SCHULTZ led Grossmont on the boards with 12 rebounds, while Gonzalez collected 7 caroms and made 9 steals. Riedel took down 8 rebounds and Simon-West had 4 boards and 6 steals.

Simon-West, one of the top scorers in the county, was only 6 of 19 from the field, but clicked on 9 of 12 free throws.

Grossmont scoring: LaKenya Simon-West 23, Therese Riedel 12, Michelle Gonzalez 12, Tina Rios 12 (4 stl.), Phylicia Schultz 5, Shandis Rios 3, Keyannie Ward 2.

HOOVER 43, EL CAJON VALLEY 34 -- A 21-point second half allowed the Braves of El Cajon Valley to reach their highest offensive output of the season in Thursday's (Dec. 21) Lady Colts Tournament, but it still wasn't enough to deny Hoover the victory.

SHERAINA MOON scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Braves.

"We are 0-8 now but there is light at the end of the tunnel," said El Cajon Valley coach RANDY ROBINSON. "We are beginning to understand the game. We are able to make some adjustments during the game and the girls are responding. I know that there will be a step forward and one back, but I am encouraged by their growth. They work very hard and are good girls."

El Cajon Valley scoring: Sheraina Moon 14, Samantha Julien 6, Leena Norwarekar 6, Taniya Patros 4, Stephanie Smith 2, Adrianna Ussery 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 58, CAMPBELL COUNTY (Wyo.) 44 -- The Matadors (6-3) won their first game in four outings at the Nike Tournament of Champions at Chandler, Ariz. by knocking of the Camels of Campbell County High of Gillette, Wyoming. Mount Miguel led by 30 at the half and then coasted to the win; No other details were reported.

© East County Sports.com
PALM SPRINGS (12-21-06) -- Apparently the desert air is agreeing with the Steele Canyon Cougars who won for the second time in three outings by clipping Coachella Valley 53-40 in the Palm Springs Coca Cola Classic.

The Cougars (3-5) took control from the outset, driving to leads of 16-10 after one quarter and 28-20 at intermission.

Once again, the Cougars' cornerstone was 6-foot-1 senior TINA MERLINO, who carved out a double-double of 14 points and 18 rebounds.

"Tina is playing with heart, doesn't give up," Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES of East County's leading rebounder. "She had more rebounds than the rest of the team put together."

SAMANTHA BEASLEY added 11 points from her backcourt spot, while JANVIER BARBARIN punched in 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.

XANNING TYLER chipped in 8 points and a team-high 7 assists. Merlino led the team in steals with 4.

The Cougars have qualified for Thursday's (Dec. 21) third-place game.

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 14, Samantha Beasley 11, Janvier Barvarin 10, Xanning Tyler 8, Jobeth Devera 4, Belinda Pickens 4, Briana Eiter 2.

BRANSON 47, MOUNT MIGUEL 44 -- The Matadors (6-3) lost their third game in as many days Wednesday (Dec. 20) in the Nike Tournament of Champions at Chandler, Ariz., this time to The Branson School of Ross, Calif., located five miles from San Quentin in the Bay Area. No details reported.

LA JOLLA 35, EL CAJON VALLEY 15 -- The hapless Braves dropped their seventh straight decision in as many starts in Wednesday's (Dec. 20) Lady Colts Tournament at Crawford. No details reported.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (12-20-06) -- As a rule teams with a 10-0 record strike concern against an opponent. Either the Santana Sultans did not believe that the Brawley Wildcats were as good as their 10-0 record or they weren't paying attention.

Hardly in awe of the visiting Wildcats in Tuesday's (Dec. 19) San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament, the Sultans soared to a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter and then breezed to their 10th win in 12 decisions by downing Brawley, 63-29.

A class act, there was no taunting or putting down by the Santana contingent, which quietly received its trophy, posed for a few team photos and left the court without fanfare.

Senior DANIELLE BALOUGH once again was Santana's guiding light as she poured in 25 points. And Balough is no wild shooter. Her percentage is solid, as she proved by making 11-of-17 shots from the floor.

"Danielle has great hands, great footwork, and her desire is outstanding," said Sultans coach JIM MOTTERSHAW. "Her effort is always constant. What you expect out of her is 100 percent, and that's what you get out of her every night."

At 5-foot-6, Balough is obviously not a prototype post player. Her timing, however, and quick release make her a surprisingly successful scoring threat.

"Her size limits her sometimes, but -- what is the old saying, “It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.' That's Danielle. She comes to play. She scored I don't know how many points (256 points in 11 games), but most of them have been one-footers. Once you get the ball in her hands you know she's going to score."

As successful as Balough has been, Santana is not a one-person team, as Balough will attest.

Senior guard SHAE BASS turned in a solid performance with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Bass missed only one of 5 shots from the field and hit 3 of 4 free throws.

Six-foot senior post ASHLEY BAKER grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds while scoring 9 points for the Sultans.

Santana shot 55 percent from the field.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 25, Shae Bass 11, Ashley Baker 9, Nicole Brzeczek 7, Miki Sankary 5, Jamie Elias 3, Brittany Fenn 3.

STEELE CANYON 54, RIM OF THE WORLD 36 -- After suffering four losses in succession, including a 34-point defeat at the hands of Alameda in the opening round of the Palm Springs Coca Cola Classic at College of the Desert, the Cougars rebounded with an impressive win over Lake Arrowhead's Rim of the World.

TINA MERLINO carved out a solid double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while

5-10 freshman JANVIER BARBARIN played her finest game, finishing with 14 points and 10 boards.

"Merlino is always there for us, game in and game out," said Steele Canyon coach FRANK QUINONES. "But I've been preaching to the girls that we can't win with just one player -- other people have to step up."

One of those who got the message was Barbarin, a physical player beyond her years.

"She's been playing basketball a long time," said Quinones. "She's a smart player who knows how to get inside position and dominate inside."

Quinones was equally as pleased with his ball handlers SAMANTHA BEASLEY, XANNING TYLER and BRIANA EITER.

"We've been killing ourselves with turnovers most of the season," said Quinones, noting that his Cougars gave up the ball a season-low 16 times against Rim of the World. "Those three girls did an excellent job of controlling the tempo and making smart passes."

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 18, Janvier Barbarin 14, Belinda Pickens 6, Xanning Tyler 4, Samantha Beasley 4, Katerina Snew 3, Samantha Silva 3, Jobeth Devera 2.

HELIX 60, MONTGOMERY 44 -- The streaking Helix Highlanders rolled their win streak to five with a come-from-behind non-league victory over the Aztecs Tuesday (Dec. 19) at Montgomery .

Senior MELE LEASAU was the cornerstone for the Highlanders (7-3) with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks.

"This win feels pretty good," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "We are playing well and together. Montgomery plays a real tough game, especially in their own building."

While Leasau's offense was the obvious statistical focal point, Merideth was equally as pleased with the defensive work of 5-10 senior BRITTANY WILLIAMS against Montgomery's top player, Danisha Corbett.

Corbett scored 9 of her 19 points in the first quarter, giving the Aztecs a 14-10 lead. Corbett was limited to a single free throw in the second quarter as Helix edged in front 24-22 by intermission.

"Brittany Williams played outstanding defense on Corbett, their best player," said Merideth.

In addition to her superb defense, Williams also contributed 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks.

Helix scoring: Mele Leasau 27, Brittany Williams 16, Sinoi Leasau 6, Jem Afusia 6, Jaz Afusia 5.

CHRISTIAN 58, OTAY RANCH 52 -- The Patriots overcame a sluggish first half by scoring 40 points in the final 16 minutes to lasso the Mustangs in Tuesday's (Dec. 19) 5th place game of the San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament at Santana.

Senior SARAH SEYMOUR paced the Patriots with 24 points and 16 rebounds as Christian won its third straight.

MELODY CRISWELL pitched in 14 points and KELSEY DePRIEST added 8 points and 11 boards for the Patriots (5-9).

"We started slow and our defense was really lethargic," said Christian coach CORI ESPELET. "So we got down quick and had to get out of the hole we made for ourselves. In the second half, we did better on defense, but still we did not play the basketball we know how to play."

It was a very physical game as was evident by Christian going to the free throw line 32 times. The Patriots converted 17 of those chances.

RACHEL CRISWELL led the Patriots with 5 assists.

Christian scoring: Sarah Seymour 24, Melody Criswell 14, Kelsey DePriest 8, Emily Reed 6, Rachel Criswell 4, Kayla Walden 2.

SWEETWATER 58, VALHALLA 47 -- BREE MARTIN turned in a powerful double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds Tuesday (Dec. 19) night, but it wasn't enough, as visiting Sweetwater dealt the Norsemen their fourth loss in five starts in a non-league game.

EMILY ROBERTS added 9 points and 8 rebounds for Valhalla , which also got 10 rebounds from KAYLA HOUSTON and an additional 5 bounds and 4 steals from KAITLEN LAINE.

Valhalla scoring: Bree Martin 18, Emily Roberts 9, Kayla Houston 6, Kaitlen Laine 6.

L.A. MARLBOROUGH 64, MOUNT MIGUEL 53 -- Nike Tournament of Champions at Chandler, Ariz.; No details reported. 

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (12-19-06) -- The Santana Sultans stormed into Tuesday's (Dec. 19) San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament finals with a surprisingly easy 76-48 semifinal romp over Our Lady of Peace on Monday (Dec. 18).

Santana (9-2) now hosts Brawley (11-0) for the tournament's gold ring at 4:30 p.m.

The Sultans were smooth with their ball-handling and crisp with their passing against the Pilots (8-4). Santana logged 24 assists on its 31 baskets.

"I thought we played a decent first half," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW after stalked to a 36-22 advantage.

It was even more one-sided in the second half when the Sultans started on a 6-0 run and then steadily pulled away.

ASHLEY BAKER and DANIELLE BALOUGH poured in 20 points apiece to pace the Sultans. Baker completed a double-double with 10 rebounds and also added 4 assists.

Santana junior NICOLE BRZECZEK also went on a scoring binge with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Balough added 6 assists and 4 steals. SHEA BASS handed a team-high 8 assists and still found time to make 6 steals.

"We did a good job of moving the ball and passed it sharply," Mottershaw said. "We defended well in the second half."

Santana scoring: Ashley Baker 20, Danielle Balough 20, Nicole Brzeczek 16, Jamie Elias 6, Shae Bass 6, Brittany Fenn 4, Miki Sankary 3, Kaila Smith 1.

DESERT VISTA 62, MOUNT MIGUEL 59 -- So stunned were the Mount Miguel Matadors by their first loss of the season in Monday's (Dec. 18) opening round of the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz. that coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL forgot how to use his cell phone.

For some reason he wasn't interested in reporting the details of the Matadors' meltdown against the 4-3 Thunder.

In Sandoval's defense, he was probably working overtime, schmoozing and attempting to persuade Division I coaches to give his athletes scholarships.

To be blunt, there are no details from this game.

CHRISTIAN 43, MISSION BAY 19 -- Defense was on the minds of the Christian High Patriots in Monday's (Dec. 18) semifinal round of the San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament.

"Our defense is improving and we played as a team today," said Christian coach CORI ESPELET, whose Patriots have won four out of seven following an 0-6 start. "We played tough defense and that is what won the game for us."

That spelled out to a 5-0 first quarter lead and a 16-3 advantage after two quarters.

KELSEY DePRIEST (14 points) and SARAH SEYMOUR (10 points) led a balanced offense for the Patriots (4-9).

"Sarah, our senior captain, shows poise and encouragement to our younger players both on and off the court," Espelet said. "I like to see her lead this team with her attitude and her presence on the team. We are improving and the girls are learning how each other plays."

Christian scoring: Kelsey DePriest 14, Sarah Seymour 10, Melody Criswell 7, Kayla Walden 6, Rachel Criswell 2, Allie Scott 2, Nicole Miller 2.

ALAMEDA 62, STEELE CANYON 28 -- It wasn't the best of times for the Steele Canyon Cougars in Monday's (Dec. 18) opening round of the Palm Springs Coca Cola Classic.

As a matter of fact, the Cougars (1-5) ran into a buzzsaw as the Hornets (6-3) of Alameda rolled over the Rancho San Diego Five in convincing fashion. It was 11-4 after one quarter and 34-14 at the break.

Steele Canyon's coach likened Alameda to "a Mount Miguel or a Helix."

"They were fast," said Steele Canyon senior center TINA MERLINO, who paced the Cougars with 7 points and 16 rebounds. "They took the ball to the basket a lot and we were unable to stop them."

This was the first of a four-game stay in this desert oasis.

"I love going to out-of-town tournaments," Merlino said. "You get to see a lot of different teams and how you match up against them."

Steele Canyon scoring: Tina Merlino 7, Janvier Barbarin 7, Belinda Pickens 5, Samantha Beasley 4, Jobeth Devera 2, Briana Eiter 2, Jackie McGovern 1.

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (12-17-06) -- Helix High coaches and players were disappointed when they did not receive a trophy or tournament recognition for defeating Cathedral Catholic 68-48 in a championship game of the inaugural Mount Miguel Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 16).

MELE LEASAU, who would have been an obvious all-tournament pick, paced the Highlanders' title tilt with 23 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

Right behind her was junior guard BRITTANY WILLIAMS, also worthy of all-tournament recognition, who scored 20 points, dished 7 assists, made 6 steals, blocked 3 shots and grabbed 5 rebounds.

"It was a good win for us, we were consistent, got in a good flow and went on a roll," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "Tonight we got off to a great start and just went on from there. Brittany Williams had a great week. She was involved in everything we did. She also keyed our defensive efforts."

Williams scored 86 points in the Highlanders' four-game sweep of the tourney.

The Highlanders (6-3) led 32-13 over the Dons (6-3) after the first half.

JAZ AFUSIA led the supporting cast with 15 points and 6 assists.

Another plus for Helix' title win was avenging an earlier 55-48 loss to the Dons.

Helix scoring: Mele Leasau 23, Brittany Williams 20, Jaz Afusia 15, Jem Afusia 8, Sinoi Leasau 2.

WEST HILLS 54, SAN DIEGO 38 -- After Friday's sad sack performance, the Wolf Pack came out with their teeth and claws showing against the so-called powerhouse San Diego Cavers in Saturday's (Dec. 16) 7th place Mount Miguel Invitational.

This was not about trophies, it was about pride.

Freshman KIMBERLY CLARK scored a team-high 15 points, while fellow freshman MARIAH BENNETT hit 7 of 8 shots from the field for 14 points to carry the Pack to a mild upset of the Cavers (6-5).

Following a despicable shooting display against Ramona, the Pack netted 48 percent of its floor shots against the Top 10 Cavers.

"What a difference 24 hours makes," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "This was a different team today than yesterday. Mariah Bennett was outstanding. She did a much better job of running our offense today against a very difficult opponent."

Chabrowski noted that San Diego's 6-foot-4 Paris Johnson, recovering from injury, played sparingly for San Diego and scored just 6 points.

A third West Hills freshman, MARILYN NADERHOFF, led the team with 9 assists.

The bottom line here is: Look out for West Hills in the future…

West Hills scoring: Kimberly Clark 15, Mariah Bennett 14, Muaau Naderhoff 9, Ashley Alderton 6, Marilyn Naderhoff 3, Corryn Kivett 3, Sherika Miller 2, Leilani Yawn 2.

GROSSMONT 46, LA COSTA CANYON 36 -- Even though the bottom fell out of the Foothillers' offense, Grossmont used its defensive might to knock off La Costa Canyon in Saturday's (Dec. 16) third place game of the Kiwanis Tournament.

Grossmont aces LaKENYA SIMON-WEST and THERESE RIEDEL combined for only 12 points. Both were dogged by foul problems and combined to make only 4 of 23 shots from the field.

Senior PHYLICIA SCHULTZ came to the rescue for the Foothillers, producing a team-best 10 points and 17 rebounds.

"Even though La Costa Canyon was able to stop our top two scorers, we managed to find a way to beat a good team," said Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT. "Kudos to Schultz, the RIOS sisters (TINA and SHANDIS) and MICHELLE GONZALEZ."

Tina Rios scored 9 points, while Gonzalez generated 10 steals. HEATHER SPRINGE added 8 points, most coming from 3-point range.

Simon-West was named to the Kiwanis Tournament all-tournament team.

Grossmont scoring: Phylicia Schultz 10, LaKenya Simon-West 9, Tina Rios 9, Heather Springe 8, Therese Riedel 3, Shandis Rios 3, Terra Musgrove 3, Michelle Gonzalez 1.

EL CAPITAN 43, PATRICK HENRY 32 -- After a slow start the Vaqueros turned up their full court pressure and wound up pulling away from Patrick Henry in Saturday's (Dec. 16) Mount Miguel Invitational.

Junior LIANA PITMAN paced the Vaqueros by hitting 4 three-pointers on her way to a team-high 14 point outing. She also grabbed 5 rebounds and made 3 steals.

JAMIE FERGUSON hauled down 10 rebounds and made 6 of 10 free throws to finish with 8 points. Ferguson, a 5-foot-8 junior, also blocked a shot, dished 3 assists and made 2 steals.

Sophomore ASHLEY DUFFY turned in another strong performance with 10 points, 11 rebounds, 8 steals, 6 assists and 3 blocks.

El Capitan scoring: Liana Pitman 14, Ashley Duffy 10, Jamie Ferguson 8, Sam Spring 4, Ashley Bunce 4, Crisela Banks 2 (4 reb., 2 stl), Valerie Logel 1 (3 reb.).

SANTANA 79, OTAY RANCH 27 -- It was another blowout for Santana, which mauled the Mustangs of Otay Ranch in Saturday's (Dec. 16) San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament at Central Union.

DANIELLE BALOUGH turned in her usual solid game, hitting 8 of 9 floor shots and all 4 free throws for a team-high 20 points. Balough also had 7 steals, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

But the focus on Santana's eighth win in 10 games goes to sophomore JAMIE ELIAS, who scored a career-high 19 points, hitting 7 of 11 from the field and 5 of 7 free throws.

"We took over from the beginning and controlled the game with our defense," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW. "We did a great job of getting the ball upcourt and passing from the post to the wings."

NICOLE BRZECZEK hit 5 of 7 shots from the field for 10 points to go with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. ASHLEY BAKER was a perfect 5 for 5 for 10 points, and also collected 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

SHAE BASS handed out a team-best 8 assists and made 4 steals. KAILA SMITH also had 5 assists.

Santana, which turned the ball over only 12 times, led 24-4 after one quarter and 45-20 after three periods, before the final quarter was played with a running clock.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 20, Jamie Elias 19, Nicole Brzeczek 10, Ashley Baker 10, Miki Sankary 6, Brittany Fenn 4, Kaila Smith 4, Shae Bass 4 (8 ast., 5 reb., 4 stl), Ali Padberg 2.

CHRISTIAN 40, EC-SOUTHWEST 30 -- Considering Christian High had only five players available for a San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament double-header in El Centro Saturday (Dec. 16), Patriots coach CORI ESPELET was pleased to get a split.

"We were short players for both games tonight due to injuries, sicknesses and prior commitments," said Espelet. "Our five tough players were really tested today. It is never easy to play without subs."

Sarah Seymour paced the Patriots with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while MELODY CRISWELL added 12 points and KELSEY DePRIEST pitched in 9 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Christian scoring: Sarah Seymour 15, Melody Criswell 12, Kelsey DePriest 9, Allie Scott 4.

BRAWLEY 37, CHRISTIAN 22 -- All five Patriots in uniform scored in Saturday's (Dec. 16) first game of the San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament, but nobody had a hot hand.

Christian hung tough for the first half, trailing only 13-11 at intermission.

The Wildcats picked up the scoring pace in the second half, but Christian was unable to follow suit.

Christian scoring: Sarah Seymour 6, Kelsey DePriest 6, Rachel Criswell 4, Melody Criswell 4, Emily Reed 2.

SANTANA 2, MISSION BAY 0 -- The Buccaneers have withdrawn from the San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament and thus forfeited four tournament games, including Saturday's (Dec. 16) scheduled match-up with Santana.

MONTE VISTA 38, SD-SOUTHWEST 37 -- Junior post player JANAY PATTON led the Monarchs (3-9) with nine points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's (Dec. 16) final round of the Mount Miguel Invitational.

This was the second time Monte Vista has beaten Southwest.

NICOLE ASHBY-JONES pitched in 11 rebounds of her own, seven coming on the offensive end.

VICTORIA RICHMOND enjoyed her best shooting night to date, hitting 5 of 11 from the field including a pair of threes on her way to 14 points.

Monte Vista scoring: Victoria Richmond 14, Janay Patton 9, Kim Galape 6, Megan Boyce 4, Nicole Ashby-Jones 4, Ashley Weatherford 1.

MONTE VISTA 38, JULIAN 33 -- With 14 games in 20 days, the leg weary Monarchs finished up their tournament season with wins over San Diego Southwest and Julian.

The Coronado Round Robin Tournament game against Julian on Saturday (Dec. 16) was a breakout game for JV call-up ASHLEY WEATHERFORD with 9 points and 6 rebounds.

JANAY PATTON and NICOLE ASHBY-JONES continue to develop for the Monarchs with 12 and 8 boards respectively.

"We are still seeking our identity," said Monte Vista coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. "Moments of greatness create hope and little by little we are developing into a team. But poor shooting has continued to haunt us throughout the tournament season. We will have a chance to get our legs back and make some minor corrections leading up to league play."

Monte Vista scoring: Victoria Richmond 17, Ashley Weatherford 9, Kim Galarpe 9, Megan Boyce 2, Nicole Ashby-Jones 1.

SAN DIEGUITO 45, EL CAJON VALLEY 22 -- Mustang Tournament; No other details reported.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Assan 9, Moon 5, Smith 3, Julien 2, Norwarekar 2, Patros t.

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (12-16-06) -- It's hard to believe that Helix junior guard BRITTANY WILLIAMS could play any better than she did in Friday's (Dec. 15) Mount Miguel Invitational semifinal against Poway.

Helix' Mel Leasau (23) wins the game-opening jump ball. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Photo Gallery Updated! Use Link At Top

Williams connected on 12 of 13 shots -- including one 3 -- as she registered a career-high 28 points in the Highlanders' 62-39 victory over Poway.

As hot as she was offensively, the 5-foot-10 Williams' all-around game was pretty good too. She handed out 8 assists, made 5 steals, blocked 5 shots and grabbed 6 rebounds for the Highlanders (5-3).

Senior MEL LEASAU rolled a nifty double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Leasau also blocked 4 shots, made 4 steals and handed out 3 assists.

Helix shot better than 52 percent from the field, hitting 24 of 46 chances. Better than that, though, the Highlanders missed only one of 12 free throws and one of 4 three-point attempts.

Helix led 29-16 at halftime and never looked back.

"Our second quarter was a real good quarter," said Helix assistant coach WILLIE HATHAWAY. "We challenged them at halftime to come out and play a complete half, and they did. We were as solid as we have been all season in the second half."

JEM AFUSIA contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds to the Helix win.

"We got good all-around games from Jem Afusia , Brittany Williams and Mele Leasau," Hathaway said. "To have three scorers to rely on each game is a nice luxury."

Scotties senior Mel Leasau. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

Helix takes on Cathedral Catholic for the Mount Miguel Invitational championship Saturday (Dec. 16) at 7:40 in the Matadors gym.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 28, Mele Leasau 14, Jem Afusia 10, Sinoi Leasau 6, Jaz Afusia 2, Tatiana Jackson 2.

TORREY PINES 56, GROSSMONT 47 -- Coming off one of their finest shooting nights of the season just 24 hours before, the Foothillers hit the other end of the spectrum in Friday's (Dec. 15) Kiwanis Tournament semifinal against Torrey Pines at Scripps Ranch.

Grossmont (6-2) connected on only 22 percent of 62 shots as it fell to the Falcons in a rematch of an earlier game won by Grossmont.

"There are no excuses, they are a Top 10 team," said Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT. "This was our worst shooting night of the year, and you can't do that against a good team like Torrey Pines. But it's like I told our girls, every team is going to have a game like this."

Torrey Pines led 50-47 with just under a minute to play.

"We had to foul and they stretched their lead from the free throw line," Jollett noted.

LaKENYA SIMON-WEST paced Grossmont with 21 points, but made only 7 of 27 shots from the field. She was 4 for 4 from the free throw line and nabbed 6 rebounds.

THERESE RIEDEL added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Grossmont.

Five-foot-two senior guard MICHELLE GONZALEZ did not score, but crashed the boards for 11 rebounds and made 6 steals for the Foothillers.

"For the most part our defense was pretty good," said Jollett.

Torrey Pines kingpin Lauren Zaniboni was limited to 8 points, but Kerry Simmonds had a huge night for the Falcons with 21 points.

"Simmonds is a post player who just killed us," Jollett said.

Simon-West hit a trio of 3's, and the RIOS sisters -- SHANDIS and TINA -- hit a pair of treys each.

Grossmont scoring: LaKenya Simon-West 21, Therese Riedel 12, Shandis Rios 6, Tina Rios 6, Keyannie Ward 2.

EL CAPITAN 63, BONITA VISTA 56 -- It was another big night for sophomore ASHLEY DUFFY, who rolled off 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made 8 steals and dished 4 assists to help El Capitan down Bonita Vista in Friday's (Dec. 15) Mount Miguel Invitational at Valhalla.

LIANA PITMAN canned 14 points and snared 4 rebounds, while JAMIE FERGUSON collected a team-high 15 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

Junior ASHLEY BUNCE helped provide the save for the Vaqueros (6-2) by scoring 10 of her 11 points and grabbing 4 of her 5 rebounds in the fourth quarter, as El Capitan outscored the Barons 26-14.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 17, Liana Pitman 14, Ashley Bunce 11, Jamie Ferguson 7 (2 ast., 2 stl.), Crisela Banks 5, Valerie Logel 5 (2 reb., 2 ast.), Sam Spring 4.

SANTANA 68, EL CENTRO-CENTRAL 28 -- Santana used a 24-0 scoring run in the first half to break open a 19-12 game, and turned Friday's (Dec. 15) San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament game at Brawley into a rout.

DANIELLE BALOUGH banked in 10 of 16 shots on her way to a game-high 20 points for the Sultans (7-2).

This was another in a long line of games where Santana spread its scoring among the multitudes. Nine Sultans reached the scoring column on this night, with ASHLEY BAKER, KAILA SMITH and SHAE BASS each pitching in 8 points.

Baker also had 7 rebounds and 4 steals, while Bass dished 7 assists.

NICOLE BRZECZEK scored 7 points, racked up 6 assists and 3 steals. JAMIE ELIAS also had 7 points.

Santana led 66-26 after three quarters, and the fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 20, Shae Bass 8, Ashley Baker 8, Kaila Smith 8, Nicole Brzeczek 7, Jamie Elias 7, Brianna Padilla 6, Brittany Fenn 3, Miki Sankary 1.

OUR LADY OF PEACE 45, CHRISTIAN 43 -- SARAH SEYMOUR scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to complete an upset of OLP in the opening round of the San Diego-Imperial Valley Pre-Christmas Tournament on Friday (Dec. 15).

West Hills' Muaau Naderhoff releases a 3-point shot. (Photo by Chris Edwards)

The Pilots (7-2) maintained a narrow lead for most of the contest, but the Patriots (2-8) had chances to pull out the victory but came up short.

MELODY CRISWELL chipped in 12 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for the Patriots.

"We are making improvement, which is encouraging to see," said Christian coach CORI ESPELET. "I think our guards showed their composure on defense and how they could score tonight on offense. Our defense fluctuated throughout the game, and with just a few less turnovers it could have been a different game. OLP is a well-coached, disciplined team that we regularly struggle with. However, tonight we showed how we can play better defense than we have, and score from the outside as well as the inside. Overall I am pleased with how we played and how we are improving."

Christian scoring: Sarah Seymour 15, Melody Criswell 12, Rachel Criswell 10, Kelsey DePriest 4, Allie Scott 2.

RAMONA 48, WEST HILLS 28 -- The Wolf Pack (4-4) was unable to jump-start its offense in Friday's (Dec. 15) Mount Miguel Invitational loss to Ramona (7-4) at Mount Miguel.

The Wolf Pack shot a paltry 17.7 percent from the field (11-for-62), including 1-of-19 from three-point range.

West Hills scoring: Muaau Naderhoff 10 (6 rebs), Sherika Miller 5 (6 rebs), Kimberly Clark 4 (7 rebs), Marilyn Naderhoff 4 (5 asts, 5 steals), Leilani Yawn 3 (5 rebs), Mariah Bennett 2.

RANCHO BUENA VISTA 60, MONTE VISTA 13 -- The struggling Monarchs were no match for the powerful Longhorns, who lead 43-6 by halftime in Friday's (Dec. 15) Mount Miguel Invitational game at Cathedral Catholic.

No other details were reported.

Monte Vista scoring: Victoria Richmond 9, Jill Miranda 4.

PREUSS 35, EL CAJON VALLEY 23 -- Non-league; No report.

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MIRA MESA (12-15-06) -- Grossmont High senior scoring machine LaKENYA SIMON-WEST scored a career-high 43 points and could easily have added more had she been allowed to, as the Foothillers mauled host Mira Mesa, 70-45, in Thursday's (Dec. 14) Kiwanis Tournament action.

Simon-West, who left the game early in the fourth quarter, connected of 16 of 26 shots from the field (62 percent). Included in her marksmanship was hitting half of her 14 shots from 3-point range. Simon-West also converted 4 of 5 free throws while hauling down 11 rebounds and making 8 steals.

"The girls wanted me to leave her in the game to see if she could get 50, but I just couldn't do that," said Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT of his 5-foot-8 guard, who has accepted a scholarship to Newman University of Wichita, Kansas. "There were too many negatives to let LaKenya stay out there, like rubbing it in the other team's face, or she might get hurt. We had the game in hand, and it was time for the other girls to play."

THERESE RIEDEL picked up three fouls in the first quarter, which drastically limited her playing time. Riedel contributed 6 points and 9 rebounds for the Foothillers (6-1).

Sophomore HEATHER SPRINGE added 8 points, while sophomore TERRA MUSGROVE collected 7 rebounds.

Five-foot-two senior guard MICHELLE GONZALEZ grabbed a game-high 10 steals for the Foothillers.

No. 7-ranked Grossmont faces No. 9 Torrey Pines in Friday's (Dec. 15) Kiwanis Tournament final at Scripps Ranch at 6 p.m. Grossmont won an earlier match from the Falcons, 62-59 in overtime, on Dec. 7.

Grossmont scoring: LaKenya Simon-West 43, Heather Springe 8, Therese Riedel 6, Phylicia Schultz 5, Terra Musgrove 4, Tina Rios 2, Marcee Fitzpatrick 2.

TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN 39, EL CAJON VALLEY 29 -- Mustang Classic at San Dieguito Academy. No report.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Leena Norwarekar 8, Jullen 6, Taniya Patros 6, Adrianna Ussery 4, Jennipher Geist 3, Stephanie Smith 2.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-14-06) -- Anyone who might have thought the Helix Highlanders to be a lesser team than a year ago, take note. Helix still has plenty of sting in its swing.

The Highlanders (4-3) used an 18-6 fourth quarter surge to stun the 5th-ranked San Diego Cavers, 51-46 Wednesday's (Dec. 13) Mount Miguel Invitational at Montgomery.

"This was a fantastic game," reported Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "It was huge. I have to single out three players: BRITTANY WILLIAMS had 3 key steals, JEM AFUSIA ignited us in the fourth quarter with her 3's, and MELE LEASAU was huge on the boards. This win is one of my top five here at Helix."

Jem Afusia, who finished with 18 points, went 4 for 4 from 3-point range -- all in the fourth quarter.

BRITTANY WILLIAMS scored a team-high 19 points, totaled 7 steals and handed out 5 assists.

Mele Leasau had 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, an assist and a steal.

The Highlanders, who have lost three straight to the Cavers in previous years, led 15-14 and 27-25 at the half. Helix (4-3) hit the skids in the third period, falling behind 40-33.

"We had a hard time coming out at the half," said Helix assistant coach WILLIE HATHAWAY. "We were down 9 points in the third quarter. We told the girls to dig in for the fourth quarter and they did."

Paris Johnson scored 19 points for San Diego (5-2).

The Highlanders advance to Friday's (Dec. 15) semifinal at Mount Miguel against Poway at 6:20.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 19, Jem Afusia 18, Mele Leasau 6, Sam Vick 4, Tatiana Jackson 2, Jaz Afusia 2.

GROSSMONT 59, CANYON CREST 31 -- The 7th-ranked Foothillers (5-1) opened the long-running Kiwanis Tournament at Mira Mesa by routing the Canyon Crest Academy's Ravens. It was Grossmont's easiest -- and fifth consecutive -- win of the year.

Grossmont's defense created a season-high 34 steals while holding the Ravens to 16 points over the final three quarters.

"They just couldn't handle our pressure," Grossmont coach TIM JOLLETT said.

THERESE RIEDEL scored 14 of her 16 points in the opening quarter as Grossmont claimed a 25-15 lead. The 6-foot-4 senior saw limited action thereafter but still managed to finish with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

LaKENYA SIMON-WEST led Grossmont with 21 points and collected 9 rebounds in limited action.

MICHELLE GONZALEZ (9 steals), TINA RIOS (8 steals) and SHANDIS RIOS (5 steals) were the ball hawks in the Grossmont defense.

Grossmont scoring: LaKenya Simon-West 21, Therese Riedel 16, Michelle Gonzalez 6, Phylicia Schultz 4, Heather Springe 4, Keyannie Ward 2, Marcee Fitzpatrick 2, Terra Musgrove 2, Shandis Rios 1, Tina Rios 1.

CHRISTIAN 63, HOLTVILLE 22 -- The trip to the desert proved to be beneficial for the Patriots of Christian High, who hammered Holtville in Wednesday's (Dec. 13) non-league game.

Senior SARAH SEYMOUR compiled a powerful double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds to pace the Patriots (2-7).

Junior KELSEY DePRIEST scored a game-high 20 points and bagged 13 rebounds for Christian.

"We did better limiting our turnovers and we probably shot a little bit better today," said Christian coach CORI ESPELET. "But with games like this, it's hard to get a measurement of where we are as a team. I hope that the girls will use this game to get some confidence back and be able to build from here."

Christian opened up a 19-4 first quarter lead and never looked back. The Patriots held the Vikings to 8 points in the second half.

Christian scoring: Kelsey DePriest 20, Sarah Seymour 15, Emily Reed 13, Rachel Criswell 10, Melody Criswell 5.

EL CAPITAN 76, SD SOUTHWEST 36 -- The youthful Vaqueros breezed past San Diego Southwest in Wednesday's (Dec. 13) Mount Miguel Invitational at Monte Vista.

ASHLEY DUFFY led the way with 17 points, 6 assists and 6 steals. She did not play in the fourth quarter and only part of the third.

SAM SPRING added 12 points and 3 steals, while ABBY CARLINO chipped in 11 points and 3 rebounds.

El Capitan's top rebounder was JAMIE FERGUSON with 10.

The Vaqueros (5-2) sealed the victory with a 25-6 scoring spree in the third quarter. VALERIE LOGEL scored all 6 of her points in the that quarter.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 17, Sam Spring 12, Abby Carlino 11, Taylor Autry 9, Crisela Banks 7, Valerie Logel 6, Jamie Ferguson 6, Brittney Loring 6, Ashley Bunce 2.

MONTGOMERY 73, WEST HILLS 51 -- The host Montgomery Aztecs broke open a 2-point game with a 23-10 scoring flurry in the second quarter to deal West Hills a lop-sided loss in Wednesday's (Dec. 13) Mount Miguel Invitational.

The Aztecs connected on 9 three-point buckets, while the Wolf Pack was 0-3 from above the arc.

MARILYN NADERHOFF coined a double-double for West Hills (4-3), pouring in 12 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 6 assists.

MARIAH BENNETT added 10 points and 4 assists for West Hills, which also got 7 points and 6 rebounds from LEILANI YAWN.

"Montgomery was well-schooled and well-trained," said West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "We're bringing ASHLEY ALDERTON back slowly (from missing the last three games due to a hand injury)," said Chabrowski. "We expect her to be back at full strength by the first of the year."

Alderton did all of her scoring at the free throw line where she made 6 of 8.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 12, Mariah Bennett 10, Leilani Yawn 7, Sherika Miller 6, Ashley Alderton 6, Muaau Naderhoff 5, Shelby Russo 2, Corryn Kivett 2, Kimberly Clark 1.

PATRICK HENRY 61, MONTE VISTA 17 -- Mount Miguel Invitational; No report. Monte Vista scoring not available.

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CHULA VISTA (12-13-06) -- Not many teams could have beaten the Helix Highlanders in Tuesday (Dec. 12) night's Mount Miguel Invitational at Hilltop.

To put it mildly, the Highlanders were hot.

Helix canned 35 of 68 shots for better than 51 percent as they blew out San Diego Southwest 76-20.

The victory, which evened Helix' season slate at 3-3, earned the Highlanders a shot at No. 5 ranked San Diego (5-1) Wednesday (Dec. 13) night at Montgomery at 6 p.m.

This is a nice tune-up for the Highlanders, who raced out to leads of 16-2 and 34-10. Helix officially put the game on ice with a 34-2 scoring burst in the third quarter.

"It was nice to score, and our press was fantastic," said Helix coach TRINA MERIDETH. "Our overall effort was terrific. We prevented them from getting the ball past halfcourt most of the game. It was four quarters of complete basketball tonight. We forced a lot of steals, which led to good shot selection."

Helix junior guard BRITTANY WILLIAMS hit 9 of 14 shots from the field for a game-high 19 points. She also had 8 steals and 5 assists.

Senior MELE LEASAU, however, had a triple-double of 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals.

JEM AFUSIA glittered from the field by hitting 6 of 10 shots, including the Highlanders' only 3-point attempt of the night.

SINOI LEASAU made 5 of 7 shots from the field for 10 points and chipped in with 6 steals. JAZ AFUSIA added 6 assists.

Helix scoring: Brittany Williams 19, Mele Leasau 14, Jem Afusia 13, Sinoi Leasau 10, Tatiana Jackson 8, Jaz Afusia 4, Nadah Royster 2, Sam Vick 2, Elizabeth Caldwell 2, Natalia Cano 2.

WEST HILLS 66, MONTE VISTA 21 -- It was familiar territory for West Hills assistant coach SIG CHABROWSKI -- a case of friends by day and foe by night.

"It was hard to walk in on Monte Vista's turf and handle them the way we did," said Chabrowski, who happens to also work and coach softball at Monte Vista and knows the Monarchs personally.

Not that the game was an issue, because the Wolf Pace raced out to a 19-5 first quarter lead in the Mount Miguel Invitational game on Tuesday (Dec. 12) at Monte Vista.

Freshman KIMBERLY CLARK erupted for 17 points, hitting 7 of 11 from the field. More than half of Clark's points came from above the arc as she hit 3 of 5 from that range.

West Hills (4-2) led 41-15 by intermission.

“We started out slowly and then we got in a groove,” said Chabrowski.

Ten players contributed to the Wolf Pack scoring total.

Senior MUAAU NADERHOFF accounted for 11 points, while freshman MARILYN NADERHOFF popped in 8 points, handed out 5 assists and made 4 steals.

LEILANI YAWN pitched in 6 points and dished 6 assists, while ASHLEY ALDERTON hauled down a team-best 6 rebounds.

West Hills totaled 21 steals in the game as well as 10 blocks.

"It was nice that we got a chance to give everybody some significant minutes and they all scored," commented Chabrowski.

RACHEL FINKS topped Monte Vista (2-8) with 11 points. More than half of those came from 3-point range as the Monarchs senior guard hit a pair of 3's.

West Hills scoring: Kimberly Clark 17, Muaau Naderhoff 11, Marilyn Naderhoff 8, Leilani Yawn 6, Sherika Miller 6, Mariah Bennett 6, Corryn Kivett 4, Ashley Alderton 3, Shelby Russo 3, Rebecca Jones 2.

Monte Vista scoring: Rachel Finks 11, Victoria Richmond 3, Jill Miranda 2, Megan Boyce 2, Kim Galarpe 2, Nicole Ashby-Jones 1.

SAN DIEGO 56, EL CAPITAN 46 -- It was not the best of shooting nights for the El Capitan Vaqueros in Tuesday's (Dec. 12) opening round of the Mount Miguel Invitational against No. 5 ranked San Diego at Montgomery.

Although the Vaqueros led 27-24 by intermission, their shooting touch was offline throughout the game. Most notable was El Capitan's 2 for 8 shooting from 3-point range.

San Diego took the lead 40-37 in the third quarter. Where the Cavers hurt the Vaqueros the most was from the free throw line. San Diego took advantage of 23 El Capitan fouls to convert 20 of 35 free throws. The Vaqueros were 10 of 16 from the charity stripe.

ASHLEY DUFFY led El Capitan with 16 points, 10 steals, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

JAMIE FERGUSON hauled down an El Capitan high 11 rebounds and also made 5 steals.

Junior guard Leticia Ridley scored 20 points off the corners for the Cavers, while Paris Johnson powered in 14 points from inside.

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 16, Liana Pitman 9 (4 reb.), Sam Spring 8 (4 reb.), Jamie Ferguson 5, Crisela Banks 4 (6 reb.), Ashley Bunce 2 (5 reb.), Valerie Logel 2 (2 blk.).

© East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (12-12-06) -- Maybe somebody should tell DANIELLE BALOUGH that she's not a 6-foot-3 center. Granted, the 5-foot-8 Santana senior is playing bigger than her size, as she proved again in Monday (Dec. 11) night's non-league 60-45 victory at Hilltop.

Balough scored a career-high 36 points, nailing 12 field goals and 12-of-18 free throws.

In the Sultans' first seven games this season, Balough is averaging a robust 24.4 points per game. She has scored less than 20 only once -- on opening night.

In spite of Balough's scoring bonanza against Hilltop (1-5), the Sultans (5-2) had to come from behind for the victory.

Hilltop started fast, went up 15-6 in the first quarter. Santana cut it to 15-10 by the end of the first quarter and eventually tied the score at 27-27 at halftime.

"We started to come together in the second quarter," said Santana coach JIM MOTTERSHAW."œWe forced 29 turnovers, which hurt them. We did a good job handling their halfcourt trap, we were able to get the ball down low often."

Santana then outscored Hilltop 33-18 in the last two quarters.

"I was happy with BRITTANY FENN, who came into the game in the third quarter when ASHLEY BAKER got her fourth foul," Mottershaw added. "Fenn took two charges and shut down Hilltop's best guard, held her scoreless."

Despite her foul problems, Baker grabbed 12 rebounds to pace Santana. Fenn's numbers were not fantastic but they were valuable, with 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a bucket.

JAMIE ELIAS hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with 10 points. SHAE BASS did not add to the scoring total but led Santana with 6 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds and made 3 steals.

Santana scoring: Danielle Balough 36, Jamie Elias 10, Nicole Brzeczek 8, Ashley Baker 4, Brittany Fenn 2.

WESTVIEW 61, MONTE VISTA 21 -- The Monarchs were cornered by a band of Wolverines, who led 26-1 after the first quarter, and continued on for the blowout victory.

By halftime Westview was sitting on a 42-8 lead.

JANAY PATTON captured high-point honors for Monte Vista (2-7) with 9 points. She hit 3 of 5 shots from the floor and canned half her 6 free throws. She also had a team-best 9 rebounds.

Monte Vista scoring: Janay Patton 9, Victoria Richmond 6, Rachel Finks 3, Megan Boyce 2, Jill Miranda 1.

EL CAJON VALLEY at MADISON -- Coronado Round Robin Tournament; No report.

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SPRING VALLEY (12-10-06) -- Playing in their third tournament championship contest in