PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL 2001-02

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Southern California Regionals - 1st Round

Muir runs Sultans right out of own building

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - Santana coach Wade Vickery, the winningest girls basketball coach
in San Diego County history, was in the state of shock following the Sultans'
101-76 loss to visiting Pasadena Muir in Wednesday's (March 6) Southern
California Regionals.

Vickery, who has been piling up victories in record numbers for more than two
decades, could not recall the last time a Santana opponent reached triple
digits against one of his defensive minded teams.

"I don't think it's ever happened," Vickery said. "We made them look awesome."

It was only the third loss in 31 decisions for the SDCIF Division
III-champion Sultans, who were allowing only 41 points per game on the
defensive end.

"It looked like our physical effort was great," Vickery added. "Honestly, I
don't have a handle on what happened except that we got our butts waxed. I
feel that I did not prepare us well."

The Lady Stags of Muir, the Southern Section Division III-A runner-up, got 19
points apiece from 6-foot-5 Tye'sha Fluker and senior guard Pertinia Fuller
to spearhead the rout of the prideful Sultans.

"I don't know how we could have prevented this, and it's driving me crazy,"
Vickery said. "I'm extremely depressed. Maybe I'll cheer up later and look at
the great season we've had. But right now, I can't believe what happened to
us in this game."

Santana was unable to shrink Muir's lead to less than 14 in the second half,
as the usually sure-handed Sultans turned the ball over 27 times.

Although he's never been one to rely on props, Vickery's depression had to be
intensified considering March 6 was his birthday.

Muir sprinted to a 31-12 lead with one minute left in the first quarter. It
was 52-36 at intermission and 75-54 by the close of the third period.

Fluker, a McDonald All-American, was held to eight points less than her
season average. But Vickery hardly considered that a victory.

Vickery's focus was on Muir's unbelievable shooting 72.2 percent (39 of 54).
The Lady Stags canned 6 of 9 three-pointers and 17 of 28 free throws.

Santana, on the other hand, hit 24 of 46 shots from the field (52 percent)
and 26 of 38 free throws.

Jaime Ransom scored a game-high 26 points to pace the Sultans. Jackie Turpin
added 15 points, 8 assists and 4 steals, while Brooke Sutton shoveled in 10
points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Margeaux Bass added 13 points and Amanda
Krismer tossed in 12 for Santana.
---

DIVISION II

REDONDO UNION 71, MOUNT MIGUEL 36 - The Seahawks presented a lineup that
dwarfed the Grossmont South League Matadors by a margin like coach Robby
Sandoval never imagined.

"I've never seen a high school basketball team with that kind of size,"
Sandoval said. "Their two guard was as big as Ijal Barnes, the tallest player
on our team (at 5-foot-10)."

Barnes produced 6 points and 10 rebounds in the lopsided loss.

"Redondo Union wasn't just tall, they were thick," Sandoval said. "Their
starting line-up was 6-5, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 and 5-10. We can't match up with size
like that, especially when they are 185 pounds or more.

"We would seal off the first entry pass, and then they would skip over the
top to score. We had no answer for their inside game. They didn't make their
first outside jump shot until the third quarter."

Kayla Henry added 10 points and 8 rebounds for the Matadors (22-9), who also
received 10 points, 3 steals and 4 assists from junior guard Christine
Fitzgerald.

Other Mount Miguel scorers: Genevieve Costello 6, Natasha Edwards 4.
(03-06-02)


Southern California Regionals - 1st Round

Sultans in familiar setting for SoCal regional opener

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - Coach Wade Vickery was totally sold on the effort given by his
Santana Sultans in their 69-59 conquest of University City in Saturday's
(Mar. 2) San Diego CIF Division III championship game at SDSU's Cox Arena.

The question is whether the Sultans (28-2) can continue in that vein when
they host Pasadena's John Muir High (24-5) in Wednesday's (Mar. 6) Southern
California Regional opener at 7:30 p.m.

"We played awfully well against UC in the section finals," Vickery admitted.
"But we'll probably have to play even better against Muir. I was watching
some tape on them and they are very, very good.

"I'm hoping our gym will be packed and we can out and really rock-and-roll."

For the record, the Sultans are seeded No. 3 in the eight-team Division III
tourney.

"I was hoping we would get a No. 1 or No. 2 seed," Vickery said. "But I think
they base their seeding for these tournaments on the Cal-Hi Sports Polls. If
that is the case, being No. 3 is realistic for us."

The Lady Stags of Muir are led by 6-foot-5 Tye'sha Fluker, who is generating
27.6 points and 13 rebounds per game. Four Muir players are averaging double
figures, including 5-foot-7 freshman guard Porsha Large (13.6 ppg).

DIVISION II

MOUNT MIGUEL AT REDONDO UNION - This is uncharted territory for the Matadors
and coach Robby Sandoval, who had never appeared in a SDCIF championship game
until this year.

The pressure meter pushes up a few more notches when the Grossmont South
League-champion Matadors (22-8) take on No. 4-seeded Redondo Union (23-7)
Wednesday (March 6) in Redondo Beach at 7:30.

The Sea Wolves are a talent-laden team with three girls 6-foot-2 or taller.
Nobody on the Mount Miguel roster is taller than 5--foot-10.

(03-04)


San Diego CIF Playoffs - Finals

Santana at top of game in championship revenge
Matadors fall short of title goal with loss to Orange Glen

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - As the winningest girls basketball coach in San Diego County
history, Santana's Wade Vickery has deposited success stories galore in his
memory bank. None, he'll tell you, carry more emotional impact than the
achievements of his latest championship outfit.

"This is the best we've ever played in the (San Diego CIF) finals," said
Vickery after the Sultans unseated defending Division II champion University
City 69-59 Saturday afternoon (March 2) in the Division III finale at San
Diego State University's Cox Arena.

"You could see from the start of the game that the body language of our kids
was confidence. As befuddled as we were with their (Centurions') 2-3 trap
last year (in losing 48-39), I thought we picked it apart pretty well this
time."

Considering the Sultans (28-2) missed five layups and still netted a
respectable 7 of 15 shots in the first quarter, their overall shooting
percentage in the game was little short of phenomenal. Santana singed the
nets at 70 percent (21-for-30) over the final three quarters in which the
Sultans outscored University City (26-4) by a 52-40 margin.

The elevated accuracy was a result of smooth transition, precision patience
and pinpoint passing.

"I don't think we've ever shot a better percentage against a quality opponent
in a game of this magnitude," Vickery said. "Our execution, ball movement,
offensive spacing and pump fakes were all excellent."

UC Davis-bound Jackie Turpin, Santana's floor general and on-the-court
cheerleader, scored only 4 points but was masterful in her orchestration of
the Sultans' picturesque offensive scheme.

"It's all about lay-ups and free throws," said Turpin, who doled out 10
assists as a key ingredient to Santana's surrealistic shooting accuracy.

Jaime Ransom was one bull's-eye short of a "Perfect 10," as she netted 9 of
10 floor shots for a game-high 21 points in the title bout. The Santana
junior has scored 51 points in her last two outings.

"We don't focus our offense on any one player," Ransom said. "We just look
for the open man."

It was more a credit to Santana's persistence than a flaw in University
City's defensive shield that the Sultans were able sneak underneath for
uncontested layups.

"We were making our cuts and being unselfish with our passes," said junior
Amanda Krismer, who clicked on 9 of 12 shots for 20 points. "We were getting
the shots we wanted."

Senior Brooke Sutton was one of the few Sultans who did shoot with upscale
accuracy. She did, however, hold her own in the physical battle underneath
the basket, finishing with a game-high 11 rebounds.

"Brooke was really tough inside for us," Vickery said of the 5-10 senior, who
completed a double-double with 10 points.

Not to be forgotten in Santana's surge is 5-foot-6 sophomore guard Margeaux
Bass, who finished with 12 points, including a team-best 6-for-8 free throw
shooting.

"Quite a performance from a sophomore in a pressure-packed game," Vickery
noted.

Trailing 23-17 early in the second quarter, Santana went on a 21-0 scoring
binge to secure a 15-point lead with a little over a minute remaining in the
first half.

University City made a formidable challenge in the second half, but the
Sultans were never in serious jeopardy of losing their edge.

"Winning this championship is a like a reward for hard work for our girls,"
Vickery said.

His meaning, however, ran much deeper.

"We had a devastating ending to our season last year," he said. "Losing in
the finals to UC, the March 5 shooting (attracting national attention) where
a lot of our girls were close to the action and led to our team not being
allowed to go to the state playoffs, really hurt.

"All of that has been on my mind for a year, even though we never talked
about it as a team," Vickery said. "We have 10 girls returning from that team
this year. They deserve this championship. They deserve to have a
happily-ever-after ending."

Other Santana statistical leaders: Courtney Ash (2 points), Denise Bennett
(2 rebounds).

ORANGE GLEN 52, MOUNT MIGUEL 41 - Playing inside a spacious theatre as large
as San Diego State University's Cox Arena is not overly helpful to a team
that relies on defensive quickness more offensive prowess to secure a victory.

Let's face it - Mount Miguel is a defensive giant in the realm of San Diego
County high school girls basketball, but is more or less a "runt of the
liter" type when it comes to high-percentage perimeter shooting accuracy.

The Matadors (22-8), who qualified for Saturday's (March 2) San Diego CIF
Division II championship game for the first time in school history, converted
only 16 of 55 shots (29 percent) in a frustrating 52-41 loss to top-seeded
Orange Glen (28-3).

"It's disappointing to get this far and not win," admitted Matadors' coach
Robby Sandoval, who had seen his team reel off 12 straight wins only to
falter in the Division II finale. "I give Orange Glen a lot of respect. They
have a lot of experience and are the true champion."

The post-game awards ceremony was a first for Orange Glen, which had never
appeared in let alone won a SDCIF division championship.

The Patriots were almost smug about their achievement, however.

Orange Glen coach Phill Anderson showed no sign of an accelerated jump in
pulse rate when media members quizzed him about the feeling of bringing a
girls basketball crown to his school for the first time.

"We get another banner for the (gymnasium) wall," Anderson said in a
matter-of-fact manner. "This is an experienced team that knows how to play
well under pressure."

The bottom line, however, is Mount Miguel's marksmanship was likened to a
team from sea level attempting to conquer a blue ribbon bunch of mountain
climbers in a three-point shooting contest on top of Mount Everest.

"We missed too many easy shots," Sandoval acknowledged. "The high post was
open all night, but our big girls didn't flash. That placed added pressure on
our perimeter people."

Mount Miguel, which has relied on tenacious defense to procure back-to-back
Grossmont South League championships, received 19 points from junior guard
Christine Fitzgerald on 7-for-22 shooting from the field and 2-for-2 free
throws. The rest of the team was a droopy 9-for-33 (27 percent) from the
floor.

"I really thought we could wear them out with our pressure and depth,"
Sandoval said. "When (Orange Glen) didn't come out to warm up for the second
half, I really felt we had a chance to win."

A Fitzgerald lay-up early in the third quarter pulled the Matadors to within
25-22. But Orange Glen answered swiftly with a 9-2 run and the Matadors were
never serious contenders for the Division II crown again.

Katie Anderson scored a game-high 19 points and Jessica Campbell collected 16
points and 19 rebounds to lead Orange Glen.

"Campbell killed us on the glass in the second half (when she retrieved 11 of
her 19 caroms)," Sandoval said. "She was one of the keys to the game that we
couldn't answer."

Both teams advance to Wednesday's Southern California Regionals, which is a
first for any Mount Miguel team regardless of gender.

"I think we've established something positive for our program," Sandoval
said. "All we have to do is build on it."

Other Mount Miguel statistical leaders: Christine Costello (7 points, 3
assists, 2 steals), Ijal Barnes (6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks), Kayla
Henry (5 points, 9 rebounds), Teresa Melendez (2 points), Natasha Edwards (2
points), Lyneth Labuguen (2 points).


San Diego CIF Playoffs - Semifinals

Costello's big second half leads Mount Miguel
over El Capitan and into championship game
Top-seeded Santana gets 30 from Ransom in semifinal win

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - The smallest player on the court wound up playing the biggest
role for the Mount Miguel Matadors, who edged El Capitan 47-45 in Wednesday
night's (Feb. 27) San Diego CIF Division II semifinals. The victory, keyed by
Genevieve Costello's second-half leadership, catapults Mount Miguel (22-7)
into the SDCIF finals for the first time in school history.

Costello, a 5-foot-4 freshman point guard, scored 11 of her game-high 15
points in the final two quarters as the Matadors erased El Capitan's 26-16
halftime lead to pull out the vital victory.

It was the 12th straight win for the Matadors, who take on top-seeded Orange
Glen (27-3) for the SDCIF Division II championship on Saturday (March 2) at
San Diego State University's Cox Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

"It hurt us when Genevieve picked up her third foul," Mount Miguel coach
Robby Sandoval admitted.

Indeed. The Matadors were trailing 15-10 when Costello left the game, and the
Vaqueros swiftly extended their advantage to 22-13. A bucket and two free
throws by Alissa Unden in the final minute gave the Vaqueros (21-9) a
10-point cushion by the break.

Costello's absence hurt the Matadors more in their sense of direction than it
did from a lack of scoring. Mount Miguel, which shot only 18 percent (4 for
22) in the opening 16 minutes, logged just one assist in the entire first
half. That was by Costello in the first quarter.

"We did a terrible job of running our offense in the first half," Sandoval
admitted. "And a lot of the reason for that is a credit to El Cap. They were
doing a good job of denying Christine (Fitzgerald) the ball. They basically
took Genevieve and Christine out of the game, so weren't able to get the ball
out to our wings. No one has ever done that before to us."

The second half, however, was totally different.

"We knew we could beat them because we'd done it before," said Fitzgerald,
who finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. "The nervousness we had
in the first half went away. We wanted to go to Cox, so we stepped our
intensity."

After sitting out the final seven minutes of the first half with three fouls,
Costello roared back to hit the only 3-pointer of the game in the third
quarter as Mount Miguel pulled to within 35-31. Costello was even mightier
down the stretch as she scored half of the Matadors' 16 points in the fourth
quarter, mostly on 6-for-8 free throw shooting.

Mount Miguel knocked down 12 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter and 20
of 28 in the game. El Capitan was 7-for-16 from the charity stripe in the
game and 0-for-2 in the final period.

It was two Costello free throws that gave Mount Miguel a 43-41 lead with 1:04
remaining that it wouldn't lose.

Mount Miguel received strong support around the basket from Ijal Barnes and
Kayla Henry, who combined for 18 points and 17 rebounds. Henry also had 4
steals, while Barnes was tops on the boards with 10 caroms.

Senior Valli Burks was the driving force behind El Capitan's first-half
surge. She scored all of her 11 points in the first two periods, hitting 4 of
5 floor shots and 3 of 4 free throws. She also made 3 steals and handed out 2
assists during that span. However, she was 0-for-5 in the second half,
totaling 5 steals and 3 assists for the night.

Jessica Cable turned in a strong effort for El Capitan. The 5-foot-10 junior
hit 6 of 14 shots for a team-best 12 points. She also garnered 9 rebounds, 5
steals and 3 assists. Freshman center Heather Molzen cleared 9 rebounds and
blocked 4 shots. Unden finished with 10 points, including 4-for-6 free throw
shooting. Burks was 3-for-4 from the foul line. Nobody else in an El Capitan
uniform made a free throw.

"This was a difference between playing with confidence (in the first half)
and playing afraid," El Capitan coach Darin Curtis said. "We were standing
around, afraid to make things happen in the second half. We missed a lot of
layups and turned the ball over too much (27 times).

"But we had a good run this season. It was good experience for us. We
basically have everybody back. For these young girls, I want them to remember
the pain, how they feel right now."

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Teresa Melendez 2, Chelsey Dixon 2.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nichole Overson 4, Lyric Teigen 4, Molzen 4.

DIVISION III
#1 SANTANA (27-2) 77, #4 KEARNY (22-5) 68 -
Santana's Jaime Ransom made a
strong statement why she should receive heavy consideration for San Diego CIF
Division III Player of the Year honors. The Sultans' multi-talented junior
guard turned in a gold medal performance on both ends of the floor Wednesday
(Feb. 27) as top-seeded Santana eliminated San Diego County's highest scoring
team in the SDCIF Division III semifinals at Serra High.

"Jaime had just a fantastic game," Santana coach Wade Vickery said.

Ransom ripped through the Komets' defense for a game-high 30 points. She was
even more impressive on the defensive end, virtually neutralizing Kearny
scoring ace Natasha Lewis.

"Jaime shadowed Lewis all over the court," said Vickery, noting that the
Komet kingpin scored only 6 points in the first three quarters combined.
"She's quick enough to defend the drive to the basket and tall enough
(5-foot-9) to defend the outside jumper."

Lewis, the county's fourth-leading scorer with a 25.3 average, finished with
14 points against Santana.

It was a crowd-pleasing contest as both teams were tenacious, crashed the
boards, and ran the court consistently.

"It was an uptempo game," Vickery agreed. "And we knew it would be because of
their tremendous athleticism. But we did not want to get into a run-and-gun
game with them. We wanted to attack their trap, create layups and open shots."

The Sultans enjoyed a quality shooting night, netting 29 of 55 chances (53
percent). They also converted 18 of 25 free throws. Kearny, which has crashed
through the 100-point barrier 10 times this season, shot only 39 percent (24
for 62) from the floor and hit 17 of 27 free throws.

Santana scrambled to a 35-33 halftime lead. The Komets pulled even in the
first minute of the third quarter. That's when Jackie Turpin provided the
Sultans with a spark. Despite being saddled with three fouls, Turpin ignited
a 7-0 run when she stole the ball and scored on a fast-break layup. This
began a trend that enabled the Sultans to open up a 57-47 lead by the close
of the third quarter.

The Komets sliced the Santana advantage to eight points with three minutes
remaining, but Ransom swiftly dashed any comeback plans the Komets had when
she swished Santana's lone 3-pointer of the night.

Turpin finished with 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 9 points. She logged 6 of
her assists in the first quarter as Santana took a 17-15 lead.

Amanda Krismer chipped in with 14 points and 7 rebounds for Santana, while
Ransom added 8 rebounds and 4 steals.

Daphanie Kennedy led Kearny with 24 points.

Santana (27-2), which held Kearny more than 15 points below its
county-leading 83.4 average, qualified for its ninth trip to the SDCIF finals
in the last 10 years. For Vickery, Saturday's (March 2) title match against
No. 2 University City (26-3) at Cox Arena at noon, marks the 12th time in his
lengthy tenure career that he's taken Santana to the championship round.

This is the third straight season these teams have met for a SDCIF division
title. The last two times it was for the Division II crown. The Centurions
(26-3) won last year, 48-39. Santana captured the 2000 crown, 50-47.

The Sultans and Centurions have played twice this season as well. UC won in
the finals of the Santana Coca Cola Classic 69-62, and the Sultans won 71-63
in the finals of the Granite Hills Invitational.

Other Santana scoring: Brooke Sutton 8, Courtney Ash 7, Margeaux Bass 7.

NOTE: Yasmin ElSawi contributed to the Santana-Kearny report.
(02-27-02)



San Diego CIF Playoffs - Quarterfinals

Matadors battle Bulldogs, take defense stand for win

EastCountySports.com staff report

SPRING VALLEY - When junior guard Christine Fitzgerald scores only 7 points
in a game, it's a safe bet the Mount Miguel Matadors are going to struggle.
Two-time Grossmont South League-champion Mount Miguel had to rely almost
exclusively upon its defensive might to escape with a hard-fought 40-31 San
Diego CIF Division II quarterfinal victory over visiting Ramona Saturday
night (Feb. 23).

"Christine was a non-factor the whole game," Mount Miguel coach Robby
Sandoval said of Fitzgerald, who was limited to 2 baskets and 4 of 5 free
throws. "She got into foul trouble and didn't do much after that. She didn't
score her first field goal until the fourth quarter."

Without the tenacious Fitzgerald in the lineup, the Matadors (21-7) looked to
Kayla Henry, Ijal Barnes and Genevieve Costello for help. The trio
collectively answered the challenge as the Matadors stretched their winning
streak to 11 games.

Henry scored 12 of her 14 points in the middle two quarters as Mount Miguel
overcame a 7-4 first-quarter deficit. The 5-foot-9 sophomore cleared 7
rebounds and logged 2 steals.

Barnes was Mount Miguel's muscle inside. She swept the boards for a game-high
13 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, made 3 steals and tossed in 8 points.

Costello was the main threat outside, chalking up 11 points, 3 assists, 3
steals and 2 rebounds.

"Barnes and Costello carried us tonight," Sandoval said. "Ijal did a
fantastic job defensively, deflecting passes and denying the ball. Costello
was our only ball-handler out there because Christine was in foul trouble."

Fitzgerald made her first significant contribution by nailing her 36th
three-pointer of the season to stretch Mount Miguel's lead to 10 with one
minute left. She also finished with 4 steals and 2 assists.

Mount Miguel takes on a familiar foe in Wednesday's (Feb. 27) SDCIF Division
II semifinals when it faces El Capitan for the third time this season. This
will be the rubber match between these teams as well as the final obstacle
between a trip to the finals at San Diego State's Cox Arena. The Vaqueros won
the first meeting 63-45 on Dec. 14. Four days later, the Matadors prevailed
59-58.

Semifinal sites have not been determined yet.

#1 SANTANA (26-2) 55, USDHS (13-15) 40 - Santana coach Wade Vickery was not
impressed. Nor was he pleased.

"We shot lousy and generally did not play very well," he said after the
top-seeded Sultans (26-2) shuffled just a step above lackluster fashion past
the visiting Dons (13-15) in Saturday night's SDCIF Division III quarterfinal
in Santee.

Amanda Krismer's 15 points paced the Sultans in one of their lowest scoring
games of the season. Jaime Ransom added 14 points and Margueax Bass produced
11 as Santana finished more than 20 points below its game scoring average.
The Sultans, whose lowest total of the year was 53 against Ramona (Dec. 1),
had scored 80 or more points in each of their previous four starts.

The sluggish Sultans led 15-10 after one quarter and 28-22 at the break. They
gradually pulled away in the second as Denise Bennett sparked the defense
with 5 steals.

Jackie Turpin grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and handed out 7 assists for
the Sultans. Ransom and Bass accounted for Santana's only 3-pointers. Ransom
also blocked 4 shots.

"This game was closer than I would have liked," Vickery admitted. "But Uni
(led by Alexis Castro's 22 points) played tough. They outhustled us, and
that's something we don't see very often."

A sub-par performance by Santana is rare, indeed. Yet, few teams can keep up
with the Sultans even on an "off" night.

Santana advances to Wednesday's (Feb. 27) Division III semifinals against
Kearny, a team that prides itself in running up the score on lesser
opponents. Site for the game has not been determined.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 2, Brooke Sutton 2, Bennett 2, Marina
Praporski 2.

#2 POWAY (23-5) 56, WEST HILLS (18-12) 32 - Credit coach Dave Burgess for
making believers of his Wolf Pack (18-12).

Decisive underdogs for the second time in as many SDCIF Division I playoff
starts, the Pack fell behind by 13 points in the opening quarter against the
second-seeded Titans (23-5) in Saturday's (Feb. 23) quarterfinals at Poway.
But Burgess' bunch battled back to close the halftime margin to 24-21.

"Poway was hot in the first quarter, but they cooled off a bit and we did a
better job of keeping them off the glass in the second quarter," Burgess
said.
"When we took away their second shots, we were able to get back into the
game."

Junior guard Julie Strick scored 6 of her 8 points to spark the
second-quarter comeback.

The West Hills offense stalled during the final two quarters as the Wolf Pack
produced just 11 points. The Pack shot a paltry 30 percent for the game.

"We just couldn't put the ball in the basket," Burgess said. "But I'm proud
of our girls. We set a school record for wins and really stepped it up in the
post-season. Nobody thought we'd get this far. Nobody expected us to be here."

Katy Kelly led West Hills with 10 points, including the club's only
3-pointer. Erin Hourigan battled the taller Titans under the basket, scoring
8 points and pulling in 4 rebounds. Melissa Porter and Beth Tronerud also
grabbed 4 rebounds apiece. Strick produced 4 steals.

Other West Hills scoring: Porter 4, Amanda Brown 2, Tronerud 2.

#2 CORONADO 43, CHRISTIAN 36 - The Patriots (13-15) lost for the third time
in as many tries against the Harbor League champion Islanders (19-8) in
Saturday's (Feb. 23) SDCIF Division IV quarterfinal game at Coronado.

After losing on a last-second putback earlier this month, the Patriots took a
22-19 halftime lead in the playoff encounter. However, Coronado claimed an
11-2 scoring edge in the third period, and the Patriots could not recover.

Jenny Ray scored a game-high 15 points for Christian, including a pair of
3-pointers. Maggie McGill was limited to 9 points, which is more than five
points below her season average. Marilee Parnell added 8 points, but nobody
else scored more than two.

Other Christian scoring: Cassandra Stone 2, Jamie Ray 2.

No other information was reported.
(02-23-03)

Vaqueros overcome slow start to surpass Eagles, advance to semifinals

By Yasmin ElSawi
Special to EastCountySports.com

LAKESIDE - The El Capitan Vaqueros survived a slow start in Saturday's (Feb.
23) San Diego CIF Division II quarterfinal, but prevailed, as they conquered
the visiting San Pasqual Eagles 41-32.

The #4 seeded Vaqueros (21-8) were led by Jessica Cable, who started by
winning the tip-off. With five 2-pointers and nine free throws, she led the
team with 19 points, the only El Capitan player in double digits. She also
had 5 steals and 15 rebounds.

Alissa Unden contributed 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 7 points, including a three.

It was a battle on the boards - the Vaqueros, with 52 rebounds dominated over
the Eagles' 34 rebounds. Six-foot-2 freshman Heather Molzen pulled in 10
rebounds for El Capitan. Lyric Teigen pitched in 4 assists and 6 rebounds.
Senior Valli Burks hustled for 3 steals, 3 assists and 5 rebounds.

Both teams had a hard time holding onto the ball. San Pasqual (12-15) had 28
turnovers compared to the Vaqueros' 22 giveaways.

It came down to which team had the most rebounds and made the most
free-throws. El Capitan clearly held the edge at the free throw line. The
Vaqueros were 20 of 37, while the Eagles were 9 of 16 from the line. San
Pasqual held an 11-10 edge in field goals, as neither team shot well from the
field.

So upset with his team's missing so many uncontested shots, El Capitan coach
Darin Curtis had his team doing lay-up drills during halftime.

The leading scorer for San Pasqual was sophomore Jenna Swanson with 10
points. Their leading rebounder was sophomore Tori Albini, who grabbed 9.
Allie Willis had 5 assists and 4 rebounds. The Vaqueros shut her down,
holding her to just 2 points.

During the first three quarters, the Vaqueros kept a substantial lead over
the Eagles, taking a 27-20 advantage into the final quarter. The tides turned
in the 4th quarter, however, when San Pasqual shrunk the margin to 35-32 with
4:03 left.

San Pasqual coach, Brian Martin could be heard on the sideline, encouraging
his players to shoot a 3-pointer. At this time both teams were in foul
trouble as the referees called a very close game.

Teigen's defensive intensity was contagious, as El Capitan denied San Pasqual
open shots in the final two minutes. The Eagles continued to foul and put the
Vaqueros on the line, where they sealed the victory.

The Vaqueros next challenge will be in the Division II semifinals against
Mount Miguel Wednesday night (Feb. 27) at a neutral site to be determined.

Other El Capitan scoring: Rachel Overson 4, Burks 3, Teigen 3, Molzen 2,
Nichole Overson 2, Mallory Palmer 1.

(02-23-02)

#1 MT. CARMEL 86, GRANITE HILLS 35 - The visiting Eagles (18-11) got a
pretty good indication why Mt. Carmel (22-6) has won two straight SDCIF
Division I championships and is favored for a third. After just one quarter
of Friday's (Feb. 22) quarterfinal game in North County, the Sundevils were
sitting on a 32-7 lead.

"We were just overwhelmed tonight," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett admitted.

Lauren Campbell, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, paced a balanced Mt. Carmel attack
with a game-high 22 points. Her sister Jamie Campbell, a 6-foot senior, added
15 points, while sophomore Genae Gibbons chipped in with 13. Katie Vickers,
yet another sophomore, charted 12 points for the Sundevils.

So coach Robin Blalock, who has compiled a 73-19 record in her three years at
the helm, doesn't appear to be running short of talent.

Rowlett will welcome the majority of his team back next year as well.
Head-lining the cast will be Joelle Bunnell, who registered another
3-point-shooting hat-trick in the lopsided loss to Mt. Carmel. Bunnell
finishes the season with an East County-leading 101 treys, which is the 3rd
highest total in Grossmont Conference history. Only Santana's Kelly Simers
connected more times from above the arc, hitting 134 three-pointers in 1996
and 117 in 1995.

The Eagles trailed 51-13 at the half, and 61-20 after three quarters at Mt.
Carmel. Bunnell was the only Granite Hills player to reach double figures, as
she totaled 12 points. She also had 4 rebounds.

Jennifer Young, Granite Hills' lone senior, had a respectable showing in her
final game with a team-high 8 rebounds, 6 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Jeannie Case chipped in 6 points and Amanda McCurdy collected 7 rebounds.
Rochelle Arrington tallied 5 points, including 1 trey.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 4, Jenny Holden 2.
(02-22-02)


Wolf Pack bucks Broncos out of Division I playoffs
Case helps Eagles close out Bonita Vista to advance to quarterfianls

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - West Hills coach Dave Burgess labeled the Wolf Pack's performance
in last week's regular-season finale, "our worst game of the year." Burgess
expressed those feelings to his players. They obviously got the message as
they responded with West Hills' biggest victory of the season - a 57-49
first-round knockout of perennial power Rancho Bernardo in the San Diego CIF
Division I playoffs Wednesday night (Feb. 20) in North County.

"Nobody thought we had a chance of coming up here and doing what we did,"
Burgess said. "I told our girls if we kept it close all the pressure would be
on (Rancho Bernardo) the team that was supposed to win."

It was the second time in Burgess' two-year tenure that West Hills has gone
on the road in the first round of the playoffs and come home with an upset
victory. The Pack eliminated favored Helix 50-48 in La Mesa last year when
Julie Strick hit an 18-footer at the buzzer.

Strick came up big again at Rancho Bernardo. The junior guard scored a
team-high 16 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dealt 3 assists and recorded a pair
of steals. She buried one three-pointer and converted 5 of 6 free throws.

"Our girls were fired up," Burgess said. "We were tied (22-22) at the half,
but Rancho Bernardo came out and took a quick 5-point lead in the third
quarter. Our girls could have folded right there, but they didn't."

Trailing 40-37 entering the final quarter, West Hills (18-11) came out
firing. Amanda Brown, East County's second-leading 3-point marksman (with 64
coming in), drilled in all 9 of her points during the final eight minutes as
the Wolf Pack outscored the bewildered Broncos (17-9) by a 20-9 count. Two of
Brown's buckets were 3-pointers.

Erin Hourigan chimed in with 12 points, 4 blocked shots and 4 rebounds for
West Hills. The 5-foot-11 junior was also 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

"Erin did a great job inside on defense," Burgess praised. "She blocked some
shots and altered a lot more."

Kelsey Krumdeick, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, is a dominant player in the Palomar
League. She led the Broncos with 12 points, but was frustrated by Hourigan's
aggressive play.

"Our defense was outstanding," said Burgess after the Wolf Pack held Rancho
Bernardo 11 points below its season scoring average. "The key to the game was
we were more physical on the boards. We were aggressive fighting for
possessions, every loose ball, every rebound. And we were able to keep them
(the Broncos) off the offensive boards."

Melissa Porter, a 5-8 senior, grabbed a season-high 8 rebounds for West
Hills. Beth Tronerud cleared 4 rebounds and tallied 8 points. Katy Kelly hit
one of the Pack's five 3-pointers and totaled 9 points. Porter's only score
came on a 3-point bulls-eye.

The Pack, which shot an unspectacular 33 percent (18-for-53) from the field,
converted 16 of 22 free throws.

"When they (the Broncos) needed to foul there at the end, our girls stepped
up to the line and hit their free throws," Burgess said. "That was huge."

The challenge grows even larger for West Hills, which has logged a
school-record 18 victories. The Wolf Pack travels to Poway on Saturday night
(Feb. 23) to face the No. 2-seeded Titans (22-5) in a Division I quarterfinal
at 7 p.m.

GRANITE HILLS (18-10) 46, BONITA VISTA 45 - Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett
called sophomore Jeannie Case "the MVP of the game" after the Eagles rallied
to edge the visiting Barons (12-14) in Wednesday's opening round of the San
Diego CIF Division I playoffs.

"Jeannie has been a special player for us," Rowlett said of the 5-foot-6
Case, who contributed 7 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals to the
Eagles' victory. "She gave us a tremendous defensive effort against (Bonita
Vista's) best player (Emily Turner)."

Not that Case completely neutralized the 6-foot-1 Turner. Slowed her down a
bit, maybe. But Turner still produced 15 points, 21 rebounds and rejected 8
shots.

"I told the girls if we held Turner under 20 (points) we'd win the game,"
Rowlett said.

Not to be overlooked was the clutch work of Granite Hills sophomore guard Amy
Hoyt. You won't find her name listed among the East County statistical
leaders, but the 5-foot-4 guard made her 4 points against Bonita Vista vital
to say the least.

Hoyt's first points - a layup - gave Granite Hills (18-10) a 44-43 lead
with less than a minute to play. Hoyt added two free throws with 11 seconds
remaining, giving the Eagles a 46-43 advantage. That would prove to be the
difference in the game as Granite Hills won for the 9th time in its last 11
starts.

East County scoring leader Joelle Bunnell finished with 13 points - well
below her 20.6 average. The 5-foot-7 junior hit her 96th, 97th and 98th
three-pointers in the opening quarter, but the Eagles still found themselves
on the short end of a 15-14 score.

Brenda Najor rolled a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for the
Eagles, who also received 7 points from Jennifer Young, the lone senior on
the team.

"I'm really excited about this group," Rowlett said. "They've played their
hearts out since that last loss to (undefeated Grossmont South League
champion) Mount Miguel. This type of game (against Bonita Vista) shows you
what can happen if you play hard and don't give up."

It certainly doesn't get any easier for the Eagles, who fly north to take on
top-seeded Mount Carmel (21-6) Friday night (Feb. 22) in the SDCIF Division I
quarterfinals at 7 p.m.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Rochelle Arrington 4, Amanda McCurdy 1.

EL CAPITAN 62, HILLTOP 31 - Fourth-seeded El Capitan (20-8) recovered from a
sluggish start in Wednesday's (Feb. 20) opening round game of the San Diego
CIF Division II playoffs to snuff out any upset plans the visiting Hilltop
Lancers (5-16) were entertaining.

The Vaqueros overpowered the Lancers 36-8 in the middle two quarters to turn
a 14-13 game into a rout. The lopsided nature of the game allowed El Capitan
coach Darin Curtis to make wholesale substitutions in the second half.

By winning, El Capitan will host San Pasqual (12-14) in Saturday's (Feb. 23)
Division II quarterfinals at 7 p.m. The Golden Eagles advanced by eliminating
Mar Vista 52-41 on Wednesday.

Lyric Teigen set the pace for the Vaqueros, pouring in a game-high 12 points
while pilfering 7 Hilltop passes. Alissa Unden knocked down a pair of
3-pointers and grabbed 5 rebounds on her way to an 11-point total. Jessica
Cable chipped in with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

Freshman Heather Molzen collected 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals for El
Cap, which had 8 players contribute to the scoring total. Valli Burks added 9
points, 3 assists and 3 steals, while Mallory Palmer pumped in 6 points,
cleared 4 rebounds and swiped 4 passes.

Becky Holley didn't score, but dished off a team-high 6 assists and made 5
steals for El Capitan.

All 10 of Hilltop's fourth-quarter points came via the free throw line.

Other El Capitan scoring: Iyshia Hernandez 3, Nichole Overson 2.

SCRIPPS RANCH (16-12) 48, MONTE VISTA 45 - The Monarchs were playing catch
up from the get-go, as the visiting Falcons flew in front 17-4 after the
opening quarter of Wednesday's SDCIF Division II playoff game in Spring
Valley.

Monte Vista (14-14) pecked away in the middle two quarters and made a serious
challenge by claiming a 20-12 scoring advantage in the fourth period.

"We got close, but just made too many mistakes," Monte Vista assistant coach
Sig Chabrowski said.

Scripps Ranch (16-12) shot better than 48 percent from the field (15-for-31),
hitting 4 of 10 from three-point range.

Monte Vista's Lisa Roper, who came in averaging 19.3 points per game, was
limited to 5 points. The 5-foot-5 senior guard took only 9 shots from the
field, and went 0-for-4 from three-point distance. She made her only free
throw, handed out 4 assists and logged 3 steals.

Amy Reiland and Ashley Schriver led the Monarchs with 11 points apiece.
Reiland was 3-for-8 in shots above the arc, while Shriver hit 5 of 6 free
throws. Reiland also contributed 3 assists and made a team-best 4 steals.

Dyanne Lorenzana chipped in with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals for Monte
Vista.

Neither team handled the ball well. The Falcons committed 25 turnovers to
Monte Vista's 23.

"This isn't how we planned to end our season," Chabrowski said. "But were
happy with this team. We gave the people a good show tonight."

Only thing missing was a happily-ever-after ending.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 4, Tara Campbell 2, Erika Munoz 2,
Rachel Vorman 2.

RAMONA 73, GROSSMONT 40 - The taller, more physical and more experienced
Bulldogs (16-11) put this SDCIF Division II playoff opener away early
Wednesday night (Feb. 20). Ramona led the visiting Hillers 13-4 after one
quarter and 34-15 by intermission.

"We got beat in all phases of the game," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle
admitted.

Grossmont sophomore Laura Felice, who came in averaging 12.2 points, was held
scoreless by the Bulldogs. Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg was the only Grossmont
player to break into double digits with 16 points. Twelve of those came in
the second half.

Taryin Casillas added 8 points, Sarah Fernandes notched 7 and Lyndsay Felice
tallied 6 points to go along with 13 rebounds for the Foothillers.

Senior Hilary Hicks paced Ramona with 17 points. Six-foot-1 senior Jill
Johnson added 11 points.

The youthful Foothillers closed the season with losses in seven of their last
eight games. But Yeakle expected to this be a learning year as his team
played without a single senior.

"Our goal was to get to the playoffs, and get some experience," Yeakle said.
"We were able to do that. The best part is we have everybody coming back next
season."

Other Grossmont scoring: Kayla Pederson 2, Anne Gonzalez 1.
(02-20-02)


Sultans, seven other teams, seek CIF championship

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - Perennial San Diego CIF champion Santana leads an eight-team East
County contingent into the girls basketball playoffs, which begin Wednesday
(Feb. 20) at various sites around San Diego County. The Grossmont North
League Sultans (25-2) might be considered a shoo-in to dominate the Division
III field except that one of their two regular-season losses was to No. 2
seed University City (24-3).

Coach Wade Vickery's Sultans have advanced to the Division II championship
game five of the last six years, capturing the crown in 1997 and 2000. A drop
in enrollment has placed Santana in the Division III tourney this winter.
Same is true for University City, which has won two of the last three
Division II titles.

"Division III is arguably the toughest bracket in town," Vickery said.

This 10-team group includes third-seeded Mission Bay (23-3) and No. 4 Kearny
(21-4), one of the county's highest scoring units. The Sultans host the
Clairemont (12-15)-USDHS (12-14) winner in the Feb. 23 quarterfinals at 7 p.m.

Elsewhere, two-time Grossmont South League-champion Mount Miguel (20-7) has
earned the No. 2 seed in the 14-team Division II tournament. The Matadors,
who have won 10 straight, draw a first-round bye and will face Wednesday's
Grossmont (16-11)-at-Ramona (15-11) winner in the Saturday (Feb. 23)
quarterfinals at 7 p.m.

Other Division II openers on Wednesday (Feb. 20) include El Capitan (19-8)
hosting Hilltop (5-15) at 4 p.m., and Monte Vista (14-13) entertaining
Scripps Ranch (15-12) at 7 p.m.

Orange Glen (25-3) is the No. 1 seed in Division II. The Patriots are 4-0
against Grossmont Conference teams, with double-digit victories over Mount
Miguel, El Capitan, Monte Vista and Grossmont.

In Division I, Granite Hills (17-10), a team with only one senior, hosts
Bonita Vista (12-13), and West Hills (17-11), which set a school-record for
victories, travels to Rancho Bernardo (17-8). Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Mount Carmel (21-6) is the No. I seed in Division I, while Poway (22-5) is
No. 2.

In Division IV, Christian (13-14) faces Harbor League foe Coronado (18-8) for
the third time this season in the Feb. 23 quarterfinals on the Islanders'
peninsula at 7. No. 2 seed Coronado clobbered the Patriots 57-31 in the
first round of league activity, but escaped by a 43-41 margin in round two
via a disputed basket. Bishop's (22-3) is the Division IV top seed.

(2-16-02)


Santana completes fifth-straight undefeated league season

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - Jaime Ransom scored 18 points, logged 6 steals, 7 rebounds and 3
assists as the Sultans defeated host El Cajon Valley 82-30 on Friday night
(Feb. 15) to wrap up their 5th straight undefeated Grossmont North League
championship. Santana (25-2, 8-0) has earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round
bye in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs, which begin Wednesday (Feb.
20).

Ten Sultans contributed to the Santana scoring, which included 18 points, 4
assists and 4 steals from Brooke Sutton. Amanda Krismer added 13 points and 8
rebounds, while Marina Praporski had a career night of 10 rebounds and 9
points.

Courtney Ash was a hawk on defense with 8 steals, while Jackie Turpin handed
out 6 assists and Margeaux Bass had 5 scoring passes.

Ferrari Funches led El Cajon Valley (3-18, 0-8) with 8 points and 6 rebounds.
NiNi Herron landed a 3-pointer and hauled down 6 rebounds, while Tina Khun
also hit a trey for the Braves.

The Braves shot only 30 percent, while committing 38 turnovers. Santana
clicked on 57 percent of 58 shots.

Other Santana scoring: Turpin 8, Ashley Hight 5, Bass 4, Ash 3, Denise
Bennett 2, Christine Roy 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Tashiana Foster 4, Michelle Thompson 2, Joyce
Barton 2, JoJo Harris 2, Donette Randall 1.

EL CAPITAN 44, WEST HILLS 32 - The battle for second place in the Grossmont
North League was hardly a thing of beauty Friday night (Feb. 15), but nobody
at El Capitan is complaining about the outcome. The visiting Vaqueros
dominated on the boards to overcome a sub-par shooting night as they defeated
host West Hills.

Jessica Cable and Heather Molzen collected 16 offensive rebounds between them
and finished with 15 caroms apiece for the Vaqueros (19-8, 6-2). Cable
generated 11 points and made 5 steals, while Molzen blocked 2 shots and
scored 5 points.

Valli Burks captured game-high honors with 15 points while gathering 5
rebounds and 5 steals. Alissa Unden tossed in 7 points, the bulk of which
came on 5 for 5 free throw shooting.

Although Cable did not have a huge scoring night, she did provide a
much-needed spark on a couple of occasions. She scored the initial basket of
the game two minutes into the first period, and then scored the first field
goal of the second half at the 3:39 mark of the third quarter.

"It was a very disappointing game for us," West Hills coach Dave Burgess
said. "It was like we were in a fog all night. I went in thinking we were the
second-best team in the league, but we so underachieved. I think it was our
worst game of the year."

West Hills (17-11, 4-4) shot 24 percent from the field, including 1 for 10
from 3-point range. The lone 3-pointer belonged to Amanda Brown, who finished
the regular season with 63 treys. El Capitan did not a make a 3-pointer in
the game.

Erin Hourigan led West Hills with 9 points while grabbing 5 rebounds and
blocking 4 shots. Julie Strick added 8 points for the Pack.

Other El Capitan scoring: Lyric Teigen 4, Rachel Overson 2.

Other West Hills scoring: Brown 5, Katy Kelly 4, Jordan Russo 3, Melissa
Porter 2, Beth Tronerud 1.

MONTE VISTA 51, HELIX 25 - Marisa Mohan scored a game-high 18 points and
grabbed a game-leading 13 rebounds while recording 4 steals for the
Highlanders (0-25, 0-8). But nobody else on the Helix squad scored more than
two points, as the visiting Monarchs breezed to the Grossmont South League
victory in Friday's (Feb. 15) regular season finale.

Ashley Shriver and Lisa Roper paced the Monarchs (14-13, 5-3) with 14 and 12
points, respectively. Shriver dropped in one 3-pointer, while Roper hit her
52nd and 53rd treys.

Roper handed out 5 assists and pilfered 4 Helix passes, while Shriver also
had 4 steals. Dyanne Lorenzana hit 7 of 8 free throws on her way to 9 points,
while Rachel Vorman snagged a team-high 8 rebounds. Amy Reiland picked off 4
rebounds and dished off 3 assists. Erika Munoz and Alysha Daigle also had 3
assists each.

Mohan, a sophomore center, connected on 7 of 16 shots from the floor and 4 of
7 free throws. The remainder of the Highlander squad were collectively 4 for
20 from the field and 1 for 4 from the free throw line. Thirty-one turnovers
didn't help the Highlanders' cause. Neither did losing Desiree Marheine to a
first-half ankle injury. X-rays on Marheine's ankle were negative.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 6, Munoz 4, Rachel Vorman 4,
Reiland 2.

Other Helix scoring: Brandy Wilson 2, Marheine 2, Robyn Jordan 2, Stevi
Browne 1.

GRANITE HILLS 58, VALHALLA 26 - Joelle Bunnell scored all of her game-high
14 points in the second quarter as the Eagles (17-10, 5-3) claimed a 25-8
scoring edge and turned Friday night's (Feb. 15) Grossmont South League
finale into a rout.

Bunnell, who was feeling ill and thus played sparingly, hit four 3-pointers
to raise her East County total to 95. The 5-foot-7 junior also rustled up 6
steals and 6 rebounds before calling it a night.

Junior Jeannie Case turned in another steady performance, generating 9
points, 8 rebounds and 7 steals for the Eagles. Sophomore Amanda McCurdy
added 9 points and 5 rebounds, while sophomore Amy Hoyt tallied 8 points and
3 rebounds. Junior Brenda Najor chimed in with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
Junior Rochelle Arrington handed out 5 assists.

It was a long night for the Norsemen (8-19, 2-6), which ended the season with
a resounding thud as they were blanked 12-0 in the final quarter.

Megan Alexander led the Norsemen with 6 points, while senior Kelly Wyatt hit
her 40th 3-point basket.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jennifer Young 4, Arrington 3, Jenny Holden 3,
Megan Suggs 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Jennifer Kolegraff 5, Jasmine Beauchamp 4, Angel
Burch 4, Wyatt 3, Adriana Malone 2.

END OF REGULAR SEASON
(02-15-02)


Zero fouls called in Christian's win over Crawford

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - Marilee Parnell scored 12 points and Maggie McGill executed a
3-point hat trick en route to 11 points Thursday night (Feb. 14) as the
Christian High Patriots concluded the Harbor league season with a 44-14 romp
over winless Crawford.

There was little suspense in this game, but at least one record was tied.

"The refs never called a foul," Christian coach Tim Jollett reported.

Christian (13-14, 5-5) took a 15-2 lead in the first quarter and never looked
back. It was 20-6 at the half and 37-12 after three quarters.

"I'm happy about our season because the girls played hard," Jollett said.

Now, it's on to the San Diego CIF Division IV playoff for the Patriots, who
will find out at Saturday's (Feb. 16) pairings meeting who they play in next
Wednesday's opening round.

Other Christian scoring: Jenny Ray 7, Cassandra Stone 6, Rachel Edelan 4,
Jamie Ray 2, Jessica Harris 1, Kyleen Murray 1.

(02-14-02)


Eagles secure tie for second with season-split against Monarchs

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Joelle Bunnell rarely has a sub-par game. The Granite Hills junior
is a multi-talented performer who has kept the Eagles in contention for a
second-place finish in the Grossmont South League throughout the 2002
campaign.

Coach Jay Rowlett's Eagles (16-10, 4-3) knocked off the visiting Monte Vista
Monarchs 53-47 Tuesday (Feb. 12) behind Bunnell's 20 points to earn a split
of their two-game series and leave the two squads knotted for the runner-up
spot behind champion Mount Miguel.

While Bunnell nailed a trio of three-pointers (giving her an East County-high
91), grabbed 7 rebounds, swiped 4 passes and handed out 3 assists, it was the
defensive work of Jeannie Case on Monte Vista standout Lisa Roper that turned
the tide in Granite Hills' favor. Roper had to settle for 10 points, most of
which came on 6-for-6 free throw shooting.

"Jeannie really made a difference for us in this game," Rowlett said. "Her
ability to handle Roper was the key."

Roper scored 21 points when the Monarchs grounded the Eagles 56-47 in the
first-round meeting on Jan. 29.

Case also contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals to the Granite Hills
cause. Rachel Arrington added 9 points, 3 assists and 2 steals, while Brenda
Najor pitched in with 6 rebounds, Amy Hoyt picked off 5 caroms and Jennifer
Young collected 4 steals.

Ashley Shriver scored 8 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 10
points for Monte Vista (13-13, 4-3). Rachel Vorman added 10 points and 7
rebounds for the losers who also welcomed Dyanne Lorenzana's 9 points and 10
rebounds.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Najor 5, Young 4, Jenny Holden 2, Amanda
McCurdy 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Ericka Munoz 6, Amy Reiland 1, Tara Campbell 1.

WEST HILLS 58, GROSSMONT 38 - West Hills set a school record for victories
in a season with No. 17 at the expense of the Foothillers in Tuesday's (Feb.
12) Grossmont North League action. And the good news for the Wolf Pack
(17-10, 4-3), which set the previous school record for wins (16) in coach
Dave Burgess' first year last season, has 8 of the top 10 players from this
group are returning next season.

The Pack took a bite out of the Foothillers (16-11, 2-6) in the first period,
clawing in front 17-5 after one period. West Hills was sitting on a 28-18
cushion by intermission, as the Foothillers were an unbelievable 2-for-31
from the field. The Hillers hung on by converting 13 of 18 free throws.

"Grossmont is a good team that had an 'off' shooting night," Burgess said.
"But we played good defense, too."

Katy Kelly scored a career-high 22 points to pace the Pack. She nailed a pair
of 3-pointers, while Amanda Brown (13 points) buried a trio of threes and
Melissa Porter (10 points) popped in two more. That West Hills trio accounted
for 45 points. Beth Tronerud grabbed a team-best 6 rebounds and also chipped
in 5 points.

Julie Strick, who injured her "off hand" in practice, contributed only 2
points, but did an excellent job in other areas for West Hills. She produced
team highs of 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

"She was very effective defensively," Burgess added.

Nobody reached double scoring figures for Grossmont, as the Felice sisters -
Laura and Lyndsay - each had 9. Sarah Fernandes was the surprise performer
for Grossmont, as she grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and scored 6 points.
Lyndsay Felice snagged 7 rebounds, while freshman guard Jaclyn Goldbarg
dished off 5 assists, made 3 steals and settled for 7 points.

As much as Grossmont has struggled in the Grossmont North, both Burgess and
Yeakle believe the Hillers will be able to land the 12th and final berth in
the San Diego CIF Division II post-season tournament.

Other West Hills scoring: Jordan Russo 3, Tasha Chouinard 2, Megan Hourigan
1.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 7.

EL CAPITAN 70, EL CAJON VALLEY 39 - When the El Capitan Vaqueros look around
the county, they must wonder what life in another league other than the
Grossmont North would be like.

After all, the Vaqueros, smothered by the presence of perennial power Santana
as they figure to reach the 20-win mark this season, would be championship
material in the majority of county circuits.

Nine Vaqueros contributed to the scoring column in Tuesday's (Feb. 12) romp
over visiting El Cajon Valley (3-17, 0-7). Jessica Cable led the way with 18
points, 13 rebounds and 6 steals. Freshman Heather Molzen pulled off a
double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Alissa Unden cranked in 14
points and doled out 3 assists.

Lyric Teigen tacked on 10 points and handed out a team-high 4 assists. Becky
Holley had a big night in reserve, rolling in 6 points, hauling down 5
rebounds and recording 4 steals. Valli Burks garnered 8 rebounds and made 6
steals.

Unden, Holley, Teigen, Mindy Carr, Burks and Cable each hit a 3-pointer.

Credit the Braves for not hoisting the white flag, as they closed to within
three points in the third quarter. El Cap broke the game open with a
33-point burst during the final eight minutes.

Ferrari Funches coined a double-double for El Cajon Valley with 10 points and
10 rebounds to go along with 6 steals and 2 assists. NiNi Herron added 11
rebounds and 9 points for the Braves. Tina Khun and Tashiana Foster each hit
a 3-pointer.

Other El Capitan scoring: Burks 5, Carr 3, Mallory Palmer 2, Nicole Overson
2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Tina Khun 6, Joyce Barton 4, Tashiana Foster
3, Abigail Mendez 2, Donette Randall 2, JoJo Harris 2, Roschelle Boyd 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 52, HELIX 22 - Grossmont South League-champion Mount Miguel
forced 38 turnovers as the Matadors wrapped up the regular season on Tuesday
(Feb. 12) with an easy victory over the visiting Highlanders. It was the 16th
straight league victory for the Matadors (20-7, 8-0), who have won their last
10 starts overall this year.

"Mount Miguel is a solid team, because they are so well rounded," praised
Helix coach Kathy Gunion. "They don't have one girl getting big numbers, but
they may have four of the best players in our league. There is more to this
game than just scoring, and they do all those things well. They are very
tough defensively."

Christine Fitzgerald fired in 15 points, notched 7 steals and claimed 5
rebounds for the Matadors, who substituted freely. Kayla Henry tapped in 8
points, snagged 7 rebounds and pilfered 5 passes, while Chelsey Dixon
collected 8 points. Dixon has become a late-season threat from 3-point range,
and may a factor in the playoffs. She canned her 14th and 15th treys against
the Highlanders (0-24, 0-7).

Ijal Barnes shared team-high rebounding honors with Henry at 7, while tossing
in 5 points.

Mount Miguel coach Robby Sandoval was especially pleased with the defensive
work of junior Dorian Steel.

"She is one of our key defensive players," he acknowledged.

Marisa Mohan led Helix with 8 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. Ashley
Terrell landed the Highlanders' lone 3-pointer.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Genevieve Costello 6, Lyneth Labuguen 3, Teresa
Melendez 3, Ivanna Velez 2, Steel 2.

Other Helix scoring: Desiree Marheine 4, Verita White 4, Robyn Jordan 3,
Terrell 3.

CORONADO 43, CHRISTIAN 41 - The good news for the Patriots is they'll have
leading scorer Maggie McGill available for all playoff games.

The frustrating news is Christian narrowly missed upsetting the Harbor
League-champion Islanders Tuesday night (Feb. 12) on the peninsula. Kara
Solem's put-back at the buzzer gave Coronado the nod, keeping the Islanders
(18-7, 9-0) undefeated against Harbor League competition.

"Winning this one would have really helped us out as far as the (power)
rankings for the (Division IV) playoffs seeding," Christian Tim Jollett
admitted. "I thought the (winning) shot came after the buzzer, but the ref
didn't agree."

McGill led the Patriots (12-14, 4-5) with 13 points, while Marilee Parnell
popped in 10 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Cassandra Stone turned in a
solid game of 9 points and 9 rebounds for Christian.

Other Christian scoring: Jenny Ray 8, Kyleen Murray 2.
(2-12-02)


Foothillers could be on outside looking in come playoffs

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - If any East County team had the right to beef about the current
power ratings system being used to determine playoff positions, it would be
the Grossmont Foothillers. Coach Walley Yeakle's Hillers will win no less
than 16 games this season, yet stand the possibility of not qualifying for
the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs, under the current rating game.

"It's not a great system," admits Santana coach Wade Vickery, whose Sultans
swamped the Hillers 80-36 in a Grossmont North League game on Friday night
(Feb. 8). "I don't like the power-rating system. It has a lot of flaws. There
are too many ways the power ratings can be abused.

"I still believe that the coaches could decide it, do their own seeding.
That's the better way of doing it."

No change appears in the offing at the moment, however. Thus, the Foothillers
face a must-win situation when they host West Hills in their regular season
finale on Tuesday (Feb. 12).

"We need to beat West Hills to definitely make it in," said Yeakle, noting
that Grossmont stands 16-10 overall and 2-5 in the Grossmont North. "I think
the power ratings system stinks.

"There are two teams ahead of us that we beat earlier this year. But because
they play in a weaker league, they can pick up some easy wins. In our league
you're dealing with some pretty good teams. It starts with having to face
state-power Santana twice - and that's 25 percent of our league schedule."

Under the current power rating system, league games count for 60 percent of
the rating value. In other words, in Grossmont's case, 19 games count for 40
percent of the power rating and 8 games carry 60 percent of the weight.

Meanwhile, Margeaux Bass scored 17 points, including a pair of 3s, and dished
out 5 assists to lead the Sultans (24-2, 7-0) over the Hillers. Amanda
Krismer and Jaime Ransom scored 14 points apiece, while Brooke Sutton
collected 12 rebounds and 6 steals.

Jackie Turpin scored 8 of her 10 points during a 25-5 second-quarter Santana
surge that staked the Sultans to a 43-16 halftime lead. She also had 8 steals
and 5 assists.

Santana shot 48 percent from the field (30 of 62), but clicked on only 17 of
32 free throws.

The Hillers, on the other hand, were a paltry 13 of 55 from the field (24
percent), and 7 of 11 from the free throw line.

Jaclyn Goldbarg scored 12 points and handed out 8 assists for Grossmont,
which also got 11 points from Laura Felice. Goldbarg had one trey, while
Felice hit two to go along with 3 steals. Heather Hemingway led Grossmont
with 8 rebounds.

Other Santana scoring: Denise Bennett 8, Sutton 7, Marina Praporski 4,
Courtney Ash 2, Christine Roy 2, Jennifer Johnson 2.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 9, Hemingway 2, Lyndsay Felice 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 65, VALHALLA 31 - Coach Robbie Sandoval's Matadors clinched
their second-straight Grossmont South League championship while running their
circuit winning streak to 15 games Friday night (Feb. 8) at Valhalla.

Christine Fitzgerald cast in 5 three-pointers on her way to a game-high 17
points for the Matadors (19-7, 7-0). She also had 5 steals, 4 rebounds and a
pair of assists.

Kayla Henry hammered in 14 points, ripped off 8 rebounds, pilfered 5 passes
and rejected 2 shots for Mount Miguel. Genevieve Costello chipped in with 10
points and 7 assists, while Ijal Barnes collected 8 caroms, 8 points and
blocked 2 shots. Sophomore Chelsey Dixon hit a trio of 3-pointers, and
Costello added another, giving Mount Miguel 9 bulleyes from above the arc.

"Our plan was to take away their inside game," Valhalla coach Robert Wilson
said. "And we were able to do that by compacting in. You never think of Mount
Miguel as being a great outside shooting team, but give them credit. They
couldn't miss from the perimeter against us."

Jennifer Kolegraff paced Valhalla (8-18, 2-5) with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4
steals. Kelly Wyatt and Cathy Russo each hit a three-pointer, and Megan
Alexander collected 8 rebounds.

"It was a physical game, but we turned up the pressure on them in the second
quarter," said Sandoval, whose Matadors used an 18-4 second quarter rush to
open up a 31-13 advantage by the break.

"They threw a 1-2-2 zone at us," Sandoval added. "But we attacked it with a
lot of different looks. I think we surprised some people at how well we can
shoot from outside."

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Catalina Diaz 3, Dorian Steel 2, Amanda Beasley
2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Jasmine Beauchamp 7, Wyatt 5, Russo 4, Alexander 4,
Angel Burch 2.

WEST HILLS 61, EL CAJON VALLEY 35 - Amanda Brown hit five 3-pointers for a
game-high 15 points to lead visiting West Hills (16-10, 3-3) to the easy
Grossmont North League victory Friday night (Feb. 8). Brown has 60
three-pointers, to rank second in East County.

Erin Hourigan played a strong game at the post for West Hills, ringing up 11
points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Katy Kelly canned a pair of treys and
finished with 10 points.

Jordan Russo and Melissa Porter had 5 rebounds apiece, while Caitlin Weiss
had a team-best 4 steals.

"We tried to get everybody minutes," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said. "So
when you do that, you don't have continuity on the court."

West Hills shot only 34 percent (23 of 67) from the field, but missed only 1
of 9 free throw attempts.

Donette Randall set the scoring pace with 8 points for El Cajon Valley (3-16,
0-6). Ferrari Funches scored only 6 points, but pulled down 9 rebounds, while
NiNi Herron contributed 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Other West Hills scoring: Julie Strick 6, Megan Hourigan 4, Beth Tronerud 4,
Tasha Chouinard 4, Nicolle Fedor 4, Weiss 3.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: JoJo Harris 5, Joyce Barton 3, Abigail Mendez
2, Tashiana Foster 2, Tina Khun 2.

GRANITE HILLS 63, HELIX 42 - Joelle Bunnell scored 31 points, 11 rebounds
and 8 steals as the Eagles (15-10, 3-3) breezed to the Grossmont South League
victory over the visiting Highlanders Friday night (Feb. 8).

Bunnell scored 13 points in the first quarter to propel the Eagles to a 21-11
lead. She missed a large portion of the second period with foul problems, but
would raise her East County-leading three-point totals to 88 with 4 treys
against the Highlanders (0-23, 0-6).

Brenda Najor powered in 12 points and cleared 12 rebounds for Granite Hills,
which also received 11 points, 7 steals and 8 rebounds from Jeannie Case.

Sophomore Stevi Browne paced Helix with 12 points, while Marisa Mohan tallied
11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals. Desiree Marheine chimed in with 8 points,
7 rebounds and 5 assists. Verita White shared team-high rebounding honors
with 9, and Ashley Terrell hit a 3-pointer and notched 4 steals for the
Highlanders.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jennifer Young 6, Rochelle Arrington 3, Amy
Hoyt 1.

Other Helix scoring: White 4, Natalie Glenn 4, Terrell 3.

MADISON 53, CHRISTIAN 45 - Cassandra Stone scored 15 points, and Jenny Ray
added 14 for the Christian High Patriots (12-13, 4-4) on Friday (Feb. 8) as
they disappointed a Senior Night crowd at the Ryan Athletic Center.

"We beat this team in the first round," said Christian coach Tim Jollett, who
hopes his Patriots can secure the No. 6 seed in the SDCIF Division IV
playoffs. "We did terrible on the boards, gave up way too many second shots.
And then they made some outside shots that really hurt us. They didn't do
that the first time we played them. I was happy that, despite not shooting
very well, we managed to score 45 points. That should have been enough for us
to win."

Other Christian scoring: Marilee Parnell 5, Rachel Edelan 4, Kyleen Murray,
Kelli Murray 4, Jamie Ray 4, Jessica Harris 1.

(02-08-02)


Turpin wakes up Sultans, scores 23 in win over Vaqueros

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - The top four teams in the Grossmont North have a combined record of
71-29. Very impressive - unless, of course, Santana is included in mix.

While El Capitan, West Hills and Grossmont are a combined 48-27 overall, it
doesn't mean much when you're lined up against the Santana Sultans.

While Santana, the No. 2 ranked team in San Diego County, has not lost a
league game since 1997, it should come as no surprise that the Sultans (23-2,
6-0) have clinched at least a tie for the 17th league title under legendary
coach Wade Vickery via Tuesday's (Feb. 5) 85-55 victory over rival El Capitan.

The Sultans need to win only one of their final two games to claim exclusive
rights to the title.

Although the Sultans trailed the visiting Vaqueros 20-18 after one quarter,
Santana never broke stride, as the usually conservative Jackie Turpin erupted
for a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds to key the Sultans'
comeback. Turpin, an unselfish player who often passes up many good shots to
set up her teammates, came in with a 6.9 season scoring average.

"She was awesome," Vickery said. "She played a complete game for us."

True to her athletic capability, Turpin proved that she can score when the
situation warrants. In addition to netting 7 field goals and 9 of 11 free
throws, she contributed 5 assists and 6 steals.

Amanda Krismer collected a double-double of 22 points - including one
3-pointer - and 10 rebounds, while Jaime Ransom rolled in 21 points.

"We played very well, and El Capitan was on fire in the first half - they
played fantastic," Vickery said. "El Capitan executed offensively very, very
well, and led for a lot of the first half. They were shooting the lights out.
We led only 47-41 at halftime, but we didn't panic. I told the girls that we
were playing pretty well, but that El Cap was playing really well."

Alissa Unden scored a team-high 17 points to pace the Vaqueros (17-8, 4-2).
She nailed a pair of 3s and 8 of 9 free throws.

"Our Big Four - Turpin, Ransom, Krismer and (Brooke) Sutton - all played very
well," Vickery stated. "El Capitan played tough and we played well. I was
very pleased with the intensity of our game. Brooke made some big time
rebounds in heavy traffic. She always seems to come through for us when we
need the big play."

Sutton finished with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals.

Jessica Cable got whacked in the head in the second quarter and lost a
contact. With no backup contacts, Cable still scored 6 points in the fourth
quarter for El Capitan, and finished with 10 points (including a 3-pointer),
12 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocked shots.

Valli Burks, who fouled out with four minutes left in the game, added 11
points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds for the Vaqueros. Rachel Overson didn't do a
whole lot of scoring, but hauled down 9 rebounds and made 5 steals for El
Capitan, and Lyric Teigen tacked on 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Other Santana scoring: Sutton 7, Denise Bennett 5, Margeaux Bass 3, Courtney
Ash 2, Christine Roy 2.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nichole Overson 5, Becky Holley 5, Teigen 2,
Heather Molzen 2, Rachel Overson 2, Mallory Palmer 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 52, GRANITE HILLS 48 - In football there's an adage that goes
'Offense for show, Defense for dough.'

The Granite Hills Eagles have one of the top offensive players in the county
in junior Joelle Bunnell. No question, the 5-foot-7 scoring phenom is worthy
of the paid admission, as she leads East County with 84 three-pointers.
Bunnell came through with 15 points, including her 83rd and 84th treys of the
season, in Tuesday's (Feb. 5) Grossmont South League game against visiting
Mount Miguel.

Bunnell proved that she's not just a scorer, as she finished with 11 rebounds
before fouling out with three minutes left in the game.

When the game was on the line, however, the Matadors' pickpocket defense
proved to be fail-safe, as Mount Miguel extended their winning streak to
eight straight.

"We started off pretty slow," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "We
missed too many layups in the first half. We had good opportunities to extend
our lead, and didn't take advantage of them."

Brenda Najor scored 17 points and garnered 12 rebounds to lead Granite Hills
(14-10, 2-3).

"Najor just killed us," Sandoval said of the 5-foot-8 junior. "She picked up
a lot of garbage balls off the offensive glass - got 10 of her points from
offensive rebounds in the second half. She was the key. She kept them in the
game - stride for stride with us."

Christina Fitzgerald logged another double-double for Mount Miguel, scoring
15 of her 20 points in the second half as she finished with 10 rebounds. Her
totals included 9 for 10 shooting from the free throw line.

Red-hot Kayla Henry scored 14 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for the
Matadors, while Ijal Barnes yanked down a game-high 13 boards.

Jennifer Young chipped in with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
for Granite Hills.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Genevieve Costello 9, Barnes 6, Dorian Steel 2,
Natasha Edwards 1.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jeannie Case 4, Rachel Arrington 4.

MONTE VISTA 60, VALHALLA 46 - Lisa Roper rose to the occasion with 27
points to carry the visiting Monarchs to the Grossmont South League over the
Valhalla Norsemen on Tuesday (Feb. 5).

Roper lassoed 5 three-pointers, giving her 51 treys for the season. She was
also 6 for 8 from the free throw line, pilfered 5 passes, handed out 3
assists and corralled 2 rebounds.

"Lisa went on a 6-point scoring streak before she missed, then hit another 10
points before missing," assistant coach Sig Chabrowski said.

Megan Alexander had a career game for the Norsemen, knocking down 8 of 9
field goals - including 5 for 5 in the fourth quarter - as she finished with
17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

Briette Storrs chipped in with 8 points and 7 rebounds in her final game for
the Norsemen, as she will leave soon for France on tour with the Valhalla
French Club.

Jennifer Kolegraff pulled down 6 rebounds and handed out 6 assists while
finishing with 4 points for the Norsemen, who also received a career-high 7
points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists from freshman Angel Burch. Kelly Wyatt hit
her 38th three-pointer of the year.

"We rebounded the ball really, really well tonight," said Valhalla coach
Robert Wilson. "For 30 of 32 minutes we played right with them. Then the last
minute of the second quarter and the last minute of the third quarter, they
outscored us by 13 points. And we only lost by 14 points."

Commenting on defending Roper, Wilson said, "We didn't go box-and-one like
some teams do. I have a lot of respect for Lisa and she had a great game. And
she burned us."

Dyanne Lorenzana led Monte Vista's supporting cast with 9 points, 4 rebounds
and 4 steals. Amy Reiland added 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 points for the
Monarchs, while Ashley Shriver corralled 7 rebounds and pilfered 3 passes.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 4, Tara Campbell 4, Erika Munoz
4, Rachel Vorman 4, Alysha Daigle 2, Shriver 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Jasmine Beauchamp 7, Wyatt 3.

GROSSMONT 60, EL CAJON VALLEY 34 - This one could have gotten ugly,
considering the visiting Foothillers (16-9, 2-4) were in desperate need of a
victory and the Braves (3-15, 0-5) were missing their No. 1 player in
Tuesday's (Feb. 5) Grossmont North League encounter.

Despite the mysterious absence of junior Ferrari Funches, the Braves trailed
the Hillers only 15-12 after one quarter. Grossmont, however, blazed to a
20-4 second quarter scoring edge and never looked back. It was the ninth
straight loss for El Cajon Valley, while the Foothillers snapped a four-game
losing streak.

Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg scored all of her game-high 21 points in the first
three quarters, and turned in a double-double for her efforts with 10 steals.

Heather Hemingway also enjoyed a double-double for Grossmont, coining 11
points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Sophomore Anne Gonzalez joined the varsity and chipped in with four points to
the Grossmont total.

Donette Randall, Joyce Barton and Tashiana Foster shared high-point honors
for the Braves with 7 apiece. Randall and Foster canned a pair of 3-pointers
each, while Roschelle Boyd picked off 7 rebounds, NiNi Herron hauled down 6
caroms.

Other Grossmont scoring: Natalie Vozely 6, Laura Felice 6, Lyndsay Felice 6,
Sarah Fernandes 4, Taryin Casillas 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Tina Khun 4, Boyd 4, Heather Mackin 2,
Abigail Mendez 2, Herron 2.

CHRISTIAN 34, HOOVER 28 - Maggie McGill scored a game-high 18 points and
Jenny Ray added 9, as the Patriots pranced past host Hoover in Tuesday's
(Feb. 5) Harbor League action.

"Maggie played well - better defensively than offensively," Christian coach
Tim Jollett said. "But as a team, we didn't have a whole lot of energy
tonight."

Christian led 21-10 at the half, but was outscored 13-7 in the third period
by the Cardinals (3-13, 3-4).

Other Christian scoring: Marilee Parnell 2, Rachel Edelan 2, Cassandra Stone
2, Kyleen Murray 1.

(02-05-02)


Eagles take Sweetwater out back to administer beating

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Joelle Bunnell tightened her grip on the San Diego County 3-point
shooting lead Saturday night (Feb. 2) when she netted 6 shots from beyond the
arc as the Eagles smashed Sweetwater 62-32 in the 5th annual Outback Hoop
Hysteria at Granite Hills.

Bunnell, a 5-foot-7 junior, has buried 82 three-pointers in 23 games this
season. She totaled 19 points and nearly executed a triple-double for Granite
Hills (14-9), finishing with 10 rebounds and 8 steals.

Jennifer Young chimed in with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals, while
Brenda Najor collected 12 points and 5 caroms. Amy Hoyt hit a pair of
3-balls, and Jeannie Case retrieved 7 rebounds and notched 7 steals.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Hoyt 9, Case 4, Jenny Holden 2, Amanda McCurdy
2, Megan Suggs 2.

(2-02-02


Burks provides margin in final phase for Vaqueros

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle is probably pleased to note that El
Capitan's Valli Burks is a senior. The 5-foot-3 guard has virtually destroyed
the Foothillers at the finish line in both Grossmont North League meetings
between these two teams.

Burks scored 12 of her 14 points in the final quarter Friday (Feb. 1) to lift
the visiting Vaqueros to a 67-51 victory over the Foothillers.

"She just tears us to pieces," said Yeakle, who noted that Burks scored 17 of
her 19 points in the fourth quarter of El Capitan's 69-66 first-round victory
Jan. 11 in Lakeside. "We just can't seem to stop her when the game's on the
line."

In her latest assault on the Foothillers, Burks - who was 0 for 4 from the
free throw line in the first three quarters - was 4 for 4 in the final
period. She also hit her only two 3-pointers in the game during the final
eight minutes.

Jessica Cable enjoyed another huge game against Grossmont, collecting 18
rebounds, 15 points and 4 steals. She was also 9 of 11 from the free throw
line. Alissa Unden knocked down a trio of 3-pointers, was 6 for 6 from the
charity stripe, and totaled a game-high 19 points.

Nichole Overson chipped in with 7 points and 4 steals for the Vaqueros. Becky
Holley tacked on a 3-pointer to the victor's totals, while Heather Molzen
blocked 4 shots and cleared 10 rebounds for El Cap.

El Capitan (17-7, 4-1) was 27 for 38 from the free throw line.

The Foothillers had an off shooting night, hitting just 1 of 12
three-pointers. They connected on only 17 of 62 shots overall (27 percent).

Taryin Casillas led the Hillers (15-9, 1-4) with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 6
steals. Lyndsay Felice added 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaclyn Goldbarg
chalked up 10 points, 6 steals and 4 assists.

Other El Capitan scoring: Lyric Teigen 4, Molzen 2, Rachel Overson 2,
Mallory Palmer 1.

Other Grossmont scoring: Laura Felice 7, Natalie Vozely 6, Heather Hemingway
4, Lindsay Miller 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 65, MONTE VISTA 30 - Kayla Henry scored 22 points, grabbed 11
rebounds, blocked 3 shots and made 4 steals, while Christine Fitzgerald
tossed in 20 points, dished off 10 assists, corralled 8 rebounds and pilfered
5 passes to lead the Matadors (17-7, 5-0) to the Grossmont South League
victory on Friday (Feb. 1) at Mount Miguel.

Genevieve Costello chipped in 12 points for the Matadors, who marched out to
a 29-9 lead and continued on to their seventh straight victory.

"We didn't allow (Monte Vista's Lisa) Roper to run their offense," Mount
Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "We basically took her out of the game."

Nevertheless, Roper managed to lead the Monarchs with 13 points, but was
blanked in the 3-point shot column. Fact is, Monte Vista (12-12, 3-2) shot only 24 percent
(10 for 41) and made only 7 of 17 shots from the free throw line.

The Matadors clicked on 55 percent of 44 shots from the field.

"You put Roper on some of these teams that have more athletes and she could
probably score 25 points a game," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss said. "We
just don't have the personnel to take the pressure off her. She's a stand-up
kid who doesn't complain. She's the Player of the Year in our league, as far
as I'm concerned."

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Ijal Barnes 6, Chelsey Dixon 3, Catalina Dias 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Amy Reiland 5, Ashley Shriver 5, Dyanne Lorenzana
3, Shalia Bohannon 2, Erika Munoz 2.

SANTANA 93, WEST HILLS 35 - Jaime Ransom scored 24 points to lead five
Santana players in double figures Friday night (Feb. 1) as the Sultans
swamped host West Hills. It was the third time in as many meetings that the
Sultans (22-2, 5-0) have beaten the Wolf Pack this season.

As a team the Sultans shot 57 percent (39 for 68) from the field, including 5
of 12 from 3-point range. Ransom made 11 of 18 shots, including 2 for 4 from
above the arc. Santana crushed West Hills on the boards 44-24.

"We really got physically pushed around," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said.
"Santana's legit - they beat us the worst this time of the three."

The Sultans took a 27-13 first-quarter lead, extended to 57-19 by the half,
and led 80-27 after three quarters.

Amanda Krismer had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists for the Sultans, who
also go 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals from Brooke Sutton. Denise Bennett
chipped in with a dozen points and 6 steals, while Margeaux Bass had a
double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Never to be overlooked was Jackie
Turpin, who contributed 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 points. Courtney Ash
tossed in 6 points from above the arc.

"We played extremely well defensively, in particular," Santana coach Wade
Vickery said. "We pressured them and were very active with our hands, causing
a lot of deflections and retrieving loose balls. We got up 12-4, they closed
it to 12-11, and the next thing I knew, we were up by 25."

Santana was coming off a 10-point loss to top-ranked La Jolla Country Day two
days earlier, which made Vickery wonder how his team would react coming off a
rare defeat.

"That LJCD was very emotional," Vickery said. "But I was pleased to see that
our kids came out and played hungry tonight. We are a good team. And good
teams prove their mettle by bouncing back."

Katy Kelly hit a pair of threes on her way to a team-best 12 points for West
Hills (15-10, 2-3). Erin Hourigan added 11 points and 5 rebounds.

Other Santana scoring: Marina Praporski 3, Christine Roy 2.

Other West Hills scoring: Julie Strick 5, Kelly Andersen 4, Amanda Brown 2,
Beth Tronerud 1.

VALHALLA 48, HELIX 35 - Junior Cathy Russo had not made a single
three-pointer all season - until Friday (Feb. 1) - when the visiting Norsemen
needed a lift in their Grossmont South League game at Helix.

The winless Highlanders (0-5, 0-22) were trailing Valhalla 41-35 with 2:06
remaining.

"It was getting a little tense right there," Valhalla coach Robert Wilson
admitted.

That's when the 5-foot-4 Russo stepped into the limelight and launched a
three-point shot - right on target. Not only did her trey extend the
Norsemen's lead to 44-35, it created a major shift in momentum.

"It was huge," Wilson said.

Russo finished with a season-high 8 points.

Kelly Wyatt scored a team-high 10 points for Valhalla, including a pair of
3s, giving her 37 treys for the season.

Megan Alexander was a force inside for the Norsemen, garnering 11 rebounds,
blocking 3 shots and scoring 7 points. Briette Storrs and Jasmine Beauchamp
collected 6 rebounds apiece. Jennifer Kolegraff added 5 steals and 3
rebounds, while freshman Angel Burch contributed 3 assists and 3 rebounds.

Helix got a season-high 10 points from Stevi Browne, who also notched 6
steals. Ashley Terrell tossed in 6 points, including one 3. Calista Glenn
added 4 points and 4 steals for the Highlanders, while Desiree Marheine had a
team-high 7 rebounds, and Marisa Mohan picked off 5 steals.

"I was proud of the effort my team gave," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion.
"There have been a lot of times when we have been in that situation that we
would have given up. That didn't happen this time."

Other Valhalla scoring: Storrs 6, Adriana Malone 5, Kristina Fleming 5,
Beauchamp 4, Kolegraff 3.

Other Helix scoring: Robyn Jordan 4, Calista Glenn 4, Marheine 4, Mohan 3,
Brandy Wilson 3, Verita White 1.

CLAIREMONT 58, CHRISTIAN 49 - Three Patriots finished in double scoring
figures Friday (Feb. 1), but it wasn't enough as Christian succumbed to the
host Chieftains in a Harbor League contest.

Jenny Ray scored a team-high 20 points to pace the Patriots (11-12, 3-3).
Cassandra Stone added 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Marilee Parnell tallied
10 points and 6 rebounds.

The Chieftains (8-15, 5-1) capitalized 17 of 25 free throws to secure the
victory. Christian, on the other hand, missed 22 of 35 free throws.

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 6, Lauren Oldenberg 2.
(02-01-02)


Slow start costs Pats against Calvin

EastCountySports.com staff report

ESCONDIDO - When the Christian High Patriots fell behind host Calvin
Christian 23-3 after one quarter of Thursday's (Jan. 31) non-league game,
coach Tim Jollett probably thought about gathering the troops and getting
back on the bus.

Good thing Jollett & Co. hung around. The Patriots dominated the middle two
quarters and led by one point early in the fourth before Calvin Christian
pulled away for a 54-40 victory.

"We were up by one at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but when Maggie
(McGill) fouled out (early in the final period), it hurt us offensively,"
noted Jollett. "It was a great game after the first quarter. We stopped
taking risks at the post and started playing better defensive basketball. The
kids played really, really hard."

McGill finished with 12 points, while Jenny Ray scored a game-high 20 points
for the Patriots (11-11). Ray did much of her damage from the free throw
line, where she netted 8 of 10 chances.

Calvin Christian (11-4) claimed a 17-4 scoring edge over the final eight
minutes to defeat the Patriots for the second time this season.

Other Christian scoring: Cassandra Stone 4, Marilee Parnell 2, Kyleen Murray
2.

(01-31-02)


Torres not intimidated by Sultans' intimate surroundings

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - It was a playoff atmosphere to be sure. A full house at Santana on
Wednesday night (Jan. 30) watched the top-ranked Torres of La Jolla Country
Day knock off the No.2-ranked Sultans, 68-58, in a non-league match of the
county's best girls basketball teams.

Candace Wiggins led the Torres (18-4) with a game-high 31 points. The
5-foot-11 sophomore nailed 8 of 14 shots from the field - including a pair of
three-pointers - and sank 13 of 20 free throws.

"We did a pretty good job of defending her, but Wiggins is tough," Santana
coach Wade Vickery said after the Sultans (21-2) had their 17-game winning
streak snapped. "She's unbelievably quick, strong and she has height. She can
drive to the basket with both her left and right hands. And she can shoot the
three. She's the best player in the county."

LJCD maintained the lead throughout, although the Sultans trailed only 18-14
after one quarter and 36-31 at the break. The Torres started fast in the
third quarter to stretch their lead to 11 points. Santana never got closer
than four thereafter.

Jaime Ransom led Santana with 17 points, hitting a hat trick of
three-pointers. Amanda Krismer tossed in 16 points, including 6 of 7 free
throws, while Brooke Sutton chipped in with 10 points and a team-high 9
rebounds.

Jackie Turpin handed out 8 assists and made 3 steals, while Courtney Ash
added 9 points for Santana.

"We can play better than we played tonight, but we did play hard," Vickery
said. "I'm disappointed that we didn't win, but I'm not overly depressed. It
was a good experience to go through. The place was packed and the competition
was the best."

The Torres are undefeated against San Diego County teams this season. Their
list of local conquests, includes overtime victories over Bishop's and
University City (which has split a pair of decisions with Santana). LJCD has
also beaten Kearny by 36 points and Mission Bay.

"They've played a great schedule," Vickery agreed. "They are legit. They
deserve to be No. 1."

Other Santana scoring: Turpin 4, Margeaux Bass 2.
(01-30-02)


No. 2 Sultans win, meet top-ranked Torres tonight

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - It's hardly a secret that the Santana Sultans are going to run away
with another Grossmont North League championship this year. What is
interesting is Santana (21-1), ranked No. 2 in the county and riding a
17-game winning streak, hosts top-ranked La Jolla Country Day (17-4)
Wednesday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m. The Torres, of course, boast sophomore
sensation Candace Wiggins, who carries a 29-point scoring average into
tonight's showdown.

The Sultans tuned up for their heavyweight title bout against LJCD by
disposing of Valhalla 76-33 in a non-league encounter Tuesday (Jan. 29) in
the Norsemen's Thunderdome.

Brooke Sutton set the pace for Santana with 18 points - on 8-for-10 shooting
- and 9 rebounds against the Norsemen (7-16). Jamie Ransom added 10 points
and 10 rebounds, while Jackie Turpin contributed 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6
steals and 6 points to the winners' earnings. Margeaux Bass tossed in 9
points, snagged 5 rebounds, dished 3 assists and recorded a pair of steals,
while Denise Bennett bagged 10 points. Amanda Krismer chimed in with 8
points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

Santana zoomed to a 28-5 first quarter lead and extended that advantage to
51-16 by the break.

Kelly Wyatt led Valhalla with 9 points, including her 35th trey of the
season. Jasmine Beauchamp added 8 points, while freshman April Burch dealt 4
assists and made 4 steals for the Norsemen.

"Wyatt did a lot of those little things that don't show up in the boxscore,"
said Valhalla coach Robert Wilson.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 7, Jennifer Johnson 5, Marina Praporski
3.

Other Valhalla scoring: Briette Storrs 7, Megan Alexander 6, Kristina
Fleming 2, Adriana Malone 2.

EL CAPITAN 50, EL CAJON VALLEY 30 - Given that Santana has a dynasty going
in the Grossmont North League it's sometimes easy to forget that there are
other quality units in the circuit performing under the so-called radar.

Take the El Capitan Vaqueros (16-7, 3-1) for example.

Coach Darin Curtis' crew is a solid second place team behind the Sultans in
their league, but should be regarded as a challenger for the San Diego CIF
Division II crown. In addition to Orange Glen and Mount Miguel, the Vaqueros
are right in the picture of contention.

Jessica Cable led El Cap in its latest conquest of struggling El Cajon Valley
with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Valli Burks chimed in with 10
points, 5 assists, 5 steals and 3 rebounds, while Rachel Overson slipped in
10 points and cleared 3 rebounds. Freshman Heather Molzen grabbed a game-high
12 rebounds and blocked 3 shots for the Vaqueros.

Ferrari Funches led El Cajon Valley (3-14, 0-4) with a game-high 15 points, 9
rebounds and 7 steals. She also converted 7 of 10 free throws, but none of
her teammates garnered more than 3 points.

El Capitan stormed to a 10-2 first-quarter lead and was sitting on a 26-5
cushion by the break.

Other El Capitan scoring: Mallory Palmer 6, Lyric Teigen 6, Becky Holley 3,
Nichole Overson 2, Molzen 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Tina Khun 4, Roschelle Boyd 3, Michelle
Thompson 3, Joyce Barton 3, NiNi Herron 2.

WEST HILLS 72, GROSSMONT 57 - The Wolf Pack (15-9, 2-2) used a school-record
31-point fourth quarter to blow out the visiting Foothillers in Tuesday's
(Jan. 29) Grossmont North League game.

West Hills' Julie Strick enjoyed her second major offensive production in as
many games, finishing with a game-high 24 points, including a trio of
three-pointers and 5-for-7 shooting from the free throw line. In her last two
games, Strick has generated 47 points (4 threes) and 11-of-13 free throws.

"Julie has really stepped up to the next level," West Hills coach Dave
Burgess said. "She's been awesome for us the past few games."

Katy Kelly enjoyed one of her finest nights in the Wolf Pack's Blue and
Silver, netting 15 points.

"Kelly made some hard-driving lay-ups, and did a great job finishing in
transition," Burgess said.

Burgess also heaped accolades upon sophomore Jordan Russo, who tossed in 9
points and was a pillar on defense.

"Jordan is such a versatile player who comes off the bench and gives us a lot
of quality minutes," he said.

Grossmont (15-8, 1-3), which took a 44-41 lead into the final quarter, was
led by Taryin Casillas' 18 points. Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg added 17 tallies,
most of which came on 13-for-17 free throw shooting. Laura Felice drilled in
three treys and finished with 13 points.

No other statistics were reported by either team.

Other West Hills scoring: Melissa Porter 5, Beth Tronerud 4, Kelly Andersen
2, Tasha Chouinard 2.

Other Grossmont scoring: Lyndsay Felice 6, Natalie Vozely 2, Sarah Fernandes
1.

MONTE VISTA 56, GRANITE HILLS 47 - Two of East County's top three-point
shooters matched up in Tuesday's (Jan. 29) Grossmont South League encounter.
But the game, which was scheduled for the Eagles' gym, was switched to Monte
Vista when a backboard at Granite Hills was broken prior to the game. The
teams will play at Granite Hills in the second round on Feb. 12.

While East County-leader Joelle Bunnell raised her total of three-pointers to
76 by nailing four treys en route to a game-high 22 points for Granite Hills,
it wasn't enough deny Monte Vista (12-11, 3-1) as the Monarchs leapfrogged
the Eagles into second place in the Grossmont South.

Paced by Lisa Roper's 21 points and three 3-pointers, the Monarchs marched to
leads of 22-7 and 31-18 and then held on for the victory.

Roper saved her most spectacular three-pointer for a last-second halfcourt
shot to close out the second quarter.

"She took a shot about 2 feet behind the center-court line," Monte Vista
assistant coach Sig Chabrowski said of Roper's 46th 3-ball of the season.

A 5-foot-7 senior, Roper also proved to be an accurate short-range shooter,
too, as she netted 8 of 10 free throws.

Ashley Shriver added 10 points for Monte Vista, which also received 7 points
and 7 rebounds from Dyanne Lorenzna. Erika Munoz copped a team-high 4 steals.

In addition to her 22 points, Bunnell grabbed 8 rebounds and made 4 steals
for Granite Hills (13-9, 2-2). Brenda Najor added 9 points and 9 rebounds
for the Eagles, while Rochelle Arrington finished with 10 points and 4
assists. Jennifer Young dished off 4 assists, tallied 4 points, grabbed 4
rebounds and notched 2 steals.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 7, Amy Reiland 4, Rachel Vorman
4, Tara Campbell 3.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Amy Hoyt 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 64, HELIX 21 - Spinning a shutout in baseball isn't all that
uncommon. But blanking an opponent for even one quarter is impressive in
basketball.

Considering that Mount Miguel traditionally boasts one of the county's most
tenacious defensive units, the winless Helix Highlanders (0-21, 0-4) might
feel fortunate that they came up scoreless in only one period of Tuesday's
(Jan. 29) Grossmont South League match up in La Mesa.

Of course, falling behind 19-0 (as Helix did) in the opening eight minutes
doesn't make for many happily-ever-after endings.

Christine Fitzgerald turned in her first triple-double of the season for the
Grossmont South League-leading Matadors (16-7, 4-0), finishing with 13
points, 10 steals and 10 assists. Fitzgerald's totals could have ballooned a
lot more had Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval elected to leave his front
line troops on the floor to pad their statistics.

Kayla Henry scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the first half as Mount
Miguel marched to 31-9 lead by intermission. She also corralled 10 rebounds
and pilfered 5 passes.

Genevieve Costello collected 10 points and 5 assists, and Ijal Barnes added
10 points in an abbreviated performance for the Matadors.

Marisa Mohan had 8 points to lead Helix, which committed 40 turnovers.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Chelby Dixon 5, Teresa Melendez 3, Natasha
Edwards 2.

Other Helix scoring: Ashley Terrell 5, Desiree Marheine 2, Verita White 2,
Natalie Glenn 2, Robyn Jordan 2.

CORONADO 57, CHRISTIAN 31 - The Patriots were served notice by the Harbor
League-leading Islanders that they are not ready to be prime-time players.
That's is, Christian (11-10, 3-2) was dismantled by the visiting Islanders
(14-7, 5-0) 30-14 in the opening half and never recovered.

Cassandra Stone led Christian with 8 points, while Marilee Parnell added 7
and Maggie McGill netted 6.

No other information was reported.
(01-29-02)


Eagles' effort good enough to finish off Norsemen

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Rivalry games tend to require a little something extra to finish
on top. Joelle Bunnell provided the visiting Granite Hills Eagles with the
winning edge in Friday night's (Jan. 25) Grossmont South League 55-44 victory
over archrival Valhalla in the Thunderdome.

Bunnell scored 14 points in the second quarter as the Eagles (13-8, 2-1)
outscored the Norsemen 22-7 to lead 33-16 at intermission.

In what was arguably one of her finest games, Bunnell netted 5 three-pointers
to expand her East County-leading total to 72 treys. But the 5-foot-7
junior's game was not only about shooting. She corralled 10 caroms off the
glass and made 6 steals.

"We needed a strong game from Joelle, because four of our girls were sick,"
Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "We just chugged along and,
fortunately, came out on top."

One distinctive edge Granite Hills enjoyed was from the free throw line,
where the Eagles converted 24 of 36 shots. In comparison, Valhalla was only 6
for 22 from the charity stripe.

"Basically, we gave them the game in the second quarter," Valhalla coach
Robert Wilson said. "We had a lot of people in foul trouble, and you can see
the results of that by the number of free throws Granite Hills had."

The Norsemen (7-15, 1-3) however, made a strong push to get back in the game
as they scored the first 11 points of the third quarter. That scoring spree
cut Granite Hills' lead to 33-27. Valhalla never got closer thereafter.

Wilson praised the play of Jasmine Beauchamp for igniting the third-quarter
comeback, as she scored 8 of her 9 points in that period.

Megan Alexander survived early foul difficulties to lead the Norsemen with 10
points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Beauchamp chipped in 8 rebounds,
while Kelly Wyatt popped in a pair of 3-pointers en route to a 9-point
outing. Jennifer Kolegraff scored only 4 points, but collected 5 rebounds and
a pair of steals. Freshman Angel Burch made a rare start at point guard and
contributed 5 points and 2 assists for Norsemen.

Jennifer Young and Jeannie Case combined for 14 points and 10 steals between
them for Granite Hills. Young also had 4 assists, while Brenda Najor added 4
points and 4 rebounds for the Eagles.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Amanda McCurdy 4, Rochelle Arrington 3, Amy
Hoyt 2, Jenny Holden 1.

Other Valhalla scoring: Briette Storrs 4, Kristina Fleming 2, Adriana Malone
1.

EL CAPITAN 70, WEST HILLS 59 - Although neither team is conceding the
Grossmont North League championship to Santana, Friday's (Jan. 25) encounter
between West Hills and El Capitan in Lakeside was, for all intents and
purposes, a scramble for second place.

The visiting Wolf Pack took a 47-46 lead into the final quarter, only to see
the Vaqueros (15-7, 2-1) ride a 24-12 fourth-quarter scoring surge to erase
the one-point deficit.

Valli Burks keyed the El Capitan comeback by hitting 8 of 10 free throws in
the fourth quarter. Alissa Unden and 6-foot-2 freshman Heather Molzen chipped
in with 6 points apiece during the final eight-minute session.

Unden, who connected for her 30th, 31st and 32nd three-pointers, garnered a
team-high 16 points for the Vaqueros. Jessica Cable chimed in with 15 points,
a dozen rebounds (7 offensive), and 3 assists.

Burks finished with 14 points - including 10 for 12 accuracy from the free
throw line - 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Molzen totaled 11 points for the night, blocked 2 shots and hauled down 9
rebounds (6 offensive).

El Capitan's Lyric Teigen was on key, netting 8 points, clearing 8 rebounds,
dishing off 5 assists and swiping 6 passes.

Julie Strick scored a game-high 23 points for West Hills (14-9, 1-2). She was
6 for 6 from the free throw line and tallied one of the Wolf Pack's six
3-pointers in the game.

Katy Kelly cashed in 11 points, including her 17th and 18th three-pointers of
the season. Amanda Brown ran her three-point basket total to 54 with a pair
of treys, and finished with 8 points for the night. Melissa Porter also
tossed in a trey for West Hills.

El Capitan opened up a 14-point lead midway through the second quarter, but
the Pack fought back and trailed only 34-28 at the break.

"We took a lead in the second half, but they were more aggressive and the
more physical team for the totality of the game," West Hills coach Dave
Burgess. "But I have to give credit to Erin Hourigan for doing a good job
defending Cable, and (5-foot-7) Jordan Russo, who was playing the post
against their big freshman (Molzen)."

Other El Capitan scoring: Rachel Overson 4, Becky Holley 2.

Other West Hills scoring: Erin Hourigan 8, Russo 4, Porter 3, Beth Tronerud
2.

MONTE VISTA 67, HELIX 36 - Nobody can accuse Monte Vista senior Lisa Roper
of being a ball hog. Her teammates found that to be rewarding, as Roper
turned 12 steals into easy baskets for Monte Vista (11-11, 2-1) in the
Grossmont South League rout of the visiting Highlanders (0-20, 0-3) on Friday
(Jan. 25).

"In the first half Roper was passing off the ball, until in the second half
the coach started encouraging her to shoot more," Monte Vista assistant coach
Sig Chabrowski said.

Roper scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the final two quarters, hitting
7 of 8 shots.

Ashley Shriver tallied 18 points, snagged 4 steals and picked off 3 rebounds,
while Dyanne Lorenzana - playing in her third game since recovering from
an ankle injury - powered in 14 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for the
Monarchs.

"Neither one of those two girls are afraid to take it to the basket,"
Chabrowski said.

Amy Reiland handed out 8 assists and made 7 steals for the Monarchs, who
forced Helix into 47 turnovers.

Marisa Mohan led Helix with 13 points. Ashley Terrell and Natalie Glenn each
hit a 3-pointer for the Highlanders.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Erika Munoz 8, Rachel Vorman 4, Reiland 2.

Other Helix scoring: Terrell 6, Desiree Marheine 6, Robyn Jordan 5, N.Glenn
3, Brandy Wilson 2, Stevi Browne 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 59, GROSSMONT 42 - When it comes to playing defense, not many
teams are more relentless than the Mount Miguel Matadors.

Just ask the Grossmont Foothillers. The Matadors (15-7) pressured the
visiting Hillers (15-7) into 37 turnovers and stormed to a 23-3 second
quarter scoring edge to win the non-league game Friday (Jan. 25) in Spring
Valley.

"Genevieve (Costello) and Teresa (Melendez) did a great job of denying
(Grossmont's Jaclyn) Goldbarg the ball in the first half," Mount Miguel coach
Robbie Sandoval said. "They didn't hardly let her touch it, and that's a big
reason we were able to break the game open."

Goldbarg was limited to 3 points in the opening half, but managed to reach
her season average with 14 in the game.

Mount Miguel completely dominated the boards, especially on the offensive end
- a fact not lost on Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle.

"They got 17 offensive rebounds to our 14 defensive," Yeakle lamented. "You
aren't going to win a game giving up numbers like those."

Kayla Henry scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked 3
shots to lead the Matadors. Christine Fitzgerald came close to a
triple-double, tossing in 17 points, ripping off 11 rebounds, and collecting
7 steals.

Costello handed out a game-high 10 assists to go along with 9 points, 4
steals and 4 rebounds. Ijal Barnes cleared 8 rebounds, swatted away 3 shots,
pilfered 4 passes, and netted 7 points.

Laura Felice was limited to 8 points - more than five below her average,
while Heather Hemingway grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds for Grossmont.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Natasha Edwards 2, Dorian Steel 2.

Other Grossmont scoring: Lyndsay Felice 6, Natalie Vozely 5, Hemingway 4,
Sarah Fernandes 3, Taryin Casillas 2.

SANTANA 69, EL CAJON VALLEY 30 - Jaime Ransom put together a brilliant
double-double, rolling in 28 points and grabbing 17 rebounds as the Sultans
(20-1, 4-0) smothered the struggling Braves (3-13, 0-3) Friday night (Jan.
25) in a Grossmont North League game at Santana.

Ransom was 12-for-24 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Margeaux Bass popped in 11 points, handed out 7 assists and made 3 steals for
Santana, which won its 16th straight game overall and hasn't lost a league
game since 1997.

Courtney Ash added 8 points and 4 rebounds to Santana's totals, which also
included 7 points and 6 rebounds from Amanda Krismer. Brooke Sutton
contributed 7 points, 4 steals and 7 rebounds, and Jackie Turpin notched 8
rebounds and 4 assists.

The Braves jumped out to an 8-4 lead and held a 10-9 edge with three minutes
left in the opening quarter. But Santana's zone pressure, sparked by Denise
Bennett, quickly restored order for the Sultans, who led 44-16 at halftime.

Junior southpaw Ferrari Funches paced the Braves with 13 points and 9
rebounds. She also accounted for half of the Braves four 3-pointers. Tina
Khun landed a 3-pointer on her way to 7 points. Michelle Thompson hit her
10th trey of the season. NiNi Herron hauled down a team-high 10 rebounds.

Other Santana scoring: Bennett 4, Turpin 2, Ashley Hight 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Herron 4, Thompson 3, JoJo Harris 3.

CHRISTIAN 53, CRAWFORD 32 - Since beginning the season with a 1-5 record,
the Patriots have powered their way to 10 wins in 14 decisions. That includes
a 3-1 mark in the Harbor League.

Nine Patriots contributed to the scoring column in Christian's conquest of
Crawford Friday night (Jan. 25) at the Ryan Athletic Center. Jenny Ray paved
the way with 18 points, including a pair of 3s.

Cassandra Stone chipped in with 10 points and 5 rebounds, while Marilee
Parnell paced the Patriots on the boards, collecting 7 caroms.

Crawford played a zone defense against the Patriots, but it didn't matter on
this night. Christian cruised to a 14-6 first quarter lead, and extended the
advantage to 27-9 by intermission.

Other Christian scoring: Kelli Murray 6, Kyleen Murray 6, Parnell 4, Jessica
Harris 3, Jamie Ray 2, Lauren Oldenburg 2, Rachel Edelan 2.

(01-25-02)


Sultans remain atop with crushing of Foothillers

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - The two teams had a combined record of 33-6 between them going
into Friday's (Jan. 18) Grossmont North League showdown at Grossmont High.

A nail-biter? Not even close.

The visiting Sultans (19-1, 3-0) steam-rollered the Foothillers 95-38 in a
surprisingly one-sided game.

"We came out and played scared," said Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle. "They
cleaned our clock. We might have made a better showing if we'd done the
little things we usually do that have helped us win in the past."

The Sultans streaked to a 27-5 first quarter lead, extended their advantage
to 49-20 by halftime, and led 78-25 by the close of the third quarter.

"We were on fire," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "We played as well as we
possibly can play."

Santana connected on 8 of 13 three-point shots (62 percent). Courtney Ash
provided the spark, netting 4 of 5 shots from above the arc for 12 points.
Rebound phenom Brooke Sutton was 2 for 2 on three-point shots.

"We're not an awesome shooting team," Vickery said. "People are so worried
about our transition game and our ability to drive to the basket that they
want to plug up the middle against us. But for the second game in a row, our
perimeter shooting has been excellent."

Overall Santana shot 51 percent from the field (34 for 67). Equally as
impressive was the fact that the Sultans had 27 assists, led by Jackie
Turpin's 8 and Sutton's 7.

Santana could easily have shattered the 100-point barrier if Vickery had not
ordered his Sultans into the "burn it" mode.

"When we went to "burn it," that meant our objective was to run the clock, no
pressing, no transition, no fast breaks, just sit on the ball and shoot
before the shot clock expired," Vickery explained. "We're not trying to
embarrass anybody."

Five Sultans finished in double figures, led by Jaime Ransom's 17 points.
Sutton and Amanda Krismer chipped in with 16 apiece, and Turpin finished with
15. Krismer also had a team-high 6 steals, as well as 6 rebounds. Sutton
scooped up a team-leading 8 rebounds and made 3 steals.

Santana totaled 25 steals as a team.

Only one Foothiller reached double scoring digits - Laura Felice, who fired
in a pair of 3-pointers on her way to 12 points. Heather Hemingway grabbed a
team-leading 9 rebounds to go with 8 points, while freshman guard Jaclyn
Goldbarg popped in 8 points, dished off 5 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds for
Grossmont (15-6, 1-2).

One void in the Grossmont offense was Lyndsay Felice, who got into early foul
trouble and failed to score, but managed 6 rebounds in the losing effort.

Other Santana scoring: Margeaux Bass 7, Marina Praporski 6, Jennifer Johnson
2, Denise Bennett 2, Ashley Hight 2.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 4, Sarah Fernandes 4, Lindsay
Miller 2.

EL CAPITAN 54, MONTE VISTA 49 - The visiting Vaqueros (14-7) rode the
three-point shooting of Alissa Unden and an overpowering rebounding effort
led by Jessica Cable (15 rebounds) to knock off the Monarchs Friday night
(Jan. 18) in Spring Valley.

Monte Vista led 38-36 after three quarters. The Vaqueros took the lead on an
Unden 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, and never trailed again. It was
one of four treys Unden scored in the game.

Unden scored 5 points and Cable collected 4 as El Capitan outscored the
Monarchs 18-11 in the fourth quarter.

Cable and Unden shared high point honors for the Vaqueros with 14 apiece.
Unden also had 3 assists and 2 steals, while Cable collected 5 steals and 2
assists. Mallory Palmer produced 9 points and 11 rebounds, and Heather Molzen
also pulled down 11 rebounds. Lyric Teigen scored only 6 points, but
converted 3 of 4 free throws in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Valli Burks, normally one of the Vaqueros top point producers, tallied only 5
points but dished off 7 assists and garnered 5 steals.

Reliable Lisa Roper was Monte Vista's mainstay with 17 points, including her
42nd three-pointer. The 5-foot-5 senior also pilfered 7 enemy passes, handed
out 5 assists and blocked 2 shots.

Ashley Shriver slipped in 11 points, while Erika Munoz netted 9 for Monte
Vista (10-11, 1-1). Amy Reiland scored only 7 points and handed out 6 assists
while sharing team-high rebounding honors with Rachel Vorman at 7 apiece.

Other El Capitan scoring: Rachel Overson 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Vorman 2, Dyanne Lorenzana 2, Tara Campbell 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 63, VALHALLA 29 - Genevieve Costello scored 11 of her 13 points
in the opening period Friday (Jan. 18), as the Grossmont South League-leading
Matadors (14-7, 3-0) marched to a 22-4 first quarter lead over visiting
Valhalla.

It didn't get any better for the Norsemen (7-14, 1-2), as they fell behind
36-8 by the end of the first half.

"Our full-court pressure got to them," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie
Sandoval. "That's our game - to look for easy baskets, not so much to score
out of our halfcourt game."

Junior Christine Fitzgerald funneled in a game-high 23 points, including a
pair of 3-pointers to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 steals.

"Christina is doing a tremendous job of playing the number 2," Sandoval said.
"Genevieve (5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) is playing the number 1 spot,
which is probably Christina's best position. It's working out for us."

Kayla Henry registered a double-double for Mount Miguel with 11 points and 10
rebounds to go along with 3 blocks. Ijal Barnes banged in 9 points, ripped
off 7 rebounds, made 3 steals and netted 5 of 6 free throws.

Kelly Wyatt led Valhalla with 8 points, including her 31st and 32nd
3-pointers.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Catalina Diaz 4, Chelsey Dixon 3.

Other Valhalla scoring: Megan Alexander 6, Jasmine Beauchamp 4, Briette
Storrs 4, Sade' Campbell 4, Angel Burch 3.

GRANITE HILLS 58, HELIX 35 - Even when Joelle Bunnell doesn't have a banner
scoring night, she manages to contribute. The 5-foot-7 junior, who extended
her East County-leading 3-point bucket total to 67 with a pair of treys in
the Eagles' Grossmont South League victory over winless Helix on Friday (Jan.
18), also pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out 5 assists.

But the unsung star of the Granite Hills cast was Brenda Najor, a 5-foot-8
junior who also enjoyed a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. In
addition, Najor also picked off 6 steals for the Eagles (12-8, 1-1).

Jeannie Case matched Najor's theft total, canned one 3-pointer and finished
with 8 points for Granite Hills.

The Eagles, who also benefited from Rochelle Arrington's 8 points, sprinted
to a 15-6 first quarter lead over the Highlanders (0-19, 0-2).

Marisa Mohan scored 15 points and hauled down a game-high 17 rebounds for
Helix. Robyn Jordan chipped in with 6 points and 8 rebounds for the
Highlanders. Ashley Walker and Ashley Terrell each hit a three-pointer for
Helix, as did Jenny Holden for Granite Hills.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jennifer Young 7, Holden 5, Amy Hoyt 3, Amanda
McCurdy 2, Megan Suggs 2.

Other Helix scoring: Walker 4, Terrell 3, Desiree Marheine 2, Rachel Aftreth
2, Calista Glenn 1.

WEST HILLS 84, EL CAJON VALLEY 33 - Katy Kelly cashed in a career-high 18
points as 11 West Hills players cracked the scoring column in Friday's (Jan.
18) Grossmont North League rout of the visiting El Cajon Valley Braves.

Kelly canned two of the Wolf Pack's 7 three-pointers in the lopsided victory.
West Hills (14-8, 1-1) netted 16 of 22 free throws, including 4-for-4 efforts
from Kelly and sophomore Caitlin Weiss.

Julie Strick poured in 15 points and shoveled out 5 assists despite not
playing in the fourth quarter. Kelly Andersen hit a pair of three-pointers on
her way to a 15-point outing.

Beth Tronerud tallied 10 of her 12 points in the second half, helping the
Pack outscore the Braves 50-11 over the final two quarters.

Ferrari Funches had 16 points and 8 rebounds for El Cajon Valley (3-11, 0-1).
Tina Khun netted 10 points, including a pair of treys. NiNi Herron grabbed 8
rebounds, and Roschelle Boyd cleared 4 caroms for the Braves.

Other West Hills scoring: Weiss 6, Tasha Chouinard 4, Melissa Porter 3, Erin
Hourigan 2, Jordan Russo 2, Megan Hourigan 1.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Herron 3, Boyd 2, Donette Randall 2.

CHRISTIAN 33, MADISON 24 - In a lethargic Harbor League struggle, the
Patriots (10-9, 2-1) came to life in the fourth quarter Friday night (Jan.
18) to snap an 18-18 deadlock and ground the host Warhawks (2-10, 0-3) with a
15-6 rush over the final eight minutes.

Cassandra Stone rolled up 12 points and 7 rebounds to pace the Patriots, who
were unable to convert a single three-point shot. Marilee Parnell picked off
a game-high 11 rebounds for the Patriots.

"Marilee was just awesome," Christian coach Tim Jollett said. "She didn't
score a lot of points (4), but she's the reason we won the game, because she
only gave Madison one shot."

Other Christian scoring: Rachel Edelan 6, Jenny Ray 5, Parnell 4, Jamie Ray
4, Kyleen Murray 2.

(01-18-02)


Sultans end Vaqueros' challenge for North title run

EastCountySports.com staff report

LAKESIDE - No question, the El Capitan Vaqueros are one of the finest teams
in East County. Their problem? They're in the same league with the seemingly
invincible Santana Sultans.

The Vaqueros (13-7, 1-1) were playing catch-up throughout Tuesday's (Jan. 15)
Grossmont North League showdown in Lakeside. They trailed Santana (18-1, 2-0)
with two minutes remaining in the third quarter by a margin of only 46-39.

That's when the roof caved in. The Sultans, who uncharacteristically
committed 22 turnovers, regained their poise and went on to claim a 76-54
victory. It was Santana's 14th win in a row.

Santana's Amanda Krismer canned a pair of 3-pointers to ignite a 17-3 run to
close the third quarter and begin the fourth. Suddenly, the Sultans were
sitting on a 24-point lead, which - for all intents and purposes - ended any
suspense as to the outcome.

While Krismer scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, it was her defense on
El Capitan kingpin Jessica Cable that pleased Santana veteran coach Wade
Vickery the most.

"Cable got three fouls in the first half and probably played a little less
than half the game," Vickery noted. "But you've got to give Krismer (a
5-foot-10 junior) credit because she did a good defensive job of denying
Cable the ball. Amanda is a pretty good post defender."

In all fairness to Cable, who finished with 6 points - less than half her
season average - the 5-foot-10 junior was playing with a sprained wrist
suffered only five days earlier.

While defense continues to be Santana's forte, Vickery was equally as proud
of the Sultans' scoring balance against the tenacious Vaqueros.

Jaime Ransom and Brooke Sutton poured in 16 points apiece to pace the
Sultans, while Jackie Turpin tossed in 11 and Margeaux Bass tossed in 8.

"Teams have started jamming the middle to force us to shoot outside," Vickery
said. "I think we showed that we can shoot from the perimeter."

Santana was 5 for 13 from above the arc, and punched in 44 percent (26 of 59)
of all its shooting attempts. In addition to Krismer's two treys, Courtney
Ash, Bass and Sutton all hit 3-pointers.

"I think it's really important that we showed that we can shoot from the
outside," Vickery said. "If a defense wants to take a certain part of the
game away from us, we have to prove that we'll take what they give us and use
it to our advantage."

Turpin was probably the most versatile player on the floor. In addition to
her 11 points, she also had 6 steals and 6 assists. Sutton and Krismer led
Santana's board brigade with 9 and 7 rebounds, respectively. Ransom chimed in
with 5 steals and 5 assists.

El Capitan's Alissa Unden knocked down a pair of 3-pointers on her way to a
12-point effort that was matched by teammate Valli Burks. Unden also had a
team-high 4 steals - one more than Burks, who led the Vaqueros with 4
assists. Lyric Teigen tossed in 9 points, cleared 5 rebounds and picked off 2
passes for the Vaqueros.

Freshman Heather Molzen is just starting to come into her own for El Capitan.
The 6-foot-2 post collected a team-high 9 caroms for the Vaqueros and figures
to become an inside force in the future.

Other Santana scoring: Ash 5, Marina Praporski 3, Denise Bennett 2.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nichole Overson 6, Rachel Overson 4, Mallory
Palmer 3, Molzen 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 49, GRANITE HILLS 37 - This encounter between Grossmont South
League contenders looked as if it were going to yield a lop-sided result, as
host Mount Miguel stampeded to a 16-2 first-quarter lead.

Not so. The Eagles refused to fold, as they clawed back into contention,
trailing only 41-36 with less than four minutes left. The Matadors (13-7,
2-0), however, turned up their defensive pressure and dominated down the
stretch to secure the victory.

"We were able to withstand the little push that they gave us," said Mount
Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "They got it down to five, and then we got a
couple of baskets to put it away. Our defense in the first and fourth
quarters was tremendous."

Senior Christine Fitzgerald was the Matadors' catalyst on both ends of the
floor. She scored a team-high 15 points, garnered a game-high 6 steals,
plucked 4 rebounds and handed out 3 assists.

Genevieve Costello also came up big for Mount Miguel, swirling in 10 points,
cornering 6 rebounds, shoveling off 5 assists, and swiping 3 passes. Ijal
Barnes crashed the boards for a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with 10
points. She received plenty of support from teammate Kayla Henry, who hauled
down 9 rebounds and hammered in 8 points.

Sandoval was pleased by the defensive work done by Fitzgerald and Teresa
Melendez on East County three-point shooting shark Joelle Bunnell.

"Christina did a good job of containing Bunnell in the first half, holding
her to 8 points," Sandoval noted. "And Teresa limited her to one basket in
the second half (a three-pointer, her 65th of the season)."

Despite the relentless defensive pressure, Bunnell still led the Eagles with
11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Jennifer Young added 10 points and 3 steals, while Brenda Najor chimed in
with 8 points for Granite Hills (11-8, 0-1).

"We let them have too many second shots in the first quarter, and it cost
us," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "But we settled down after that
and played a pretty good game. I'm disappointed that we lost, but I'm not
unhappy with our effort."

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Melendez 2, Natasha Edwards 2, Lyneth Lebuguen 2.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jenny Holden 3, Rochelle Arrington 2, Jeannie
Case 2.

MONTE VISTA 54, VALHALLA 34 - Senior Lisa Roper continued to etch her name
in the Monte Vista record book Tuesday night (Jan. 15), as she rolled in a
game-high 20 points to reach the 1,000 point career scoring milestone in the
Monarchs' Grossmont South League victory over the visiting Norsemen.

Roper saved her record-breaking memory for her final basket of the night.
Officially, the 5-foot-5 senior has scored 1,115 points in her high school
career, which began at Scripps Ranch with the 1998-99 season. In her only
campaign with the Falcons, she scored 115 points.

Although obviously a dynamic scorer, Roper exhibited her all-around skills
with 6 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds against the Norsemen. She was also 6
for 6 from the free throw line.

Ashley Shriver chalked up 10 points, 3 steals and 2 blocks for the Monarchs
(10-10, 1-1). Amy Reiland rustled up 6 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals,
while Dyanne Lorenzana returned to the lineup to grab a team-high 8 rebounds
after missing several weeks due to an injury. Rachel Vorman also corralled 8
rebounds for Monte Vista.

The Monarchs scored 14 unanswered points to begin the second half to break
open the game after leading 26-18 at intermission. The Norsemen countered
with an 8-0 run thereafter, but it proved to be too little, too late.

It was sweet revenge for Monte Vista, which lost to the Norsemen 57-48 on
Dec. 14 in the Granite Hills Invitational.

Valhalla (7-13, 1-1) was led by Jennifer Kolegraff's 9 points.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Erika Munoz 5, Vorman 5, Lorenzana 4, Tara
Campbell 2, Shalia Bohannon 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Jasmine Beauchamp 6, Megan Alexander 6, Briette
Storrs 4, Cathy Russo 4, Kelly Wyatt 3.

GROSSMONT 52, EL CAJON VALLEY 33 - The Foothillers stumbled out of the gate
and led only 4-2 after the opening quarter of Tuesday's (Jan. 15) Grossmont
North League game at Grossmont.

That's when Hillers coach Walley Yeakle provided his team with a spirited pep
talk.

"We were shooting jumpers instead of taking lay-ups," Yeakle assessed of
Grossmont's opening eight minutes. "In the second quarter we started taking
the ball to the hole."

It made a difference, as Grossmont (15-5, 1-1) outscored the visiting Braves
25-4 to take a commanding 29-6 halftime lead. Laura Felice scored 11 of her
game-high 18 points in the second quarter for Grossmont, which also received
an 8-point burst from Jaclyn Goldbarg.

"Jaclyn sparked us," Yeakle noted. "She got a bunch of steals."

Grossmont, which hosts 16-time Grossmont League-champion Santana on Friday
(Jan. 18), was never threatened in the second half.

Goldbarg finished with 16 points, 6 steals and 3 assists, while Lyndsay
Felice grabbed a team-leading 9 rebounds and collected 3 steals to go with 6
points. Heather Hemingway chipped in with 8 rebounds and 6 points. Natalie
Vozely, making a rare start for Grossmont, cleared 6 rebounds.

Ferrari Funches led the Braves (3-11, 0-1) with a dozen points and 3
rebounds. NiNi Herron led the supporting cast with 9 points and a game-high
12 rebounds.

"We started out close in the first quarter, and from there it went downhill,"
El Cajon Valley coach Randy Adams said. "Our missed lay-ups were the worst
part of tonight. We also only hit 3 of 10 free throws."

Funches and Herron netted 3-pointers for El Cajon Valley, while Laura Felice
and Goldbarg did the same for Grossmont.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 2, Sarah Fernandes 2, Lindsay
Miller 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Joyce Barton 3, Donette Randall 2, Tashiana
Foster 2, Tina Khun 2, Heather Mackin 2, Roschelle Boyd 1.

CHRISTIAN 42, HOOVER 27 - When Maggie McGill is in the lineup, the Patriots
are hard to handle. East County's sixth-leading scorer, McGill scored a
game-high 20 points as Christian breezed to the Harbor League victory Tuesday
(Jan. 15) at Hoover (1-10, 1-1).

"It's a different game when Maggie is in there," said Patriots coach Tim
Jollett. "She can just take over a game."

McGill, who has played in less than half the games (due to religious
convictions), landed a trio of 3-pointers in the victory over the Cardinals.

Jenny Ray rang up 16 points for Christian (9-9, 1-1 Harbor). Marilee Parnell
and Cassandra Stone helped the Patriots control the boards with 10 rebounds
between them.

Christian took a 21-2 lead after one quarter, and coasted home with the
victory.

Other Christian scoring: Jessica Harris 2, Jamie Ray 2, Stone 2.

WEST HILLS 62, HELIX 28 - The Wolf Pack shot 52 percent from the field,
hitting 26 of 50 attempts en route to the non-league victory over the
Highlanders on Tuesday (Jan. 15) in La Mesa.

Julie Strick paved the way for West Hills (13-8), scoring a game-high 18
points in the first three quarters before coach Dave Burgess flooded the
floor with reserves. Strick connected on 6 of 11 field goals and 4 of 7 field
goals.

Katy Kelly tacked on 10 points, while Erin Hourigan contributed 6 points and
6 rebounds. Kelly Andersen nailed a 3-pointer and finished with 6 points, as
did Beth Tronerud.

The Wolf Pack's Amanda Brown, who left the game with a slight concussion,
registered her 49th three-point basket - the 2nd highest total in East
County - prior to her premature departure.

Helix (0-18) was led by Marisa Mohan's 14 points.

Other West Hills scoring: Brown 5, Melissa Porter 4, Megan Hourigan 3,
Jordan Russo 2, Caitlin Weiss 2.

Other Helix scoring: Verita White 4, Ashley Terrell 3, Brandy Wilson 2,
Stevi Browne 2, Robyn Jordan 2, Desiree Marheine 1.

(01-15-02)


Eagles hold off Braves' challenge in North opener

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Nobody in East County is a better 3-point shooter than Granite
Hills' Joelle Bunnell. The Eagles' 5-foot-7 junior scored 5 buckets from
above the arc on her way to a 24-point effort, as Granite Hills staved off an
upset challenge from Madison Avenue rival El Cajon Valley to claim a 57-53
victory on Friday night (Jan. 11).

Bunnell, who has 64 three-point bulls-eyes, finished with 24 points, 6
rebounds and 5 steals.

Rochelle Arrington added 11 points, including 7 of 11 shooting from the free
throw line for Granite Hills (11-7) in the non-league victory. Jennifer
Young, an unsung hero in the Eagles' nest, made 7 steals. Jeannie Case helped
Bunnell battle on the boards and came down with 6 caroms to go with 6 points
and 4 steals.

Ferrari Funches scored a season-high 25 points for El Cajon Valley. She also
had 7 rebounds - two less than the game-high 9 garnered by teammate NiNi
Herron, who finished with 8 points.

"El Cajon was playing aggressive, really playing hard and scrappy," said
Eagles coach Jay Rowlett. "Funches played an excellent game tonight."

The Braves (3-10), who trailed 34-25 at the half, kept pecking away in what
was arguably one of their finest games of the season.

"We had some turnovers and let them get some fast-break lay-ups in the first
half," said El Cajon Valley coach Randy Adams. "The girls played really good
- the best I've seen them play all year."

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 6, Amy Hoyt 4, Amanda McCurdy 3,
Young 2, Jenny Holden 1.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Roschelle Boyd 6, Heather Mackin 6, Joyce
Barton 4, Jessica Vazquez 2, Tina Khun 2.

EL CAPITAN 69, GROSSMONT 66 - Valli Burks scored 17 of her 19 points in the
fourth quarter, as the Vaqueros (13-6, 1-0) began the Grossmont North League
season with a narrow victory over visiting Grossmont (14-5, 0-1) on Friday
(Jan. 11).

With the scored tied 66-all, Burks took an inbounds pass, dribbled the length
of the floor and broke the tie with the game-winning basket with three
seconds left.

Jessica Cable, who injured her wrist midway into the second quarter, sat out
the third period but finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals for El
Capitan.

"It took the heart out of our team when she had to sit down," said El Capitan
coach Darrin Curtis. "I asked her to go back out and play defense in the
fourth quarter. (Grossmont) had to guard her, and let Valli run free. When
Jessica went back in, it brought all the momentum back to our team."

Lyric Teigen added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals, while Nichole Overson
registered a season-high 12 points, cleared 6 boards, handed out 4 assists,
and made 4 steals. Heather Molzen scored only one point for El Cap, but
plucked 12 rebounds off the glass.

Taryin Casillas paced Grossmont with 20 points, including 8 for 8 free throw
shooting and corralled a dozen rebounds.

Lyndsay Felice - one of four Grossmont players to finish in double digits -
scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Jaclyn Goldbarg chimed in with 15
points, 9 assists and 3 steals, while Laura Felice tossed in 11 points for
the Foothillers.

"Lyndsay broke out of a slump today," Grossmont's Walley Yeakle said. "She
really came up big in that third quarter. She hasn't been in double digits
for four games."

Other El Capitan scoring: Mallory Palmer 3, Rachel Overson 2, Molzen 1,
Alissa Unden 1.

Other Grossmont scoring: Heather Hemingway 3.

SANTANA 54, WEST HILLS 33 - Credit the visiting Wolf Pack for making a
27-point improvement from the first time West Hills crossed paths with the
Sultans of Santana on Dec. 14.

While Friday's (Jan. 11) Grossmont North League opener was indeed a closer
encounter, the Sultans (17-1, 1-0) hardly struggled as they began their quest
for yet another championship.

Santana held West Hills' Amanda Brown - who came in averaging 12.5 points per
game - scoreless. Sultans coach Wade Vickery praised point guard Jaime Ransom
for blanking Brown.

Vickery was more guarded with his assessment of his team's overall play,
however, as West Hills (12-8, 0-1) held the Sultans 19 points below their
season scoring average.

"I wasn't real pleased with how we played tonight," Vickery said. "I'm afraid
we weren't emotionally ready to play. We did play well defensively. But then,
so did West Hills."

Ransom rolled a double-double for the Sultans, pouring in a game-high 17
points while yanking down 10 rebounds and dealing 5 assists. Amanda Krismer
also got down with a double-double, cashing in 15 points and clearing 11
rebounds. Jackie Turpin picked off 10 rebounds for Santana.

The Sultans iced the game by out-scoring the Wolf Pack 35-13 in the middle
two quarters.

Julie Strick led West Hills with 10 points (all in the second half), while
Melissa Porter planted a pair of 3s on her way to an 8-point finish.

Other Santana scoring: Marina Praporski 8, Brooke Sutton 6, Courtney Ash 2,
Turpin 2, Margeaux Bass 2, Denise Bennett 2.

Other West Hills scoring: Erin Hourigan 6, Katy Kelly 5, Kelly Andersen 2,
Nicolle Fedor 2.

VALHALLA 57, HELIX 48 - The visiting Highlanders matched their season
scoring high and played their closest game of the year before falling to host
Valhalla in Friday's (Jan. 11) Grossmont South League opener for both teams.

"We may be 0-17, but we're a better team than we were 17 games ago," said
Helix coach Kathy Gunion.

The Highlanders, who have lost games by 56-, 60- and 62-point margins, got a
brilliant performance from Marisa Mohan, who coined a double-double with 21
points and 10 rebounds.

"Mohan had a great game. We couldn't stop her. Everything she shot went in,
Valhalla coach Robert Wilson noted.

Desiree Marheine chipped in with a dozen points and 4 assists for the
Highlanders, while Verita White registered 6 points, and Ashley Walker handed
out 5 assists for Helix.

Briette Storrs scored a team-high 15 points, and the Norsemen's ace 3-point
marksman Kelly Wyatt landed three shots from above the arc to finish with 13
points. Jasmine Beauchamp tallied 9 of her 11 points in the fourth quarter
and led the Norsemen (7-12, 1-0) on the boards with 7 caroms.

Jennifer Kolegraff came through will a fine all around effort for Valhalla,
cashing in 6 points, a team-high 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

"Kolegraff would say she had a bad game," said Wilson. "She was not happy
with her performance. She's a good player, and she always wants to be the
best player she can be."

Valhalla took a 13-6 lead in the first quarter, but never could shake the
Highlanders, who trailed only 40-29 after three quarters.

"I was happy with our free throw shooting tonight (65 percent, 15 for 24),"
added Wilson.

Other Valhalla scoring: Adriana Malone 5, Kristina Fleming, Angel Burch 2,
Megan Alexander 1.

Other Helix scoring: Brandy Wilson 4, Walker 2, Robyn Jordan 2, Ashley
Terrell 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 59, MONTE VISTA 34 - Christine Fitzgerald scored 21 points,
and Kayla Henry hammered in 19 as the visiting Matadors (12-7, 1-0) rocked
their Spring Valley rivals in the Grossmont South League opener for both
teams on Friday night (Jan. 11).

"We pressured them the whole night," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said,
noting that the Monarchs (9-10, 0-1) turned the ball over 25 times and
generally had a poor shooting night all around. "We wore them down because we
actually played some defense tonight."

Mount Miguel outscored Monte Vista 28-10 in the middle two quarters,
rationing the Monarchs to five points in each of those eight-minute stanzas.

Fitzgerald, who scored 36 points, hauled down 12 rebounds and delivered 13
assists in two games this week, was the Matadors defensive spearhead, with 6
steals. Teresa Melendez had 3 steals, and Genevieve Costello pilfered 2 Monte
Vista passes.

Ijal Barnes and Henry picked off 9 rebounds apiece as Mount Miguel controlled
the boards.

Ashley Shriver scored 11 points and made 6 steals to lead Monte Vista. The
Monarchs' usually-high-scoring senior Lisa Roper was rationed to 7 points -
14 below her season average.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Barnes 8, Costello 4, Ivanna Velez 3, Dorian
Steel 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Amy Reiland 6, Shalia Bohannon 6, Rachel Vorman
3, Erika Munoz 1.

CLAIREMONT 49, CHRISTIAN 26 - The Patriots fell behind 12-2 in the first
quarter and never could get their offense out of first gear Friday (Jan. 11),
as they dropped their Harbor League opener to the visiting Chieftains.

Christian (8-9, 0-1) shot a paltry 15 percent from the field, and netted only
7 of 15 free throws.

Playing without leading scorer Maggie McGill, Christian did not have a single
player reach double figures. Jenny Ray led the Patriots with 8 points,
Cassandra Stone tallied 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

"Clairemont is stronger, bigger, and more experienced than we are," said
Christian coach Tim Jollett.

Other Christian scoring: Kelli Murray 4, Rachel Edelan 4, Kyleen Murray 3,
Jessica Harris 2.

(01-11-02 Rev.)


Felice delivers defense in Hillers' win over Eagles

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - When a virtually unknown player rises out of the pack to score 43
points, that player is often looked at as one-dimensional. That's not all
bad, but there's more to Laura Felice's game than simply shooting the ball
through the hoop.

It was less than a week ago when Felice scored 43 points for Grossmont, but
Foothillers' coach Walley Yeakle wanted to focus on a different part of her
game.

The visiting Foothillers defeated Granite Hills 63-60 on Tuesday (Jan. 8),
but it wasn't because Felice had another free-wheeling scoring spree. Rather,
it was the 5-foot-6 sophomore's defensive prowess that secured Grossmont's
14th win in 18 starts.

"I called time out with about two minutes to play, and asked, 'Who wants to
cover (Granite Hills' Joelle) Bunnell?'" Yeakle said. "I hardly got the words
out of my mouth and Laura said she wanted her. 'She won't score on me,' Laura
told me. I could tell when I looked into her eyes that she meant what she
said."

Although Bunnell, East County's leading 3-point shooter, hit her 57th, 58th
and 59th treys, she could not get a clear shot with Felice in her face in the
stretch run of Tuesday's tilt.

"They set up all of their plays for her (Bunnell)," Yeakle noted. "But Laura
stayed right on her and wouldn't let her have anything easy."

The Eagles (10-7) took a 43-41 lead into the final quarter. Neither team
could shake the other, but Grossmont (14-4) gained a lead it would not
relinquish when freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg and Laura Felice hit back-to-back
3-pointers that vaulted the Foothillers into a one-point advantage with two
minutes to play.

Heather Hemingway later sealed the victory with a pair of free throws in the
final seconds.

"They made the plays down the stretch and we didn't," Granite Hills coach Jay
Rowlett said. "They played a box-and-one on Bunnell in the last couple of
possessions that was very effective. And Goldbarg just killed us."

Goldbarg scored a game-high 24 points, logged 6 assists and plucked 5
rebounds. Laura Felice finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds, while
Hemingway coined a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Taryin Casillas chipped in 12 points and 4 steals for the Foothillers, who
also got 9 rebounds from Lyndsay Felice.

Bunnell paced Granite Hills with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Jeannie Case
canned 12 points and collected 3 steals, while Rochelle Arrington chipped in
8 points and Jennifer Young notched 5 steals. Brenda Najor picked off 5
rebounds, while Amanda McCurdy grabbed 4 rebounds.

Other Grossmont scoring: Lyndsay Felice 3, Sarah Fernandes 2.

Other Granite Hills scoring: McCurdy 6, Young 6, Najor 6.

MOUNT MIGUEL 50, WEST HILLS 46 - The aggressive Matadors departed from their
recent passive play to outscore the visiting Wolf Pack 19-5 in the fourth
quarter of Tuesday's (Jan. 8) non-league battle to secure the victory in
Spring Valley.

Ijal Barnes paved the way with an impressive double-double of 15 points and
15 rebounds to go along with 7 steals for the Matadors (11-7). Christine
Fitzgerald provided 15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals, while
Kayla Henry charted 9 points and 8 rebounds for Mount Miguel.

Mount Miguel point guard Genevieve Costello chipped in with 9 points, 4
assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds.

"We used our full-court press and picked up the defensive intensity in the
second half," said Matadors coach Robbie Sandoval, whose team outscored the
Wolf Pack 27-16 in the final two quarters. "It helped us create some
turnovers and boosted our offense. We started passing the ball a lot better
in the second half against their match-up zone."

West Hills, which overcame a 15-10 first quarter deficit to lead midway
through the second quarter, maintained its advantage until 1:30 remained in
the game.

"We were up by eight in the fourth quarter, and then we let it slip away,"
West Hills coach Dave Burgess lamented. "It was definitely a disappointing
loss."

Erin Hourigan paced West Hills (12-7) with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Julie
Strick and Katy Kelly chipped in 8 points apiece, while Amanda Browne nailed
her 47th three-pointer but totaled only 5 points for the night.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Teresa Melendez 2.

Other West Hill scoring: Beth Tronerud 4, Kelly Andersen 4, Tasha Chouinard
2, Melissa Porter 2.

EL CAPITAN 59, VALHALLA 39 - The Vaqueros (12-6) warmed up for the start of
the Grossmont North League play by smacking host Valhalla in surprisingly
easy fashion on Tuesday night (Jan. 8).

El Capitan fired out to an 18-8 first-quarter lead and extended its advantage
to 55-24 by the close of the third quarter.

At center stage in the Vaqueros' latest conquest was Jessica Cable, who
rolled her third straight double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to go
along with 7 steals. The 5-foot-10 junior has scored 37 points, corralled 37
rebounds and collected 23 steals in her last three outings.

The Overson sisters - Nichole (8 points, 6 steals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and
Rachel (8 points, 8 rebounds) helped lead the El Capitan onslaught. Valli
Burks chipped in with 10 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 3 rebounds, while
Heather Molzen, who had tallied only 4 points all year, produced 7 against
the Norsemen.

The Norsemen (6-12) nullified their chances by committing 39 turnovers. To
make matters worse, Valhalla converted only 13 of 26 free throws.

"We usually shoot 62 percent on the free throw line," Valhalla coach Robert
Wilson said. "I knew they were going to be physical, and they beat us up
pretty good. I asked a lot of Jennifer Kolegraff. I asked her to go to the
basket for us and she got beaten up a little. It got to be very, very
physical."

Kolegraff finished with 11 points and 3 steals, while Jasmine Beauchamp added
11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in addition to 2 steals. Valhalla Kelly
Wyatt knocked down her 26th and 27th three-pointers of the season, and Megan
Alexander pulled down 7 rebounds to go with 5 points and 2 steals.

Other El Capitan scoring: Alissa Unden 7, Mindy Carr 2, Lyric Teigen 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Wyatt 6, Kristina Fleming 5, Cathy Russo 1.

CHRISTIAN 42, HORIZON 37 - For the first time in two weeks, the Christian
High Patriots were at full strength in Tuesday's (Jan. 8) game against
visiting Horizon.

It took until the second half for the Patriots to mesh, but Christian managed
to outscore the Panthers 29-11 over the final 16 minutes to secure their
eighth win in 16 decisions.

The pivotal point was when Christian coach Tim Jollett, whose team was
trailing by 13 points at the half, departed from the zone and put his
Patriots into a man defense.

"It helped us to stop their offense a little bit," Jollett said.

Senior Cassandra Stone took control inside, scoring 13 points to pace the
Patriots. Maggie McGill provided support from the perimeter, hitting one trey
and totaling 11 points for Christian (8-8), which has won six of its last
eight decisions.

"They were a good team, a big team," Jollett said. "We had to do a good job
blocking them off the boards. We did a better job at this in the second half.
Actually, we did a great job defensively in the second half."

Other Christian scoring: Jenny Ray 8, Kyleen Murray 4, Marilee Parnell 3,
Rachel Edelan 2, Jamie Ray 1.

MONTE VISTA 58, EL CAJON VALLEY 32 - The Monarchs, who have played one of
the toughest non-league schedules of the East County teams, finally balanced
their record (9-9) as Lisa Roper paved the way Tuesday (Jan. 8) with 17
points, 7 assists and 8 steals.

Roper also lassoed a trio of 3-pointers, raising her season total to 41
bullseyes on shots above the arc.

Ashley Shriver led a strong supporting cast, with 12 points and 8 rebounds,
while junior Rachel Vorman grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and netted 9
points. Amy Reiland had 4 assists and contributed 8 points, most of which
came on 6 of 7 free throw shooting.

Ferrari Funches, who was slapped with three fouls in the first quarter, hit 6
of 9 shots from the field in the second half to lead the Braves (3-9) with 13
points. NiNi Herron added 10 points for El Cajon Valley, which trailed 29-10
at intermission.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Tara Campbell 6, Alysha Daigle 3, Erika Munoz 2,
Shalia Bohannon 1.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Joyce Barton 4, Roschelle Boyd 2, Michelle
Thompson 2, Donette Randall 1.

SANTANA 82, HELIX 20 - Amanda Krismer enjoyed a double-double of 10 points,
12 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jaime Ransom rustled up a game-high 16
points in limited playing time as the Sultans (16-1) coasted by the winless
Highlanders (0-16) in a non-league game Tuesday (Jan. 8) in La Mesa.

Courtney Ash led the Sultans with 14 points, and Denise Bennett charted 11
points and 4 steals for Santana, which opens the Grossmont North League
season by hosting West Hills on Friday (Jan. 11).

Brooke Sutton added 9 points and 11 rebounds for the Sultans, who led 38-8 at
the half and never looked back.

If there was anything surprising about this game, it was Santana's ability to
dominate on the boards, as the Sultans claimed a 41-14 advantage on the glass.

Other Santana scoring: Jackie Turpin 6, Margeaux Bass 5, Ashley Hight 5,
Robyn Appleby 4, Christine Roy 2.

Helix scoring: Desiree Marheine 6, Marisa Mohan 4, Brandy Wilson 4, Robyn
Jordan 4, Verita White 2.

(01-08-02)


Cable has triple-double in El Cap win over Helix

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA - Valli Burks scored 24 points and Jessica Cable carved out a
triple-double as the visiting El Capitan Vaqueros rolled over the Helix
Highlanders 53-18 on Monday (Jan. 7) in a Grossmont Conference crossover
(non-league) game.

Burks hit a season-high four 3-pointers and swished 6 of 8 free throws for
the Vaqueros (11-6).

Cable collected 11 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and accounted for 12 of
El Capitan's 29 steals - and still had enough energy to lead her team with 3
assists.

Alissa Unden hit a pair of 3s and notched 4 steals, while Rachel Overson
grabbed 7 rebounds and tossed in 5 points.

Marisa Mohan and Rachel Aftreth had 4 points apiece to lead the Highlanders
(0-15).

Other El Capitan scoring: Unden 6, Nichole Overson 2, Becky Holley 2,
Mallory Palmer 2, Heather Molzen 1.

Other Helix scoring: Brandy Wilson 3, Ashley Terrell 2, Desiree Marheine 2,
Robyn Jordan 2, Ashley Walker 1.

(01-07-02)


Mohan's double is only highlight in loss to Scripps

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - Sophomore Marisa Mohan scored 15 points and cleared 13 rebounds
for visiting Helix Saturday (Jan. 5), but the Highlanders (0-14) were not
match for the Scripps Ranch Falcons (11-4), who coasted to a 56-28 non-league
victory.

The Falcons flew out to an 18-2 first-quarter lead, and never looked back.

Senior guard Ashley Walker nailed a pair of 3-pointers for Helix, which also
got 9 rebounds from junior Desiree Marheine.

Other Helix scoring: Ashley Terrell 3, Natalie Glenn 2, Stevi Browne 2.
(01-05-02)


Felice finds range, nets 43 in win over Cards

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Sophomore Laura Felice scored a career-high 43 points Thursday
(Jan. 3) to lead the Grossmont Foothillers to a 78-55 non-league victory over
visiting Hoover.

Felice shot 72 percent from the field, netting 16 of 22 attempts. That
included 8 for 11 shooting from 3-point range.

"Laura is definitely a shooter, and she's capable of putting up numbers like
this," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle said. "She could have had about four
more 3-pointers because her feet were right on the line."

Felice has finished in double scoring digits in 12 of her 17 games. Her
previous high was 18 points against Valhalla on Dec. 17. She is averaging
13.1 points per game.

"Hoover was playing a zone for most of the game, and then tried a box-and-one
on her in the fourth quarter," Yeakle noted.

The 5-foot-6 guard scored 11 points in the first quarter, 7 in each of the
middle two quarters, and closed with 18 points in the final period before
leaving the game with 1:30 to play.

Freshman guard Jaclyn Goldbarg played a key role in Felice's record night, as
she handed out 11 assists.

"Jaclyn did a great job of penetrating and then dishing it back to Laura,"
Yeakle said. "Laura got a lot of open shots that way."

Felice also netted 3 of 4 free throws, grabbed 5 rebounds, notched 2 assists,
1 steal and blocked a shot.

Taryin Casillas added 12 points, clicking on 4 of 8 shots from the floor and
3 of 4 free throws for the Foothillers (13-4).

Lyndsay Felice led Grossmont on the boards with 9 rebounds, while Goldbarg
chipped in 9 points and 4 steals. Lindsay Miller hauled down 7 rebounds and
tossed in 6 points.

Other Grossmont scoring: Heather Hemingway 4, Lyndsay Felice 4.
(01-03-02)


Sultans present Vickery with victory 500

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - Coach Wade Vickery is not known for sitting in his living room
fooling with an abacus, trying to calculate how many victories his teams have
accumulated. Such a practice is much too trivial to the veteran coach of 27
seasons. When you're as successful as Vickery has been, personal milestones
are usually revealed by other sources.

Vickery, the winningest girls' basketball coach in San Diego County history,
celebrated his 500th victory as his Santana Sultans rocked Rancho Bernardo
66-49 to claim the championship of the Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic on
Saturday (Dec. 29).

"Our focus going into this game was not on the number 500, I'll assure you,"
Vickery said. "I never mentioned it to the girls before the game. We were
absolutely focused on Rancho Bernardo. It was about winning one more game,
with a tournament championship and a playoff seeding on the line."

For the record, Vickery actually has 574 victories during his coaching
career, which includes a five-year stint with the Santana boys' basketball
team prior to coaching the girls. He's been the girls' coach the past 22
seasons.

Jaime Ransom scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for the Sultans, who
streaked to a 19-5 first-quarter lead over the visiting Broncos (9-4). Brooke
Sutton bolstered the Santana squad with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals,
while Amanda Krismer chalked up 13 points and 6 boards. Jackie Turpin was
Santana's top rebounder, collecting 13 caroms.

"Our top four kids were just outstanding throughout the tournament," Vickery
said. "Brooke Sutton has played two great games in a row against great
competition, and that's probably whom I'm most happy about. She appears to be
on the road to good health (overcoming a nagging knee injury). She makes us
so much stronger when she's 100 percent."

While Santana (15-1) is a solid favorite to win the Grossmont North League
championship, the Sultans figure to have their hands full in the San Diego
CIF Division III playoffs against the likes of University City, Kearny and
Mission Bay.

Other Santana scoring: Margeaux Bass 10, Courtney Ash 4, Turpin 2.

MONTGOMERY 53, MONTE VISTA 43 - Maybe it was the excitement of playing for a
championship, because the visiting Monarchs were definitely suffering from a
case of the jitters in Saturday's (Dec. 29) championship game of the Aztec
Holiday Invitational.

The Monarchs (8-9) shot 15.5 percent from the floor (7 for 45), made just 6
of 12 free throws, and turned the ball over 28 times, but still had a chance
to beat the Aztecs in the final quarter.

Montgomery, however, is extremely tough to beat in its cozy little gym in the
South Bay. The Aztecs sealed the Monarchs' fate by claiming an 18-11 scoring
advantage during the final eight minutes. Montgomery shot 45 percent from the
floor, and swished 15 of 22 free throws. Furthermore, the Aztecs turned the
ball over 10 fewer times than the Monarchs.

Despite coming up short in the championship game, the Monarchs were not
without reward. Lisa Roper scored 14 points, ripped off 8 rebounds, shoveled
off 6 assists, and pilfered 5 passes en route to earning an All-Tournament
berth. Amy Reiland, also named to the All-Tournament team, scored 7 points,
logged 3 assists and blocked 2 shots.

Monte Vista's Rachel Vorman finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Ashley
Shriver chimed in with 7 points and 6 rebounds for the Monarchs.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Erika Munoz 3, Shalia Bohannon 2, Sarah Lynch 2.

GRANITE HILLS 47, CHRISTIAN 37 - Joelle Bunnell inflated her East
County-leading 3-point basket count to 56 with a pair of treys in the Eagles'
victory over Christian in Saturday's (Dec. 29) third-place game of the
Granite Hills Sportland Festival.

Bunnell finished with 15 points, which Christian coach Tim Jollett considered
a victory, of sorts.

"We played a box-and-one," Jollett said of his defensive strategy against the
Eagles' top marksman. "And Jenny Ray did a great job of defending her."

Ray didn't do too bad on the offensive end either, as she scored a game-high
19 points.

Jeannie Case added 10 points and two 3-pointers for the Eagles (10-6). Unsung
hero Jennifer Young led the supporting cast with 8 points, 7 steals and 5
assists. Bunnell and Amanda McCurdy notched 8 rebounds apiece for Granite
Hills, while Jamie Ray secured 8 caroms for the Patriots (7-8).

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 6, Rochelle Arrington 5, Jenny
Holden 2, Amy Hoyt 1.

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 6, Lauren Oldenburg 6, Jamie Ray 6.

VALHALLA 57, GOLDEN WEST (Visalia) 54 - Jennifer Kolegraff collected 17
points and 6 steals, while Kelly Wyatt hit a trio of treys and totaled 12
points as Valhalla (6-11) played its 17th game in 34 days.

First-year coach Robert Wilson, although concerned by the sloppy ball
handling - 39 turnovers in the last two games - was pleased that the Norsemen
were able to squeeze out a victory in Saturday's (Dec. 29) fifth place game
of the Granite Hills Sportland Festival.

"Kolegraff played really well today," Wilson said. "She was getting
uncontested lay-ups in a halfcourt situation. She was so quick today that
nobody could stop her. She could beat her man at will."

Briette Storrs scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Jasmine
Beauchamp also chipped in 8 points, and Megan Alexander controlled the boards
with 10 caroms. Wyatt increased her 3-point basket total to 25 - fourth
highest in East County.

Other Valhalla scoring: Cathy Russo 6, Alexander 3, Angel Burch 2, Kristina
Fleming 1.

SCRIPPS RANCH 71, GROSSMONT 49 - Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg scored a
season-high 28 points (including two 3s), snagged 7 rebounds, handed out 4
assists and made 3 steals for the Foothillers (12-4), who were roughed up by
Scripps Ranch in Saturday's (Dec. 29) final round of the Baron-Optimist
Tournament at Bonita Vista.

"Goldbarg played an outstanding game, took the ball to the hole really well,"
said Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle. "She was aggressive and wanted the ball."

It was not one of Grossmont's best performances of the year, but Heather
Hemingway came down with a game-high 13 rebounds despite going scoreless.

Scripps Ranch, which went 4-0 in the tournament, burned the Foothillers by
hitting 25 of 34 free throws.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 8, Laura Felice 7, Lyndsay Felice 6.

 

WEST HILLS 55, ESCONDIDO 35 - Playing its fifth game in three days, the Wolf
Pack breezed by the Cougars to secure a 3-2 finish in the San Pasqual
Tournament on Saturday (Dec. 29).

Julie Strick led the Pack with 11 points, including a pair of treys and 4
assists. Kelly Andersen added 9 points, while Erin Hourigan tallied 8 markers
and grabbed 5 rebounds. Katy Kelly also had 8 points. Beth Tronerud converted
5 of 6 free throws to finish with 7 points and 4 rebounds for West Hills
(12-6).

Other West Hills scoring: Tasha Chouinard 4, Nicolle Fedor 4, Jordan Russo 4.

RED BLUFF 63, MOUNT MIGUEL 58 - Christine Fitzgerald scored a career-high 30
points for the slumping Matadors (10-7), who lost for the fourth time in five
games in Saturday's (Dec. 29) consolation round of the Santana-Horsman
Christmas Classic.

Fitzgerald fired in 4 three-pointers, clicked on 10 of 12 free throws,
negotiated 6 steals and collected 6 rebounds, while Genevieve Costello
chipped in with 9 points and 5 assists for Mount Miguel. Kayla Henry corraled
12 rebounds and scored 9 points, but the Matadors still lost the battle of
the boards.

"They just killed us on the glass," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said,
noting that leading rebounder Ijal Barnes did not play. "That, and we're not
defending people like we did at the beginning of the year."

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Chelsey Dixon 6, Catalina Diaz 4.

SOUTHWEST (SD) 58, EL CAPITAN 51 - Valli Burks scored 16 points, made 4
steals and dished off 3 assists in a losing cause for El Capitan (10-6) in
Saturday's (Dec. 29) battle for seventh place in the Santana/Horsman
Christmas Classic.

Burks scored 9 points in the first quarter as the Vaqueros marched to a 20-11
lead. Southwest (7-4) reversed the tables on El Capitan in the third quarter
by outscoring the Vaqueros 18-4.

Jessica Cable collected 11 points and 11 rebounds for El Capitan, which could
not mount a comeback in the final period. Fact is, the Vaqueros were 0-for-8
from the free throw line.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nichole Overson 6, Lyric Teigen 5, Rachel Overson
4, Mallory Palmer 4, Becky Holley 2, Heather Molzen 2, Alissa Unden 1.

MORSE 47, HELIX 36 - Desiree Marheine turned a strong performance with 8
points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals for the Highlanders in a
Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic consolation game Saturday (Dec. 29). Marisa
Mohan scored a team-high 12 points in the loss.

Other Helix scoring: Ashley Walker 9, Robyn Jordan 4, Stevi Browne 3.

LINCOLN 67, HELIX 42 - Ashley Walker scored a team-high 15 points for the
Highlanders (0-13) in their second Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic contest
on Saturday.

Other Helix scoring: Mohan 7, Marheine 7, Verita White 6, Ashley Terrell 2,
Jordan 2, Rachel Aftreth 1.

(12-29-01)


Monarchs nearly pitch shutout against Cardinals

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - If it had been a baseball game, the talk would have been about a
pitcher toiling in near perfection. But this was basketball, and Monte
Vista's defense was one point shy of a perfect three quarters in Friday's
(Dec. 28) Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery.

Granted, Hoover is a young team with a new coach, but the Monarchs were
indeed impressive as they built a 41-1 lead after three quarters. That single
point came with 48 seconds left in the opening half. Hoover did not score its
first basket until two minutes remained in the game.

While coach Carlos Moss had to be pleased by Monte Vista's blanket defense,
his focus was not on the Monarchs' 55-8 semifinal victory over hapless
Hoover. Moss and the Monarchs have their eyes on winning the tournament
championship when they take on host Montgomery Saturday (Dec. 29) at 6:45 p.m.

Lisa Roper led the Monarchs with 20 points, hitting four 3-pointers, passing
out 6 assists, snagging 6 steals and 4 rebounds while blocking 2 shots. Roper
stands third in the 3-point derby with 37.

Erika Munoz added 10 points to the Monarchs' bounty, while Rachel Vorman
hauled down 10 rebounds and tapped in 8 points. Ashley Shriver handed out 11
assists for Monte Vista (8-8).

Other Monte Vista scoring: Alysha Daigle 5, Amy Reiland 5, Shriver 4, Sarah
Lynch 2, Shalia Bohannon 1.

SANTANA 63, POWAY 46 - The Sultans (14-1) find themselves in a familiar
position as they host Rancho Bernardo for the Santana/Horsman Christmas
Classic championship on Saturday (Dec. 29) at 6:30 p.m.

The Sultans received a challenge of sorts from Poway (10-4) in Friday's (Dec.
28) semifinals. The Titans, whose previous losses included overtime decisions
to The Bishop's and Orange Glen, kept Santana's veteran coach Wade Vickery on
the edge of his seat.

"It was tension all the way," said Vickery, who was noticeably hoarse after
the game. "We kinda had a cushion most of the game, but we could never relax.
Poway made it a tough game."

Brooke Sutton led a balanced Santana onslaught with 17 points and 7 rebounds,
while Jaime Ransom chimed in with 15 points and 3 assists. Amanda Krismer had
an impressive outing with 13 points, 5 steals and 5 assists. Jackie Turpin
turned in another steady performance of 12 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and
4 steals.

The Sultans clicked on 8 of 10 free throws as they pulled in front of Poway
21-14 in the opening quarter. The Titans never could gain an offensive
toehold, as they netted only 32 percent of 50 shots.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 3, Denise Bennett 2, Margeaux Bass 1.

WEST HILLS 53, CLAIREMONT 30 - The West Hills players have probably
memorized the scenery during their frequent treks north on Interstate 15 to
San Pasqual High. The Wolf Pack played four games in two days in the Lady
Eagle Winter Classic, and missed a shot at a fifth over the 36-hour stretch.

The marathon began with two games on Thursday (Dec. 27) and resumed less than
12 hours later when the Wolf Pack chewed up Clairemont in the 8 a.m. game
Friday (Dec. 28).

Katy Kelly canned a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 14 points to pace
the Wolf Pack. However, the Pack lost 3-point marksman Amanda Brown to a
sprained ankle in the first quarter.

Nicolle Fedor helped fill some of the void when she came off the bench for a
career-high 7 rebounds and 5 steals. Julie Strick added 8 points, 6 rebounds,
4 assists and 4 steals.

Other West Hills scoring: Beth Tronerud 9, Erin Hourigan 6, Tasha Chouinard
4, Melissa Porter 4, Megan Hourigan 3, Kelly Andersen 2, Fedor 2, Brown 1.

SAN PASQUAL 53, WEST HILLS 40 - After a 3-hour break, the Wolf Pack was back
on the court against a rested tournament host team, which was playing for the
first time on Friday (Dec. 28) in the 2 p.m. encounter.

"It was one of the worst games I've seen us play," West Hills coach Dave
Burgess said of the 11-6 Pack. "Not having Amanda (Brown) certainly didn't
help, but we had a horrendous shooting game (4 for 26 in the first half)."

West Hills' poor marksmanship helped San Pasqual take a 27-13 first half
lead. The Pack warmed up a little bit in the second half to hit 31 percent of
52 shots in the game. Strick had 14 points to pace the Pack, while Porter
popped in a pair of 3s. Erin Hourigan hauled down 7 rebounds, made 4 steals
to go with 6 points.

Other West Hills scoring: Porter 8, Beth Tronerud 6, Jordan Russo 4, Tasha
Chouinard 2.

CHRISTIAN 57, VALHALLA 42 - Patriots' coach Tim Jollett wasn't sure what to
expect when he learned one of his key players had vacation plans for the
holidays. He was worried that Christian (7-7) would be overmatched in the
Granite Hills Sportland Festival.

Jollett's concerns have been put to rest, as the Patriots continue to win.
They made it 5 out of 6, as Maggie McGill scored 24 points and Jenny Ray
rattled in 19 in the surprisingly lopsided victory over the Norsemen on
Friday (Dec. 28). McGill and Ray each connected for a 3-pointer and combined
to net 14 of 18 free throws.

"We tried to collapse on the ball, triple team on the post," Jollett said,
whose Patriots will play host Granite Hills for 3rd place on Saturday (Dec.
29) at 11:30 a.m. "We pressed to create turnovers and did a good job."

"Defensively we really tried to stop their 3-point shooters - they have a
couple of good ones - and to not allow #55, their big person (6-foot Megan
Alexander) to hurt us inside."

The strategy proved sound. Alexander finished with 2 points, as did Kelly
Wyatt, who has a team-best 22 three-pointers on the season.

Jasmine Beauchamp led Valhalla (5-11) with 13 points. Jennifer Kolegraff
added 7 points, including one trey. Freshman Angel Burch chipped in with 6
points, including a 3-ball.

Other Christian scoring: Rachel Edelan 3, Kyleen Murray 3, Marilee Parnell
2, Jamie Ray 2, Jessica Harris 2, Lauren Oldenburg 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Briette Storrs 4, Jordan Russo 4, Kristina Fleming 4.

GROSSMONT 54, PT. LOMA 29 - Coach Walley Yeakle's Foothillers put the
defensive clamps on Pt. Loma, holding the Pointers to 5 points or less in
three of the four quarters in Friday's (Dec. 28) Baron-Optimist Tournament at
Bonita Vista High.

Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg spearheaded the Grossmont offensive effort with 14
points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. Laura Felice also flung in 14 points, while
Lyndsay Felice gathered a team-high 10 rebounds and 8 points.

Taryin Casillas cashed in 12 points, and junior Lindsay Miller came off the
bench for 7 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 jump balls.

"Miller did just an outstanding job for us," Yeakle said.

Pt. Loma's Ruby Ramos hurled in four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points.
However, 13 of those points came in the third quarter when the Pointers
claimed an 18-8 scoring edge.

Grossmont swiftly thwarted any thoughts Pt. Loma had of staging a comeback by
outscoring the Pointers 20-3 over the final eight minutes.

Other Grossmont scoring: Miller 4, Sarah Fernandes 2.

CALEXICO 51, GRANITE HILLS 50 - Eagles coach Jay Rowlett was probably
thinking how nice a tournament championship trophy would look in his office.
Unfortunately, the Eagles could not hold a 13-point lead over the final three
minutes in Friday's (Dec. 28) semifinals of the Granite Hills Sportland
Festival.

"We just gave them the game," Rowlett said of the visiting Calexico Bulldogs
who advance to Saturday's (Dec. 29) championship game. "Anything we could do
wrong in those last three minutes, we did it. We made crazy mistakes down the
stretch."

Junior Joelle Bunnell scored a game-high 28 points for the Eagles, including
a quartet of 3-pointers, raising her East County lead to 54 treys.

Jeannie Case cranked in 10 points, including one 3-pointers, while Jennifer
Young had 4 steals and 3 assists for Granite Hill (9-6).

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 7, Rochelle Arrington 3, Young 2.

VISTA 64, MOUNT MIGUEL 53 - The Matadors' back-court combo of Christine
Fitzgerald and Genevieve Costello combined for 37 points, but Mount Miguel
struggled for scoring punch underneath the basket in Friday's (Dec. 280
Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic action.

Fitzgerald, who spent more time on the bench than on the court due to foul
problems in the first half, finished with 19 points. She also produced 6
steals, 4 assists and 5 rebounds.

"They (the officials) called some stuff on Christine that they could have
just as easily let go," Matadors coach Robbie Sandoval noted.

Costello added 5 steals and 4 assists to her 18-point effort. Kayla Henry
cleared 14 rebounds for Mount Miguel (10-6), but scored only 9 points. The
Matadors were playing without Ijal Barnes, who elected to attend the Holiday
Bowl football game where her brother Khalif Barnes is a starting offensive
lineman for the University of Washington.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Lyneth Labuguen 2, Teresa Melendez 2, Natasha
Edwards 2, Ivanna Velez 1.

PENINSULA 67, EL CAPITAN 45 - Alissa Unden nailed a pair of 3-pointers and
finished with 18 points, but the Vaqueros (10-5) could not hold onto a 16-11
first-quarter advantage in Friday's (Dec. 28) Santana/Horsman Christmas
Classic.

Valli Burks also buried a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with 11 markers
overall. Jessica Cable chipped in with 10 points, and Becky Holley hit a
half-court 3-point bucket at the buzzer to close the first half.

Other El Capitan scoring: Holley 3, Mallory Palmer 1, Rachel Overson 1,
Piper Mitchel 1.

VISTA 53, HELIX 22 - Marisa Mohan scored 5 points and snagged 10 rebounds,
and Desiree Marheine picked off 9 rebounds as the Highlanders suffered their
11th straight loss in Friday's (Dec. 28) Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic.

Other Helix scoring: Brandy Wilson 5, Ashley Walker 4, Marheine 2, Natalie
Glenn 2, Robyn Jordan 2, Stevi Browne 2.

(12-28-01)


Optimistic Foothillers knock off Little Rock

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Grossmont High coach Walley Yeakle realizes that youth is in his
favor, as the Foothillers are a team without seniors. This squad has also won
11 of 14 games.

Does that mean the Hillers are a threat to the Santana dynasty in the
Grossmont North League?

Yeakle isn't ready to issue a public challenge to the Sultans. Not yet
anyway. After all, this is a project still in the making, although Yeakle is
pleased with the progress that his young team has made.

Grossmont went into come-from-behind mode on Thursday (Dec. 27) to secure a
54-50 victory over Little Rock in the Baron-Optimist Tournament at Bonita
Vista High.

The Hillers trailed 13-5 after one quarter, but scrambled back to tie the
game 21-all by intermission. Grossmont went up by four points in the third
quarter, and then held on for the victory.

"We were in foul trouble the entire game," said Yeakle, referring to
Grossmont's 25 personals, which led to the disqualification of two starters.
"But we had some people step up - like Taryin Casillas, who took over at
point guard."

Casillas, in fact, scored a team-high 15 points. She had plenty of help.

Grossmont was strong on the boards, as Lyndsay Felice collected 10 caroms and
Heather Hemingway hauled down 9. In addition, Yeakle noted that Lindsey
Miller "came up with two crucial rebounds in the last minute. That was very
important for us."

The Felice sisters made their usual reliable offensive contributions.
Sophomore Laura scored 14 points, and junior Lyndsay added 12.

Freshman guard Jaclyn Goldbarg, who was hampered by early foul problems,
chipped in with 9 points and 5 assists.

Other Grossmont scoring: Hemingway 2, Sarah Fernandes 2.

WEST HILLS 65, OCEANSIDE 54 - Due to the unusual manner in which the San
Pasqual Tournament has been constructed, it is conceivable that West Hills
could end up playing five games in a little over 24 hours. To play that much
in such a short span turns the game into an endurance test more than
competition.

For West Hills to even make it through five games is a long-shot, given that
the Pack played two games on Thursday (Dec. 27), and didn't leave the court
until close to 8 p.m. Reveille was to sound hours before the scheduled 8 a.m.
tipoff against Escondido on Friday (Dec. 28), as the Pack was to report to
North County for the first of a possible tripleheader.

Of course, the number of games West Hills plays on Friday is predicated on
winning. One win leads to another game. If the Pack were to sweep, that would
mean playing at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Whew!

Amanda Brown hit five 3-pointers on her way to a team-high 17 points as the
Wolf Pack stuffed Oceanside in the first of Thursday's twinbill. Julie Strick
and Katy Kelly added 10 points apiece for West Hills.

Other West Hills scoring: Kelly Andersen 7, Erin Hourigan 7, Melissa Porter
6, Jordan Russo 2, Nicolle Fedor 2, Beth Tronerud 2, Megan Hourigan 2.

SAN DIEGO 97, WEST HILLS 70 - The Cavers and sophomore Charde Houston
enjoyed a record-breaking day on Thursday (Dec. 27) at the San Pasqual
Tournament. Houston, a 6-foot-3 sophomore earned two Top 10 placements on the
all-time San Diego CIF scoring charts, scoring 61 points against West Hills
after pouring in 53 points in San Diego's 124-53 rout of Oceanside earlier in
the day. The Cavers' team total is a section record, breaking the 1995 mark
of 123 set by Eastlake against Gila Bend (Ariz.).

Houston's 61 points is second only to the SDCIF mark of 65 set by Point
Loma's Terri Mann against Mira Mesa in 1986. Houston's 53 points ranks 8th
all-time.

"Everything she threw up there went in," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said
of Houston. "She had a nice night."

Houston played all but the final two minutes against West Hills (10-5).

Erin Hourigan was nearly lost in Houston's haze, but enjoyed a brilliant
12-of- 14 shooting night from the field to pace the Pack with a season-high
24 points and 7 rebounds.

Katy Kelly added 14, included a trio of 3-pointers. Amanda Brown netted a
pair of treys, giving her 7 for the double-header and 47 for the season.
Brown ranks second in East County in 3-point shooting. Julie Strick added 5
assists for West Hills.

Other West Hills scoring: Kelly Andersen 8, Strick 6, Jordan Russo 3, Tasha
Chouinard 2, Beth Tronerud 2.

SANTANA 66, SOUTHWEST (SD) 35 - Some teams might be concerned to be tied
with the opposition after one quarter. It's almost unheard of at Santana. But
the fact that the visiting Raiders were deadlocked 12-12 after the opening
eight minutes hardly caused panic in the Santana ranks.

The Sultans proceeded to outscore Southwest 38-18 in the middle two quarters
on Thursday, and cruised into Friday's (Dec. 28) semifinals of the
Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic. The Sultans (13-1) will host Poway at 6:30
pm.

Jackie Turpin narrowly missed a triple-double with 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 9
points and 3 steals in Santana's quarterfinal victory over Southwest (7-3).
Brooke Sutton contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds, as the Sultans claimed a
47-28 advantage on the boards.

"We were able to put the game away because Sutton and Turpin did such a good
job of coming up with heavy traffic rebounds, which gave us some easy shots,"
said Santana coach Wade Vickery. "Many of our rebounds led to fast breaks. We
had great transition."

Jaime Ransom scored a game-high 17 points and made 4 steals for the Sultans.

"Ransom did a great defensive job on Avalos (Southwest's best player, who
finished with 9 points)," Vickery said.

Amanda Krismer led Santana's supporting cast with 14 points, and Margeaux
Bass added 9.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 3, Ashley Hight 2.

MONTE VISTA 51, SOUTHWEST (EL CENTRO) 33 - Eight Monarchs contributed to a
balanced scoring attack Thursday (Dec. 27) as Monte Vista blew past El Centro
Southwest in an Aztec Holiday Invitational game at Montgomery.

Reliable Lisa Roper set the pace with 16 points and 5 assists, while Ashley
Shriver poured in 12 points and ripped off 6 rebounds for the Monarchs (7-8).
Amy Reiland garnered a team-leading 9 rebounds to go with 3 steals, 3
assists, 7 points and 1 trey.

The Monarchs marched to a 29-14 halftime lead and were never threatened
thereafter.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 5, Erika Munoz 4, Sarah Lynch 3,
Alysha Daigle 2, Rachel Vorman 2.

GRANITE HILLS 70, SWEETWATER 32 - East County's top three-point marksman
Joelle Bunnell popped in a trio of bulls-eyes from above the arc Thursday
(Dec. 28) as the Eagles breezed past Sweetwater in a Granite Hills Sportland
festival game.

Bunnell ran her East County-leading three-point count to 50 en route to a
game-high 23 points.

Jeannie Case added 10 points and 4 steals, while Rochelle Arrington and
Brenda Najor each chalked up 9 points for Granite Hills (9-5), which also
received a 14-rebound bonanza from Amanda McCurdy. Jennifer Young chimed in
with 8 points and 5 steals.

The Eagles built up a 38-15 lead by halftime.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jenny Holden 5, McCurdy 3, Amy Hoyt 2, Megan
Suggs 1.

CHRISTIAN 52, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (Monterey Park) 39 - Jenny Ray scored a
season-high 25 points, and Maggie McGill popped in a pair of 3-pointers on
her way to an 18-point effort, as the Patriots (6-7) surprised St. Thomas
Aquinas in the Granite Hills Sportland Festival on Thursday (Dec. 27).

The Patriots, who were playing without key starters, outscored the Saints
31-21 in the middle two quarters to secure the victory.

Coach Tim Jollett was pleased by the defensive work of sophomore Jamie Ray.
"She held Aquinas' best scorer to 10 points," the coach said.

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 6, Jamie Ray 3.

MOUNT MIGUEL 56, LINCOLN 45 - Christine Fitzgerald regained her scoring form
with a team-high 20 points, as the Matadors (10-5) handled the Hornets in a
Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic consolation contest at El Capitan on
Thursday (Dec. 27).

Sophomore Kayla Henry turned in a huge double-double of 16 points and 16
rebounds for Mount Miguel, which also received a 10-point boost and 4 assists
from point guard Genevieve Costello. Fitzgerald hit a pair of 3-pointers,
made 6 steals and dished off 5 assists, while Ijal Barnes yanked down 10
rebounds, pilfered 5 passes and tallied 8 points.

"We still have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it (before
Grossmont South League play starts next month)," Mount Miguel coach Robbie
Sandoval said.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Dorian Steel 2.

PACIFIC HILLS (W. Hollywood) 45, VALHALLA 36 - Megan Alexander collected 14
points and 8 rebounds, but the Norsemen (5-10) still came up short in
Thursday's (Dec. 27) Granite Hills Sportland Festival game against the Bruins
(7-4).

The Norsemen trailed 41-36 with 1:45 remaining, but the Bruins iced the
victory from the free throw line.

"I can't say enough how well our team is coming together," Valhalla coach
Robert Wilson said. "Everybody's excited to play basketball again."

Jennifer Kolegraff handed out 5 assists, and Kelly Wyatt rang up her 22nd
3-point bucket for Valhalla.

Other Valhalla scoring: Briette Storrs 8, Wyatt 7, Kolegraff 6, Christina
Fleming 1.

RANCHO BERNARDO 73, EL CAPITAN 45 - For one of the few times all season, the
Vaqueros didn't provide much of a challenge as they dropped a quarterfinal
game in the Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic Thursday (Dec. 27) in Santee.

The Broncos from North County galloped in front 23-14 in the first quarter,
and extended their advantage to 53-35 after three quarters.

Alissa Unden and Mallory Palmer scored 9 points apiece to lead El Capitan
(10-4). The usually sure-handed Vaqueros did not convert a single 3-point
shot. Jessica Cable collected 9 rebounds and 4 steals to go with 6 points for
El Cap. Palmer also had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Other El Capitan scoring: Lyric Teigen 6, Nichole Overson 5, Valli Burks 5,
Rachel Overson 5.

RED BLUFF 65, HELIX 29 - It was another disappointing outing for the
Highlanders, as they dropped their 10th straight on Thursday (Dec. 27) in a
consolation game of the Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic at El Capitan.

Ashley Terrell and Desiree Marheine tallied 7 points apiece to pace Helix.

Other Helix scoring: Brandy Wilson 6, Ashley Walker 5, Marisa Mohan 4.
(12-27-01)


Bunnell's 34-point night helps Eagles to big win

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett admits that he loves when his
Eagles face an opponent that isn't familiar with his team's personnel.

Foreign foes tend to pay the price when they are unaware of Joelle Bunnell's
ability to rack up the points from above the arc. The latest Granite Hills
victim was Visalia's Golden West High.

Bunnell buried six three-pointers on her way to a 34-point night as the
Eagles opened the Granite Hills Sportland Festival with a 72-56 victory over
the Trail Blazers on Wednesday (Dec. 26).

"When teams don't know about her, Joelle usually has a pretty good day from
the 3-point line," said Rowlett, who noted that Bunnell has garnered an East
County-leading 47 treys.

But Bunnell, a 5-foot-7 junior, is not only a shooter. Granted, that's a
major part of her game, but, as she proved against Golden West, her
rebounding isn't too bad, either. She picked off 10 caroms and also clicked
on 4 of 5 free throws.

Rochelle Arrington added dozen points and 6 assists for Granite Hills (8-5).

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jennifer Young 7, Amanda McCurdy 6, Brenda Najor
5, Jeannie Case 4, Jenny Holden 2, Amy Hoyt 2.

VALHALLA 56, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (MONTEREY PARK) 45 - Never mind Valhalla's
slow start. The Norsemen are on the move.

A 16-9 third-quarter run keyed Valhalla (5-9) to a victory over visiting St.
Thomas Aquinas of Monterey Park in the opening round of the Granite Hills
Sportland Festival Wednesday (Dec. 26) at Granite Hills High.

Jennifer Kolegraff scored 8 of her team-leading 15 points in the pivotal
third quarter for the Norsemen. The junior point guard also grabbed 6
rebounds and handed out 4 assists in the victory.

Senior long ranger Kelly Wyatt canned a pair of three-pointers (giving her 21
for the season) as she finished with 10 points. Jasmine Beauchamp also
dropped in 10 points for Valhalla and shared team-high rebounding honors with
Megan Alexander at 8. Alexander added 7 points, while Beauchamp chipped in
with 3 steals.

The Norsemen led 13-12 after the first quarter and gradually increased their
margin as the quarters progressed.

Other Valhalla scoring: Angel Burch 2, Adriana Malone 2, Briette Storrs 2,
Sade Campbell 4, Kristina Fleming 4.

PACIFIC HILLS 54, CHRISTIAN 37 - The short-handed Patriots (5-7) were
playing catchup from the outset of Wednesday's (Dec. 26) first-round Granite
Hills Sportland Festival encounter.

The visiting Bruins from West Hollywood led 26-16 at intermission, but the
Patriots, who were playing without a key starter, fought back with a 16-10
edge in the third quarter to pull to within 36-32. It didn't matter as
Pacific Hills barged to an 18-5 fourth-quarter scoring advantage to secure
its seventh victory in 11 starts.

Jenny Ray led Christian with 16 points.

Other Christian scoring: Maggie McGill 6, Kyleen Murray 4, Rachel Edelan 4,
Lauren Oldenburg 3, Kelli Murray 3, Marilee Parnell 2.

SANTANA 77, VISTA 31 - If there is a better Division II girls basketball
team in town than Santana (12-1), let them step forward. No matter who coach
Wade Vickery's Sultans take off the dribble, the results are similar. It was
the Vista Panthers who absorbed the knock-out punch in Wednesday's (Dec. 26)
first round of the Santana-Horsman Christmas Classic.

Jaime Ransom rattled in 18 points and rustled up 11 rebounds as Santana
defanged the visiting Panthers (6-8). She also hit a three-pointer and
spearheaded the Sultans' sticky-fingered defense with 6 steals.

"I thought we played very well defensively," Vickery said. "Our team defense
was especially good."

Santana's Jackie Turpin was an unsung threat at both ends, dishing off 9
assists and recording 4 steals to go along with 10 points. Courtney Ash also
plucked 4 steals, while Amanda Krismer scored 15 points and Brooke Sutton
produced a dozen points and scooped up 9 rebounds.

Margeaux Bass notched 11 points and 4 assists for Santana.

Other Santana scoring: Ash 5, Ashley Hight 2, Denise Bennett 2, Robin
Appleby 2.

EL CAPITAN 41, LA COSTA CANYON 34 - Coach Darin Curtis' Vaqueros (10-3)
broke out of the starting gate for a 13-5 lead in Wednesday's (Dec. 26)
opening quarter of the Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic. Although the
Mavericks sparked a bit of a comeback in the final period, back-to-back
three-point buckets by El Cap's Alissa Unden curbed that uprising.

Unden finished with a team-leading 15 points, all coming via the three-point
range. Jessica Cable dominated inside with 15 rebounds and 9 points. She
scored 5 points as did Lyric Teigen in El Cap's first-quarter surge.

Valli Burks collected 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals for El
Capitan.

Other El Capitan scoring: Becky Holley 2, Nichole Overson 1, Mallory Palmer 1.

POWAY 69, MOUNT MIGUEL 48 - The defensive-minded Matadors (9-5) did not live
up to their reputation in Wednesday's (Dec. 26) opening round of the
Santana-Horsman Christmas Classic.

Poway powered its way to a 20-6 first-quarter lead, and never relinquished
command as the Titans capsized the Matadors.

Sophomore Kayla Henry rang up 19 points to lead the Matadors, who also
received 9 apiece from Ijal Barnes and Genevieve Costello. Barnes, who
clicked on 5 of 7 free throws, garnered a team-high 9 rebounds.

"We didn't want to guard anybody tonight," frustrated Mount Miguel coach
Robbie Sandoval said. "They just killed us on the glass (41-15). They hit 5
threes and a lot of open shots."

Christine Fitzgerald picked off 7 steals for the Matadors, but her other
accounts were below normal, including just 8 points.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Chelsey Dixon 3.

VALLEY CENTER 49, HELIX 26 - Another slow start put the Highlanders (0-9) on
the rebound from the outset of Wednesday's (Dec. 26) opening round of the
Santana/Horsman Christmas Classic.

The visiting Jaguars of Valley Center secured an 11-2 first-quarter lead and
gradually inflated their margin en route to the easy victory.

Sophomore Marisa Mohan had an outstanding game for Helix, producing 19 points
and 19 rebounds in the losing cause. Desiree Marheine was limited to 3
points, but came down with 13 rebounds for the Highlanders. Ashley Walker hit
a pair of 3s to finish with 6 points.

"Our defense is getting better," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion. "We are just
way behind offensively."

Other Helix scoring: Ashley Terrell 7, Calista Glenn 1.

MONTE VISTA 61, HILLTOP 20 - Senior sharpshooter Lisa Roper helped the
Monarchs (6-8) run roughshod over Hilltop in Wednesday's (Dec. 26) first
round of the Aztec Holiday Invitational at Montgomery.

Battling the early morning chill caused by a 9 a.m. tip-off time, the
Monarchs turned up the heat in a hurry. Roper cooked up a game-high 29
points, while rolling her season three-point count to 33 with 4 bulls-eyes
from above the arc.

Roper's game wasn't all about scoring. The 5-foot-5 guard dished off 8
assists, made 6 steals, grabbed 3 rebounds and blocked a shot. Ashley Shriver
added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Amy Reiland chipped in with 5 points, 7
rebounds, 4 steals and 6 assists for Monte Vista.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 5, Erika Munoz 5, Sarah Lynch 3,
Alysha Daigle 2.

ORANGE GLEN 54, GROSSMONT 35 - It was more than a case of
the-day-after-Christmas blahs for the Foothillers (10-3), who were no match
for Orange Glen (12-1) in Wednesday's (Dec. 26) opening round of the
Baron-Optimist Tournament at Bonita Vista High.

The wave of illness -- from the flu to shin splints - that hit the
Foothillers' huddle didn't help matters as the Patriots led 16-7 after one
quarter and were coasting 42-19 after three.

The lone standout for Grossmont was freshman guard Jaclyn Goldbarg, who
accounted for more than half of her team's scoring total with 19 points. She
was 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and collected the
Hillers' only 3-pointer. Lyndsay Felice pulled down 9 rebounds for Grossmont.

Other Grossmont scoring: Heather Hemingway 4, Lyndsay Felice 4, Taryin
Casillas 4, Sarah Fernandes 2, Amber Dace 2.

(12-26-01)


Strick, Hourigan double-up to topple Granite Hills

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE - East County's top two three-point shooters faced off in Friday's
(Dec. 21) Grossmont Conference crossover game at West Hills. And both Joelle
Bunnell of Granite Hills and Amanda Brown of West Hills made major
contributions. In the end, though, it was the leadership of Julie Strick and
Erin Hourigan that guided the Wolf Pack to the 73-54 victory over the
visiting Eagles.

Strick rolled a double-double of 18 points and 10 assists while creating a
game-high 6 steals to pace the Pack. Hourigan also produced a double-double
of 11 rebounds and 10 points, and still found time to dish off 4 assists.

"This is best we played all week," said West Hills coach Dave Burgess, who
has seen the Wolf Pack (9-4) post back-to-back victories after an overtime
loss to Monte Vista on Monday. "That Monte Vista game was our worst of the
year. This was one of our best."

Leading 36-31 at intermission, West Hills got back-to-back three-point
bulls-eyes from Brown and Melissa Porter to extend its advantage to 11 points
in the opening minute of the third quarter. It was Brown's 40th trey of the
season, but her only one of the night as she finished with 14 points and 7
rebounds.

"The story for us was balance," said Burgess, noting that West Hills had five
players - Strick, Brown, Porter (11), Beth Tronerud (10) and Erin Hourigan -
reach double scoring digits.

Bunnell rang up a game-high 20 points for Granite Hills (7-5), which has lost
three straight and four of its last five. The 5-foot-7 junior was on the mark
on three shots above the arc, raising her East County-leading three-point
basket total to 41.

Jennifer Young also sparkled for Granite Hills, with 9 points, 6 steals and
3 assists. Jeannie Case cashed in 10 points for the Eagles.

"It was a fast-paced game from the start," Burgess said. "Both teams pressed
and there were a lot of fast-break baskets. The strange thing about the game
is we had only 8 fouls and Granite Hills had just 4 - all night."

Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett blamed the Eagles' porous defense for the
team's recent slide.

"We're scoring enough points," he said. "But we're not playing any defense.
Then, in this game, they capitalized on our turnovers and we didn't
capitalize on theirs."

Other West Hills scoring: Katy Kelly 7, Kelly Andersen 2, Jordan Russo 1.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 7, Amy Hoyt 4, Amanda McCurdy 2,
Rochelle Arrington 2.

GROSSMONT 51, MONTE VISTA 41 - Lisa Roper broke through the 1,000-point
career scoring barrier for the visiting Monarchs, but that's about all Monte
Vista had to cheer about in Friday's (Dec. 21) Grossmont Conference crossover
game at Grossmont High.

Roper rustled up 14 points - 12 in the second period - giving the Monarchs a
22-16 halftime lead and the senior guard 1,013 points in her Monte Vista
career.

The Foothillers applied the defensive clamps on Roper in the second half, and
used a 23-7 third-quarter scoring burst to run their season mark to 10-2.

"We went to a Diamond-and-one on Roper, and that really made a difference,"
Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle said. Jaclyn Goldbarg was the key ingredient in
that defensive ploy.

"Jaclyn did a great job, with help," Yeakle said. "We really shut (Roper)
down."

A 5-foot-7 freshman, Goldbarg also came up big on the offensive side,
spinning in a game-high 17 points (15 in the second half). She popped in a
pair of three-pointers and converted 7 of 10 free throws.

Laura Felice added 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while her
sister, Lyndsay Felice hauled down a game-high 15 caroms and shoveled in 8
points. Heather Hemingway hammered the boards for 9 rebounds as Grossmont
claimed a decisive 46-25 off the glass.

"I'm pretty pleased with our season so far," Yeakle said. "Here we are at
10-2, with no seniors."

Roper included a pair of three-pointers in her offensive totals, giving her
29 treys for the season. She produced 755 points in her first two seasons and
has 258 this year.

Erika Munoz added 8 points, Tara Campbell had 7 points and Amy Reiland
chipped in with 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the Monarchs.

Other Grossmont scoring: Hemingway 6, Taryin Casillas 6, Sarah Fernandes 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Reiland 4, Ashley Shriver 4, Rachel Vorman 2,
Sarah Lynch 2.

SANTANA 79, MOUNT MIGUEL 41 - The showdown between East County's strongest
two girls basketball teams resulted in a landslide victory for the Sultans
(11-1) Friday (Dec. 21) in Santee.

"It was our best game of the year," said Santana coach Wade Vickery after
routing the Grossmont South League defending champions. "I'm sure they
believed they could give us a go. I know I was nervous before the game,
because they beat San Diego and played University City tough."

Vickery's concerns proved to be unfounded as the Sultans stormed to a 25-12
first-quarter lead and never retreated. Santana led 63-28 at the close of the
third quarter.

"We played 32 minutes of darn good basketball," Vickery said. "Our team
defense was excellent."

Santana wasn't too bad at the offensive end, either, connecting on 56 percent
of 55 shots and 17 of 20 free throws. Junior Amanda Krismer set the pace with
25 points, hitting 8 of 12 shots from the floor and 9 of 10 free throws. She
also garnered 5 rebounds.

Jaime Ransom came close to a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 7
assists, while Brooke Sutton secured 12 rebounds and tossed in 9 points for
Santana.

"Our transition defense was horrible," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval
said. "They just killed us. And they owned the glass (40-26). It wasn't a
good night for us."

Jackie Turpin chimed in with 6 points and 4 assists for the Sultans, while
Courtney Ash collected a team-high 5 steals.

Christine Fitzgerald led Mount Miguel (9-4) with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4
steals and 4 assists. Kayla Henry added 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Other Santana scoring: Margeaux Bass 4, Denise Bennett 4, Robin Appleby 4,
Ash 2, Christine Roy 1.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Ijal Barnes 9, Genevieve Costello 4, Chelsea
Dixon 3, Ivanna Velez 1.

VALHALLA 68, EL CAJON VALLEY 46 - Senior Briette Storrs played what coach
Robert Wilson called her best game of the season Friday (Dec. 21) to spark
the visiting Norsemen (4-9) to the Grossmont Conference crossover victory.

"Briette has been struggling of late, but she had a break-out game tonight,"
Wilson said. "She came out and just had a monster game."

Storrs, who also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists, was 9 for 14 from the
free-throw line. She has converted 55 of 76 shots from the charity stripe - a
percentage of .724.

Megan Alexander contributed 10 points and a game-high 8 rebounds for the
Norsemen, who also received a 10-point effort from Jennifer Kolegraff.
Freshman Angel Burch received extensive playing time and logged 3 assists for
Valhalla.

The Norsemen, who led 14-8 after one quarter and 47-26 after three, clicked
on 24 of 31 free throws.

It was another tough night for the Braves (3-8), who were playing without
senior Ferrari Funches, the team-leader in scoring and rebounding. Funches
was injured in Wednesday's (Dec. 19) loss to Mount Miguel.

Michelle Thompson tallied 11 points to lead El Cajon Valley. JoJo Harris, who
accounted for the Braves' lone 3-pointer, totaled 8 points and 4 rebounds for
the night. NiNi Herron also had 8 points for El Cajon Valley, while Roschelle
Boyd grabbed 6 rebounds.

Other Valhalla scoring: Kelly Wyatt 7, Jasmine Beauchamp 6, Kristina
Fleming 5, Adriana Malone 4, Cathy Russo 4, Sade Campbell 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Tina Kuhn 7, Heather Macklin 4, Boyd 4, Joyce
Barton 2, Abigail Mendez 1, Jessica Vasquez 1.

(12-21-01)


Brown hits early, Strick converts late for Wolf Pack

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - West Hills snapped out of a three-game tailspin, as Amanda Brown
scored 17 points and Julie Strick added 13 points for the Wolf Pack (8-4),
which claimed a 57-53 nod over the visiting Valhalla Norsemen in Wednesday's
(Dec. 19) Grossmont Conference crossover game in Santee.

Brown, a 5-foot-7 junior, did all of her scoring in the first half, as the
Pack pulled in front 32-20. Brown was 6 for 7 from the floor, including 3 for
3 from above the arc.

"It was good to get back to winning again," said West Hills coach David
Burgess. "But you've got to give credit to (Valhalla first-year coach) Robert
Wilson. He's doing a good job with those girls. They never gave up. They
played hard and almost stole this game at the end."

The Norsemen (3-9) closed the deficit to two points with less than a minute
to go before West Hills' Julie Strick sealed the victory by hitting a pair of
free throws with three seconds left.

"We had a chance to win it tonight," lamented Wilson. "With eight seconds
left (and the score at 55-53), Jennifer Kolegraff dribbled down and took a
shot inside the key. It circled and rimmed out. Then we fouled them, and they
made both free throws. I was proud of our team though. They played well
tonight."

Wilson was no doubt pleased by the play of senior Kelly Wyatt, who scored a
career-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers. Briette Storrs chipped in
11 points and Jasmine Beauchamp added 9 for the Norsemen.

West Hills connected on 23 of 51 shots from the floor (45 percent). Erin
Hourigan corralled 6 rebounds, shoveled off 3 assists, and tipped in 5 points
for the Pack. Sophomore Jordan Russo rustled up 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Other West Hills scoring: Katy Kelly 6, Melissa Porter 3, Kelly Anderson 2,
Beth Tronerud 2.

Other Valhalla scoring: Kolegraff 6, Megan Alexander 5.

EL CAPITAN 59, GRANITE HILLS 48 - Alissa Unden scored 15 points and Jessica
Cable contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Vaqueros (9-3) to a
Grossmont Conference crossover victory Wednesday (Dec. 19) at Granite Hills.

Unden also had 3 rebounds, 3 steals and was 3 for 3 from the free throw line.
Cable, a 5-foot-10 junior, was all over the court - blocking 4 shots, making
4 steals, dishing off 3 assists and netting a 3-pointer.

Lyric Teigen generated 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, while
Valli Burks added 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals for the
Vaqueros. Rachel Overson chipped in 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and
Mallory Palmer patrolled the boards for 5 rebounds and 4 points.

The Vaqueros, who led 15-10 after one quarter and 35-22 at the break, applied
the defensive clamps on Granite Hills scoring leader Joelle Bunnell,
rationing the 5-foot-7 junior to a season-low 9 points.

"They were really keying on Bunnell today," noted Granite Hills coach Jay
Rowlett. "They played so hard defensively that it took us out of our offense."

Bunnell, one of East County's top 3-point shooters, was limited to one
bullseye above the arc. She also had 3 steals and 8 rebounds - two more than
Amanda McCurdy. Rochelle Arrington led the Eagles with a team-high 13 points
and 3 assists.

Other El Capitan scoring: Mindy Carr 6, Nichole Overson 2.

Other Granite Hills scoring: McCurdy 8, Jennifer Young 7, Amy Hoyt 4,
Jeannie Case 4, Brenda Najor 3.

GROSSMONT 65, HELIX 41 - Good thing Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle is a
compassionate man. After all, only a week ago his Foothillers hammered the
Highlanders 80-24.

"Beating a team like that doesn't do anybody any good," Yeakle said. "So we
called off the press and gave all of our kids a lot of playing time."

Taryin Casillas caromed in a game-high 19 points, including 11 in the first
quarter when the Foothillers (9-2) claimed a 16-9 lead. The Hillers broke the
game open in the second quarter, and led 35-13 at the half.

Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg generated 10 points and 11 assists, while Heather
Hemingway picked off 10 rebounds, handed out 5 assists, and scored 6 points
for Grossmont. The Felice sisters - Lyndsay and Laura - produced 8 points
apiece. Six-foot-2 junior Reina White, playing her first season of
interscholastic basketball, made the first basket of her career, which
pleased her teammates and coach as much as it did her.

Ashley Walker, a senior guard, paced the Highlanders (0-8) with 15 points,
including two 3-pointers. Sophomore center Marisa Mohan added 12 points.

Other Grossmont scoring: Sarah Fernandes 5, Natalie Vozely 4, Lindsay Miller
3.

Other Helix scoring: Robyn Jordan 5, Desiree Marheine 4, Brandy Wilson 3,
Calista Glenn 2.

SANTANA 86, MONTE VISTA 33 - Brooke Sutton, who has been bothered by a knee
injury, didn't show many weaknesses in Wednesday's (Dec. 19) game at Monte
Vista, as she scored a game-high 20 points and garnered 7 rebounds while the
visiting Sultans improved to 10-1.

"We played very well, very tough defensively. Everybody was clicking tonight,
and when everybody is healthy, we're tough," said Santana coach Wade Vickery.
"Brooke played her best game, she's moving much better. She's very important
to us."

Amanda Krismer cashed in 16 points, and Jaime Ransom ripped off 17 points and
10 rebounds for Santana. Versatile Jackie Turpin tossed in 12 points, snagged
8 rebounds and pilfered 8 passes.

The Monarchs (5-7) saw their leading scorer Lisa Roper limited to 4 points.

"We did a very good defensive job on Roper," Vickery said. "We were trying to
keep her from penetrating and keep her from setting up to make threes. We
were rotating people on her the whole game."

Erika Munoz led the Monarchs with 13 points. Amy Reiland added 8 points.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 6, Denise Bennett 4, Margeaux Bass 3,
Ashley Hight 3, Christine Roy 3, Robin Appleby 2,.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Ashley Shriver 4, Sarah Lynch 2, Tara Campbell 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 68, EL CAJON VALLEY 28 - Kayla Henry pulled off a nifty
double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, as the visiting Matadors (9-3)
buried the Braves (3-7) on Wednesday (Dec. 19).

Mount Miguel exhibited unusual offensive balance as Ijal Barnes produced 11
points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals, while point guard Genevieve Costello tallied
10 markers, 7 assists, 1 trey, and 2 rebounds.

"My reserves got a lot of playing time and I was able to give my starters
some rest today," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "It was good
because we have a big game coming up (Santana, on Friday Dec.21). Christine
(Fitzgerald) didn't play tonight, and Henry didn't play that much, but when
she did, she scored."

Nine Matadors contributed to the scoring total, as Mount Miguel built a 35-11
halftime lead.

Teresa Melendez chipped in with 8 points, 2 assists and 5 steals, while
Dorian Steel slipped in 6 points and grabbed 3 rebounds for Mount Miguel.

"We were trying some things defensively to see how it would look," said
Sandoval, whose Matadors held the Braves to single digits in all four
quarters.

NiNi Herron led the Braves with 7 points.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Chelsey Dixon 4, Natasha Edwards 3, Catalina
Diaz 3, Ivanna Velez 2.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Ferrari Funches 4, Tina Kuhn 4, Tashiana
Foster 3, Roschelle Boyd 2, Michelle Thompson 2, Joyce Barton 2, Heather
Macklin 2, Donette Randall 1, JoJo Harris 1.

CHRISTIAN 72, CASTLE PARK 25 - The Patriots (5-6) made it four wins in a row
as they barged to a 29-5 first-quarter lead over the visiting Trojans in a
non-league game on Wednesday (Dec. 19).

"Having Maggie McGill is a huge difference for us," said Christian coach Tim
Jollett.

McGill scored a game-high 18 points, including 11 in the first quarter.

Jenny Ray scored 6 of her 10 points in the first quarter for the Patriots.

"Our guard play was exceptional," Jollett said. "We were able to run a lot of
backdoor stuff. And we shot close to 40 percent as a team, which is much
better than we usually do."

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 9, Jamie Ray 9, Cassandra Stone 8,
Lauren Oldenburg 4, Kelli Murray 3, Marilee Parnell 3.

(12-19-01)


Matadors hold off Vaqueros' furious rally

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval figured he had revenge well in
hand, as his Matadors were sitting on a 16-point lead with three minutes to
go in Monday's (Dec. 17) crossover game at El Capitan.

An 18-point loss to the Vaqueros on Dec. 14 was gnawing at Sandoval and his
team. And the Vaqueros were determined to prove that their first-time victory
was no fluke.

The Matadors eked out a 59-58 victory in the rematch, however, it was
anything but easy.

With four seconds left, and the Matadors (8-3) clinging to a 58-57 lead, El
Capitan called a time out. Mount Miguel inbounded the ball to Lyneth Labuguen
who started to dribble and was fouled. With two seconds remaining, Labuguen
made the first free throw but missed the second. Scrambling for her own
rebound, Labuguen fouled El Capitan's Lyric Teigen, who made her first free
throw, but failed to send the game into overtime when she was unable to
convert her second shot.

The Vaqueros (8-3) made 11 of 20 charity shots in the fourth quarter to creep
up on the Matadors, who were plagued with foul problems.

Mount Miguel overcame a 25-22 halftime deficit by generating a 24-13 scoring
rush in the third quarter.

"El Cap was up pretty much the first half, but the difference came when Kayla
Henry and Ijal Barnes started attacking the basket," Mount Miguel coach
Robbie Sandoval said. "And Genevieve Costello handled the pressure really
well."

Even so, the Matadors wound up scrambling to hang on at the end.

Henry scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds to lead the
Matadors. Barnes collected 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals, while Costello
contributed 8 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. Reliable Christine Fitzgerald,
who scored 12 points, chipped in with 5 assists, 6 steals, and 5 rebounds.

Valli Burks paced El Capitan with a game-high 19 points. Teigen notched 13
points, and Jessica Cable contributed 12.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Teresa Melendez 6, Dorian Steel 1, Lyneth
Labuguen 3.

Other El Capitan scoring: Alissa Unden 7, Rachel Overson 4, Nicole Overson 3.

MONTE VISTA 63, WEST HILLS 57 (OT) - Lisa Roper scored 31 points and Ashley
Shriver tossed in 16 points and cleared 8 rebounds, as the Monarchs stunned
host West Hills in Monday's (Dec. 17) Grossmont Conference crossover contest.

The Monarchs (5-6) rallied from a 23-15 halftime deficit with a 19-12 third
quarter burst that ultimately led to a 47-47 deadlock at the end of
regulation.

Monte Vista had a near perfect shooting touch during the four-minute
overtime. Roper scored 9 of the Monarchs' 13 points in the extra period,
including her third 3-pointer of the evening.

The Wolf Pack (7-4) took the lead in the extra stanza, as Katy Kelly
converted 3 free throws and Julie Strick sank a 3-pointer to give West Hills
a 53-47 advantage. The Wolf Pack, which held Roper to 2 points in the first
half, watched the senior guard take command of the game in overtime.

As a team, Monte Vista was 3 for 3 from the field and 7 for 8 from the line
in overtime. West Hills wasn't far behind, as the Pack clicked on 2 of 3
field goal shots (one trey) and 3 of 3 free throws.

Amy Reiland had 7 points and 8 rebounds for the Monarchs, who also got 7
points and 8 assists from Erika Munoz. Shriver tagged on 8 rebounds and 3
steals to go with 3 assists.

Erin Hourigan led West Hills with 14 points, while Strick added 13 points and
Amanda Brown garnered 10 (including one 3-pointer).

Other West Hills scoring: Beth Tronerud 7, Kelly 7, Melissa Porter 2, Jordan
Russo 2, Tasha Chouinard 2.

SANTANA 95, GRANITE HILLS 40 - Jaime Ransom keeps getting better and that
can't help but please Santana's veteran coach Wade Vickery.

Ransom, who averaged 18.5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals during
the Sultans drive to the Granite Hills Invitational championship, ripped off
29 points as the Sultans (9-1) opened the Grossmont Conference crossover
competition with a surprisingly easy romp over Granite Hills (7-3).

Amanda Krismer logged an impressive double-double for the Sultans, slinging
in 15 points while retrieving 10 rebounds and blocking 3 shots. Courtney Ash
added 11 points as did Brooke Sutton. Robin Appleby reached double digits for
the first time with 10.

Santana's Jackie Turpin's focus is certainly not on personal point totals as
she proved with 16 assists, 8 steals and 8 rebounds against the Eagles.

After working to a 16-12 first-quarter lead, the Sultans turned up the heat,
outscoring their hosts 79-26 over the final three quarters.

Joelle Bunnell settled for 16 points, but included 4 three-pointers in her
totals. She was the only Granite Hills player to reach double figures.

Other Santana scoring: Margeaux Bass 8, Ashley Hight 5, Denise Bennett 4,
Turpin 2.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Rochelle Arrington 8, Jenny Holden 7, Megan
Suggs 3, Amy Hoyt 2, Jeannie Case 2, Jennifer Young 2.

GROSSMONT 59, VALHALLA 48 - Heather Hemingway scored a career-high 16 points
and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Foothillers defeated host Valhalla in a
Grossmont Conference crossover game Monday (Dec. 17).

High point honors went to Grossmont's Laura Felice, who hit a trio of
3-pointers in the first half and finished with 18 points. She also had 5
steals, while Taryin Casillas collected 14 points and 8 rebounds for
Grossmont (8-2).

The Foothillers blazed their way to a first-quarter lead of 22-14 and
extended that advantage to 39-25 by halftime.

Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg passed out 9 assists, grabbed 7 rebounds and chipped
in 7 points for the Foothillers, who also got 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots
from Lyndsay Felice.

Senior Kelly Wyatt hit five 3-pointers on her way to a team-leading 17
points. Jasmine Beauchamp added 15 points for the Norsemen (3-8).

Other Valhalla scoring: Briette Storrs 6, Jennifer Kolegraff 4, Kristina
Fleming 4, Adriana Malone 2.
Other Grossmont scoring: Lyndsay Felice 4.

EL CAJON VALLEY 53, HELIX 28 - Nini Herron scored 14 points, and former
Highlander Ferrari Funches added 10 as El Cajon Valley won Monday's (Dec. 17)
crossover contest.

(No further information reported.)
(12-17-01)


Ransom helps Sultans overcome turnovers, Centurions

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Even Wade Vickery, the winningest girls basketball coach in San
Diego County history, found it hard to believe that his Santana Sultans,
despite 30 turnovers, had defeated previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked
University City 71-63 in Saturday's (Dec. 15) Granite Hills Invitational
championship.

"Any time you turn the ball over 30 times, odds are you aren't going to win,"
Vickery admitted. "To turn the ball over that many times against a team the
quality of University City - and still win - well, I just don't know how we
did it."

Closer examination of the statistical compilations revealed that the
Centurions (8-1), who had defeated Santana 69-62 one week earlier, were
severely lacking in their free throw shooting during Saturday's rematch. Fact
is, University City was 6-for-18 from the foul line.

"That's it, right there," Vickery said. "They didn't make their free throws,
and that offset all those turnovers we made."

While the Centurions did shoot 54 percent from the field (27-for-50), the
Sultans (8-1) were a solid 23 for 45 (51 percent) from the field, and 23 for
34 from the free throw line. Furthermore, the statistical revelations showed
Santana with a 36-32 rebounding edge.

"This is probably the ugliest we've ever played against a great team, and
still came out with a win," Vickery said. "I'm sure we'll meet University
City again down the line and we can't expect to play like this and win.
Overall, we probably played better the first time we played them (and lost)."

Jaime Ransom scored a game-high 24 points, ripped off 7 rebounds, and made 4
steals to lead the Sultans.

"She would have been the MVP of the tournament, had they had such an award,"
Vickery said of the 5-foot-9 junior, who totaled 74 points, 21 rebounds, and
14 steals during the Sultans' four-game sweep.

Amanda Krismer added 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Sultans, who also got
14 points, 9 assists and 3 steals from sophomore Margeaux Bass. Brooke Sutton
contributed 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Jackie Turpin garnered
7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 4 points.

Santana¸ which blew a 13-point lead in the final seven minutes of last week's
loss to University City, sprinted to a 22-15 first-quarter lead in the
rematch. The Centurions kept chipping away, and finally took a 53-52 lead
early in the fourth quarter. The Sultans eventually regained control, and
protected their advantage on clutch free-throw shooting by Krismer (4-for-4)
and Bass (4-for-5) down the stretch.

University City's Iglehart sisters - Ciara and Brigayle - led Centurions with
22 and 19 points, respectively.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 4.

CHRISTIAN 44, SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 35 - After losing by 20 points to the
same team the night before, the Christian High Patriots pulled an about-face
in Saturday's (Dec. 15) Lady Mustang Invitational championship game at San
Dieguito. The Patriots used a 22-9 fourth quarter to topple the host Mustangs
to take the tourney title.

"It was an unbelievable day for us," Christian coach Tim Jollett said.

The key to Christian's title conquest was a change in defensive strategy.
Jollett called for a box-and-one against San Dieguito's Barb Babiarz, who had
singed the Patriots for 20 points despite sitting out the final quarter of
Friday's game.

"Jenny Ray did an outstanding job of denying (Babiarz) the ball." Jollett
said.

Kelly Murray picked up the offensive pace for Christian in the final period
when she scored 8 of her 13 points. Cassandra Stone spun a double-double of
11 points and 10 rebounds, while Jenny Ray added 11 points for the Patriots
(4-6).

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 5, Jessica Harris 2, Jamie Ray 2.

CHRISTIAN 45, TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN 40 - The Patriots "miracle" day began with
a rush, as Jenny Ray scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter of
Saturday's (Dec. 15) Lady Mustang semifinal. Seven of Ray's scoring rage came
over the final 1:40, as she buried a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw in
Christian's 14-point eruption during the final 2:30 for the win.

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 14, Marilee Parnell 7, Jamie Ray 6,
Stone 6, Lauren Oldenburg 2.

GRANITE HILLS 58, MONTE VISTA 34 - In a battle of Grossmont South League
rivals, the Eagles (7-2) won the Granite Hills Invitational consolation game
on Saturday (Dec. 15) in a breeze.

Coach Jay Rowlett's Eagles clawed to a 19-11 first-quarter advantage and
never relinquished the lead thereafter.

Joelle Bunnell paced Granite Hills with 17 points and 8 rebounds. She canned
her 33rd three-pointer, but continues to trail East County leader Amanda
Brown (West Hills) who has 35.

Jennifer Young and Jeannie Case added 12 points apiece for the Eagles, who
led the Monarchs (4-6) by a 19-11 count in the first quarter and 29-20 at the
half. Case also dished off 4 assists and made 4 steals, while Young garnered
6 rebounds.

Injury-riddled Monte Vista (4-6) played without scoring leader Lisa Roper,
who was forced to retake her SAT college exam because the U.S. Postal Service
lost her original.

Without Roper, the Monarchs shot a miserable 22 percent (11-for-49) from the
floor. Amy Reiland and Tara Campbell shared high-point honors for the
Monarchs with 9. Those two also shared the rebounding honors of 11 with
Ashley Shriver.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Rochelle Arrington 4, Megan Suggs 4, Amy Hoyt 3.
Other Monte Vista scoring: Shalia Bohannon 6, Erika Munoz 6, Sarah Lynch 2,
Shriver 2.

EL CAPITAN 47, SOUTHWEST 36 - What's up with these Vaqueros (8-2), who are
tied with Santana for most wins in East County at eight?

A 17-3 first-quarter advantage was all coach Darin Curtis' Vaqueros seemed to
need in Saturday's (Dec. 15) Granite Hills Invitational consolation.

Jessica Cable was El Cap's link to victory on this occasion, as she cashed in
19 points, garnered 8 steals and secured 6 rebounds. Valli Burks hit a trio
of three-pointers en route to a premature finish of 17 points as she fouled
out in the third quarter.

Other El Capitan scoring: Alissa Unden 5, Becky Holley 4, Lyric Teigen 2.

SAN DIEGO 55, WEST HILLS 43 - Playing without two starters - Julie Strick
and Kelly Anderson - the Norsemen (7-3) found themselves trailing the Cavers
19-2 after one period of Saturday's Granite Hills Invitational.

"We were on a pace to lose by 80," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said after
the disastrous first period which included 1-for-10 shooting and six
turnovers by the Wolf Pack. "We finally settle down, relaxed against their
press and stopped turning the ball over in the second quarter."

Nevertheless, West Hills shot a unimpressive 25 percent from the field.

"To play like this without Julie and Kelly and still only lose by 12 is
encouraging," Burgess added. "You have to remember that our (three) losses
are to Carlsbad, Santana and San Diego."

Katy Kelly paced the Pack with 13 points, which included 6-for-6 free throw
shooting. Amanda Brown added 11 points and regained her East County
leadership in three-point marksmanship with three, giving her 35 for the
season.

Charde Houston led San Diego with 23 points.

Other West Hills scoring: Erin Hourigan 8, Melissa Porter 4, Nicolle Fedor
4, Megan Hourigan 2, Tasha Chouinard 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 44, SCRIPPS RANCH 42 - The final score was not indicative of
the manor in which the Matadors (7-3) won this Granite Hills Invitational
game.

Mount Miguel led by 11 points with four minutes remaining, and then coasted
to the victory.

Genevieve Costello rebounded from a sluggish performance in the loss to El
Capitan a day earlier to cast in a team-high 15 points. Ijal Barnes added 14
points and 9 rebounds, while Christine Fitzgerald dished off 7 assists, made
6 steals and retrieved 6 rebounds.

The Matadors' Kayla Henry saw her scoring total dip to 6 points, but hovered
around the boards to bag a career-high 14 rebounds for Mount Miguel (7-3),
which is gearing up for a Grossmont Conference grudge match on Monday (Dec.
17) against El Capitan in Lakeside at 5:30 p.m.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Chelsey Dixon 5, Fitzgerald 2, Lyneth Labuguen
2.

GROSSMONT 60, CHULA VISTA 24 - Laura Felice fired in 15 points and her
sister Lyndsay Felice added 8 points and 10 rebounds as the Foothillers (7-2)
speared the Spartans in Saturday's Granite Hills Invitational action.

Heather Hemingway racked up 8 rebounds and 9 points for Grossmont, one of
East County's most surprising teams this season. Taryin Casillas chipped in
with 9 points, while Sarah Fernandez fielded 8 rebounds.

EL CAJON VALLEY 67, TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN 44 - Playing twice in one day doesn't
seem to bother El Cajon Valley senior Ferrari Funches, who popped in 25
points, corraled 9 rebounds and recorded 5 steals as the Braves won the Lady
Mustang consolation championship Saturday (Dec. 15) at San Dieguito Academy.

Newcomers Tina Khun and Nini Herron combined for 21 points in the Braves'
victory. Khun canned a trio of three-pointers, while Herron grabbed 5
rebounds. Joyce Barton rustled up 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 5 points. Boyd
snagged 7 rebounds.

"It's good to finally have everybody eligible," El Cajon Valley coach Randy
Adams said.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Khun 11, Herron 10, Donette Randall 8, Boyd
4, JoJo Harris 4.

SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 46, EL CAJON VALLEY 32 - Ferrari Funches generated her
usual double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Braves. Michelle
Thompson and Roschelle Boyd plucked 5 rebounds apiece and recorded 3 steals
each for the Braves in Saturday's consolation semifinals of the Lady Mustang
Invitational.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Randall 6, Khun 4, Heather Mackin 2, Joyce
Barton 2, Thompson 2, Boyd 2, Jessica Vasquez 1, Nini Herron 1.

LA COSTA CANYON 57, VALHALLA 39 - The Norsemen (3-7) fell behind 18-3 early
and never got back on track in Saturday's Granite Hills Invitational
consolation championship at Granite Hills.

Briette Storrs led the Norsemen with 12 points, which included hitting 8 of
10 free throws. Jennifer Kolegraff added 10 points while Kelly Wyatt hit a
three-pointer and finished with 8 markers.

Other Valhalla scoring: Megan Alexander 5, Jasmine Beauchamp 4.
(12-14-10)



Vaqueros, Sultans, Norsemen drop conference foes

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - These El Capitan Vaqueros must be for real.

Coach Darin Curtis' Vaqueros (7-2), known for their rough-and-tumble play,
proved to the aggressive Mount Miguel Matadors (6-3) via a 63-45 victory in
Friday's (Dec. 14) Granite Hills Invitational that they aren't intimidated by
anybody.

"Our girls are thinking bigger thoughts than they used to," Curtis said. "I
know Mount Miguel is a good team, but I wasn't surprised that we beat them.
We are a good team, too. We know that if you shut down (the Matadors'
multi-talented Christine) Fitzgerald, they are vulnerable. They can't shoot."

Sophomore Alissa Unden was the defensive charm El Capitan used to defuse the
explosive Fitzgerald.

"We stayed on her, man-to-man the whole time," Curtis said. "Alissa and
(Lyric) Teigen were really tough on Fitzgerald. And that's the key to beating
Mount Miguel. No question about it, we are a physical team. I don't think
you'll see a more physical team than we are."

Teigen tossed in 11 points, aided greatly by 7-for-10 free throw shooting.
Jessica Cable was a force on the glass, collecting 13 rebounds to go with her
15 points.

Cable was the key to El Capitan's 23-16 surge in the third quarter, as she
tallied 11 points which helped vault the Vaqueros into a 45-32 advantage
after three. Teigen was also a force on the boards with 9 caroms. Cable
showed her swift reactions with 5 steals.

Kayla Henry led Mount Miguel with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Fitzgerald
finished with a season-low 9 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.

Valli Burks scored a season-high 26 points to carry El Capitan, which may
have the horses to challenge Santana's East County supremacy. She scored 16
points in the final two quarters as El Capitan scored more points than
defensive-minded Mount Miguel is allowing per game this year.

Included in Burks' totals were a pair of three-pointers, 5 assists and 3
rebounds.

Other El Capitan scoring: Unden 9, Rachel Overson 2.
Other Mount Miguel scoring: Ijal Barnes 7, Lyneth Labuguen 5, Natasha
Edwards 4, Genevieve Costello 4, Teresa Melendez 2.

SANTANA 68, WEST HILLS 24 - Early indications are the Santana Sultans of
coach Wade Vickery are not likely to surrender their throne in the Grossmont
North League any time soon.

Challenger West Hills (7-2), albeit playing without floor leader Julie
Strick, was no match for Santana (7-1) as the Sultans smothered the Wolf Pack
in Friday's (Dec. 14) Granite Hills Invitational semifinal in Santee.

Jaime Ransom cranked in a game-high 23 points to go along with 4 rebounds and
4 steals as the Sultans qualified for their second tournament title bout
against defending SDCIF Division II-champion University City. The Granite
Hills Invitational championship game is slated for the Eagles' gym Saturday
(Dec. 15) at 8:15. The Centurions handed the Sultans a 7-point setback in
last week's Coca Cola Classic finale.

"We've been playing pretty good pressure defense lately," Vickery said.
"We've created some steals, deflected a lot of passes, and made some easy
baskets due to the intensity of our defense. But University City is a very
difficult team to press."

Amanda Krismer led Santana's supporting cast with 11 points, while Courtney
Ash added 10 points and 6 steals. Brooke Sutton reeled in 11 rebounds and
Jackie Turpin passed out 8 assists and swiped six opposition passes.

Amanda Brown led West Hills with 7 points, including her 32nd three-pointer
of the year.

"The bottom line is we turned the ball over 34 times," West Hills coach Dave
Burgess said.

Not to mention that the Pack was allotted only 2 free throw attempts over the
entire four quarters. For the record, Beth Tronerud converted both charity
shots and totaled 6 points for the night. Erin Hourigan had a team-best 7
rebounds for West Hills.

Other Santana scoring: Margeaux Bass 7, Denise Bennett 6, Sutton 5, Turpin
2, Christine Roy 2, Robin Appleby 2.
Other West Hills scoring: Kathy Kelly 5, Melissa Porter 2, Erin Hourigan 2,
Tasha Chouinard 2.

VALHALLA 57, MONTE VISTA 48 - Somehow, the Lady Norsemen survived a
third-quarter stretch where they did not score a single point for 4 1/2
minutes in Friday's (Dec. 14) Granite Hills Invitational game against
Grossmont South League rival Monte Vista.

"We were down by 11 points halfway through the third quarter," Valhalla's
first-year varsity coach Robert Wilson said. "It didn't look good."

However, a steal and ensuing layup by Jennifer Kolegraff ended the scoring
drought and provided the spark that led to a 20-point turn-around and a
second straight victory for the Norsemen (3-6).

"Our girls played some big-time defense in the fourth quarter," Wilson said.

Monte Vista's shooting percentages over the final eight minutes would attest
to Wilson's statement. The Monarchs (4-5) were accurate on only 4 of 20
shots, missing all 3 three-point shots and clicking on just one of three free
throws.

Jasmine Beauchamp led the Valhalla surge with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Kelly
Wyatt hit a trio of 3s and tallied 13 points while handing out 4 assists.
Megan Alexander scored 6 of her 8 points in the final quarter and cleared a
game-high 12 rebounds. Kolegraff finished with 9 points as did Adriana
Malone.

"On our team, who are you going to try to stop at the offensive end?" Wilson
said, posing the question. "On any given night, a different girl is going to
step up and lead us. That's one of the great things about this team."

Lisa Roper finished with a season-low 7 points. She did make 5 steals and
dish out 3 assists.

Ashley Shriver rolled a double-double for the Monarchs with 13 points and 11
rebounds. Amy Reiland added 10 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, while Tara
Campbell chimed in with 7 points, 6 rebounds and a pair of steals.

Other Valhalla scoring: Angel Burch 2, Briette Storrs 2.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Sarah Lynch 5, Erika Munoz 4, Shalia Bohannon 2.

GROSSMONT 49, OUR LADY OF PEACE 48 - A last-second steal by Lyndsay Felice
sealed the victory for the Foothillers (6-2) in Friday's (Dec. 14) Granite
Hills Invitational victory over the visiting Pilots.

Grossmont was sitting on a one-point lead with less than a minute to play,
but failed to provide a comfort cushion as it committed three consecutive
turnovers. OLP had the ball with 17 seconds left, and attempted to work for a
possible game-winning shot, when Felice foiled the Pilots' plans with 0:03
remaining.

In addition to her victory-saving defensive gem, Lyndsay Felice finished with
14 points and 15 rebounds.

Another key play in the victory belonged to Sarah Fernandez, who hit a
25-foot, three-point bank shot at the buzzer that gave Grossmont a 38-35 lead
after three quarters.

Grossmont freshman guard Jaclyn Goldbarg was surrounded by OLP's box-and-one
defense, but managed to convert 6 of 8 free throws as she finished with 8
points and 5 assists.

Other Grossmont scoring: Taryin Casillas 9, Laura Felice 8, Heather Hemingway
6, Natalie Vozely 1.

LA COSTA CANYON 66, GRANITE HILLS 52 - A year ago, rebounding was arguably
the Eagles' No. 1 strength. That isn't the case this season, as the visiting
Mavericks proved in Friday's (Dec. 14) Granite Hills Invitational game.

LCC raced to an 18-10 first quarter advantage and left the Eagles (6-2) to
navigate in their wake.

"We scored enough points to win, but we couldn't stop them on the defensive
end," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "They got a lot of second and
third shots, because we didn't block out."

Call her the lone Eagle if you want, but junior Joelle Bunnell is a model of
consistency. The 5-foot-7 forward raised her 3-point shooting count to 32
with with four treys en route to a 21-point effort. She also ripped off 9
rebounds and made 3 steals.

Rochelle Arrington rolled in 10 points and shoveled off 4 assists, while
Jennifer Young generated 10 points and 5 steals for Granite Hills.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Brenda Najor 5, Jeannie Case 4, Amanda McCurdy
2.

TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN 50, EL CAJON VALLEY 44 - It was another big night for El
Cajon Valley's Ferrari Funches and more disappointment for the Braves (1-6).
Funches, a senior transfer from Helix, rolled a double-double with 18 points
and 18 rebounds in Friday's (Dec. 14) Lady Mustang Tournament loss at San
Dieguito Academy.

Michelle Thompson tossed in a trio of three-pointers on her way to a 13-point
night. Roschelle Boyd gathered 7 rebounds and recorded 5 steals for El Cajon
Valley, which figures to add strength when a handful of players become
eligible Saturday (Dec. 15).

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Donette Randall 4, Joyce Barton 4, Mirna Nuno
3, Abigail Mendez 2.

SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 43, CHRISTIAN 23 - Seven Patriots reached the scoring
column, but no one had more than 6 points in Friday's (Dec. 14) Lady Mustang
Tournament game at San Dieguito.

"They played good pressure defense and kept us away from the basket,"
Christian coach Tim Jollett admitted. "They were quick, and we were not."

Lack of outside scoring punch by the Patriots (2-6) enabled San Dieguito to
give more attention to shutting down Cassandra Stone and Christian's inside
game. Stone finished with 6 points as did Jamie Ray.

Other Christian scoring: Kelli Murray 3, Kyleen Murray 2, Lauren Oldenburg 2,
Jenny Ray 2, Marilee Parnell 2.

(12-14-01)


Patriots tumble Braves with three-pronged attack

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Cassandra Stone, one of the best kept secrets in East County, had
plenty of help this time.

The 5-foot-11 Christian High senior, who has been the focal point of opposing
defenses, saw teammates Jenny Ray and Maggie McGill step up to score 15 and
14 points, respectively, as the Patriots (2-5) overpowered El Cajon Valley
61-43 in Thursday's (Dec. 13) opening round of the Lady Mustang Invitational
at San Dieguito Academy.

Stone was reliable as usual, pouring in a game-high 18 points while pulling
down 9 rebounds. She accepted some quality passes from Ray, who totaled 8
assists, while recording 5 steals. Ray also hit one three-pointer, as did
Kelli Murray.

Ferrari Funches turned in another strong performance for El Cajon Valley
(1-5) with 16 points and a dozen rebounds. She nailed one of the Braves'
three 3-pointers, with Mirna Nuno and Michelle Thompson accounting for the
others. Roschelle Boyd added 10 rebounds and scored six points for the Braves.

Both of Christian's wins have come at the expense of El Cajon Valley.

Other Christian scoring: Kelli Murray 5, Marilee Parnell 4, Lauren Oldenburg
2, Harris 2, Kyleen Murray 1.

Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Joyce Barton 7, Nuno 5, Heather Mackin 4,
Donette Randall 1.

(12-13-01)


Porter cleans up in Wolf Pack's win over Southwest

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Melissa Porter is known mostly for her unselfish play, as she
would rather pass than shoot. In Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Granite Hills
Invitational game against unbeaten Southwest, Porter took a change in course,
as she scored a team-high 12 points in the Wolf Pack's 57-42 victory.

Porter wasted little time getting started, as she scored 10 points in the
opening quarter, enabling the Pack to take an 18-10 lead over the Raiders
(3-1) in the game played at Monte Vista.

The victory - West Hills' seventh in eight starts - set up a showdown against
crosstown rival Santana in Thursday's (Dec. 13) semifinal of the Granite
Hills Invitational at Granite Hills at 6 p.m.

Julie Strick hit a trio of 3-pointers en route to 11 points and handed out 6
assists, as she was one of four West Hills players to finish in double
figures. Katy Kelly also had 11 points, and Erin Hourigan tallied 10 while
hauling in a team-best 9 rebounds.

"We had good movement on the ball and good scoring," West Hills coach Dave
Burgess said. "We didn't have any one superstar - it was nice to have
balanced scoring.

Other West Hills scoring: Beth Tronerud 4, Tasha Chouinard 4, Amanda Brown
3, Megan Hourigan 2.

SANTANA 78, SCRIPPS RANCH 39 - Margeaux Bass scored a season-high 22 points
to propel the Sultans (6-1) past the visiting Falcons in Wednesday's (Dec.
12) second round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

The Sultans turned up the pressure as they led 16-6 after one quarter, 40-20
at the half, and 61-25 after three quarters.

"We really played great pressure defense, and that created a lot of loose
balls and scoring opportunities," Santana coach Wade Vickery said.

Jackie Turpin led the Sultans' defensive onslaught with 8 steals. She also
scored 10 points, handed out 7 assists, and corralled 5 rebounds.

Brooke Sutton added 14 points, and Jaime Ransom rolled in 11 and dished off 5
assists. Courtney Ash led the Sultans with 8 rebounds.

The Sultans had a new face in the lineup - that of foreign exchange student
Marina Praporski. The 6-foot-1 senior from Yugoslavia scored 8 points in her
Santana debut after receiving clearance from the San Diego CIF.

Other Santana scoring: Amanda Krismer 8, Ash 3, Christine Roy 2.

MONTE VISTA 71, CLAIREMONT 27 - Teams that fail to contain Monte Vista
shooting star Lisa Roper should prepare to add a loss to their record. The
senior guard went on another scoring spree in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Granite
Hills Invitational game against overmatched Clairemont.

Roper buried six of 12 shots from three-point distance (giving her 23 treys)
on her way to a 34-point night. She also had 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
and blocked 2 shots.

Rachel Vorman had a strong showing for the Monarchs (4-4), netting 10 points
and pulling down 6 rebounds. Amy Reiland had a team-leading 6 assists, 2
steals and 4 points. Ashley Shriver also had 6 rebounds for Monte Vista.

Monte Vista forced 23 turnovers, but threw the ball away only eight times.

All the news wasn't good for the Monarchs, however. Dyanne Lorenzana has been
lost for four weeks with a chipped bone in her foot suffered in the Dec. 11
game against Southwest.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Erika Munoz 8, Shalia Bohannon 7, Tara Campbell
4, Sarah Lynch 2, Shriver 2.

UNIVERSITY CITY 62, MOUNT MIGUEL 57 - Not many teams are going to beat
defending San Diego CIF Division II champion University City, although the
Matadors of Mount Miguel came close in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) second round of
the Granite Hills Invitational.

The Matadors (6-2), who defeated San Diego last week, led the Centurions
(7-0) 36-35 at the half, but were outscored 11-5 in the third quarter and
could not recover.

"We just couldn't find the range," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said.

Christine Fitzgerald didn't have much trouble putting the ball in the basket
for the Matadors as she netted a game-high 25 points. She included a trio of
three-pointers in her totals, as well as 3 blocks and 3 steals.

Kayla Henry came up big for Mount Miguel, garnering 12 points and 10
rebounds. Ijal Barnes added 10 points and 4 rebounds. Genevieve Costello
chimed in with 8 points and 5 assists.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Lyneth Labuguen 2.

SAN DIEGO 59, EL CAPITAN 48 - The Vaqueros (6-2) proved they are as good as
their record indicates as they pushed powerful San Diego to the brink before
finally succumbing in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Granite Hills Invitational game.

El Capitan took a 14-10 first quarter lead and trailed only 28-25 at the
half. The Vaqueros got into foul trouble in the second quarter and the Cavers
capitalized by converting 8 of 14 free throws in the half. San Diego's
defense took hold in the third quarter as the Cavers used a 13-4
third-quarter run to a 41-29 lead.

Senior Valli Burks scored seven of her team-leading 12 points in the fourth
quarter for El Capitan. She also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Alissa Unden added 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. She hit one
three-pointer as did Burks. Mallory Palmer punched in 11 points, while
Jessica Cable collected 9 points and 9 rebounds.

El Cap limited San Diego's Charde Houston to 13 points, nearly 22 below her
season average.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nicole Overson 4, Lyric Teigen 2.

VALHALLA 44, CHULA VISTA 29 - Megan Alexander scored 10 points and grabbed
11 rebounds, as the Norsemen won for the second time in eight starts, routing
the visiting Spartans in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Granite Hills Invitational.

The Norsemen led wire-to-wire, and were sitting on a 27-point advantage when
coach Robert Wilson made wholesale substitutions.

"Everybody played, and everybody was happy," Wilson said.

Other Valhalla scoring: Kelly Wyatt 7, Briette Storrs 7, Janene Stutz 6,
Jasmine Beauchamp 6, Kristina Fleming 4, Jennifer Kolegraff 3, Cathy Russo 2.

GRANITE HILLS 58, OUR LADY OF PEACE 38 - Joelle Bunnell ran her 3-point
shooting total to 28 as she connected on four shots above the arc, leading
the host Eagles (6-1) to the easy victory in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) second
round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

Bunnell, who is second in the East County 3-point shooting derby, finished
with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

Rochelle Arrington led the Eagles' supporting cast with 10 points, while
Amanda McCurdy had 8 and Brenda Najor notched 7. Jennifer Young had 3 assists
and 2 steals, along with 4 points.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Jeannie Case 6, Amy Hoyt 4, Jenny Holden 3.

LA COSTA CANYON 68, GROSSMONT 33 - The Foothillers trailed only 40-26 at
intermission, but scored only 11 points over the final 16 minutes of
Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Granite Hills Invitational game at Monte Vista.

Laura Felice scored a team-high 14 points for Grossmont, hitting 5-of-7 shots
from the floor, including all 3 of her attempts above the arc. Jaclyn
Goldbarg added 11 points.

"We were just getting killed on the boards (46-20)," Grossmont coach Walley
Yeakle said after the Foothillers (5-2) dropped their second straight.

Other Grossmont scoring: Sarah Fernandes 6, Lyndsay Felice 4, Heather
Hemingway 2.

(12-12-01)


Santana smothers Spartans in Granite Hills opener

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Teams lacking above average talent need not show up to play the
Santana Sultans. This is especially true if the Sultans are coming off a loss.

Coach Wade Vickery's Sultans vented their frustrations for an earlier loss to
University City by smothering the visiting Spartans of Chula Vista 68-15 in
Tuesday's (Dec. 11) opening round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

The Sultans (5-1) streaked to a 27-2 first-quarter lead, and never looked
back.

"We divided our team into two five-player units," Vickery said. "Each group
played four minutes at a time. If nothing else, we gave all of our players
substantial playing time."

Jaime Ransom led the Sultans with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Amanda
Krismer and Margeaux Bass added 12 points apiece, while Jackie Turpin handed
out 11 assists, snagged 7 rebounds, and created 7 steals.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 9, Ashley Hight 8, Denise Bennett 6,
Robin Appleby 4, and Turpin 1.

MOUNT MIGUEL 45, LA COSTA CANYON 32 - Even though Mount Miguel coach Robbie
Sandoval wasn't pleased with the performance of his Matadors, he couldn't
complain about the fact that his club opened the Granite Hills Invitational
with a victory on Tuesday (Dec. 11).

"It was a slow start for both teams," Sandoval said. "I think our loss to
Orange Glen (on Dec. 8) carried over, because we were sloppy with the ball."

Mount Miguel (6-1), which is known for its tenacious defense, was sluggish on
the offensive end against the Mavericks.

Despite an overall lackluster performance by Mount Miguel, Kayla Henry was a
shining star with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Genevieve Costello added a dozen
points and 3 steals, while Christine Fitzgerald settled for 8 points, 5
assists, 6 steals and 3 rebounds in a subpar performance. Ijal Barnes scored
only 4 points, but managed to block 2 shots, grab 3 rebounds and make 5
steals.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Teresa Melendez 4, Dorian Steel 2, Lyneth
Labuguen 2.

WEST HILLS 71, CLAIREMONT 38 - Sophomore Kelly Andersen scored 15 points,
Julie Strick added 14, and Erin Hourigen knocked down 12 as the Wolf Pack
(6-1) clobbered the Chieftains in Tuesday's (Dec. 11) first-round of the
Granite Hills Invitational at Mount Miguel.

Amanda Brown scored only 8 points, but increased her East County
3-point-shooting lead to 31 with a pair of treys. Tasha Chouinard collected 7
rebounds, and Melissa Porter passed out 5 assists - one less than Strick.

Ten of the 11 West Hills players who played contributed to the scoring.

"We changed our defense to full-court pressure midway through the second
quarter, and that proved to be effective," West Hills coach Dave Burgess
said.

The Pack led 30-17 at the half, and used a 25-10 scoring burst during the
final eight minutes to turn the game into a rout.

EL CAPITAN 65, OUR LADY OF PEACE 35 - Valli Burks fired in 24 points and
made 5 steals to lead the Vaqueros (6-1) past the visiting Pilots in
Tuesday's (Dec. 11) opening-round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

Burks scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Vaqueros claimed a 19-9
lead.

Jessica Cable cashed in 16 points, 9 rebounds and 7 steals, while Mallory
Palmer punched in 9 points and pulled down 3 rebounds for El Capitan. Alissa
Unden added 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals, and Rachel Overson corralled a
team-high 8 rebounds, one more than Lyric Teigen.

OLP committed 28 fouls, but the Vaqueros were able to convert only 16-of-38
free throws.

Other El Capitan scoring: Nichole Overson 3, Teigen 2, Jenny Holley 2,
Rachel Overson 2.

SOUTHWEST 54, MONTE VISTA 50 - The Monarchs (3-4) scored 25 points in the
final quarter, but couldn't overtake the visiting Raiders (3-0) in Tuesday's
(Dec. 11) first-round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

Lisa Roper rolled in 21 points, including a trio of 3-pointers to lead the
Monarchs. Roper, who has 17 treys, also rustled up 6 rebounds and 2 assists,
while Erika Munoz netted 19 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and made 3 steals.
Rachel Vorman pulled down a team-high 9 rebounds, and Tara Campbell corralled
8 caroms, created 7 steals, and netted 5 points for Monte Vista.

The Monarchs played without Dyanne Lorenzana (twisted ankle) and Amy Reiland
(rib injury).

Other Monte Vista scoring: Vorman 3, Shalia Bohannon 2, Ashley Shriver 1.

SAN DIEGO 81, GRANITE HILLS 53 - Charde Houston scored 40 points as the
visiting Cavers collapsed the Eagles' undefeated season in the opening round
of the Granite Hills Invitational on Tuesday (Dec. 11).

Joelle Bunnell scored a career-high 35 points, which included hitting five
3-pointers and ripping off 7 rebounds for the Eagles (5-1). Bunnell has 24
three-pointers for the season, which is second highest in East County.

The Cavers (5-1) sprinted to a 17-8 first-quarter lead, and extended their
advantage to 45-20 by halftime.

"We got rattled by their quickness at the outset," said Granite Hills coach
Jay Rowlett. "We turned the ball over repeatedly in the first two quarters.
But we played a lot smarter and a lot more sure-handed in the second half.
But you can't spot a team as good as San Diego a 25-point lead and expect to
come back."

Other Granite Hills scoring: Amy Hoyt 7, Brenda Najor 5, Jeannie Case 3,
Jennifer Young 3 (5 assists).

UNIVERSITY CITY 75, GROSSMONT 33 - The previously unbeaten Foothillers (5-1)
received a good indication of what their chances of a San Diego CIF Division
II championship are when they tangled with the defending champion Centurions
(6-0) in Tuesday's (Dec. 11) first round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

The Centurions sent a distinct message when they blanked the Hillers 20-0 in
the second quarter.

"We wanted to make them shoot from the outside, and we were able to do that,"
said Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle, noting that University City made only
six shots outside the key. "We made them shoot the 15-footer, but they were
so quick that they were able to get 31 offensive rebounds. That wasn't part
of the plan."

Nobody reached double figures for the Foothillers, who were led by Lyndsay
Felice's 9 points and 7 rebounds. Jaclyn Goldbarg added 6 points and 7
assists.

Other Grossmont scoring: Heather Hemingway 6, Natalie Vozely 6, Laura Felice
4, Lindsay Miller 2.

SCRIPPS RANCH 60, VALHALLA 38 - The Norsemen welcomed all-league guard
Janene Stutz back to the team, but were still overmatched by the Falcons in
Tuesday's (Dec. 11) opening round of the Granite Hills Invitational.

The Falcons outscored the Norsemen in every quarter, although Valhalla closed
to within two points midway through the second period.

"We were right there until they hit back-to-back 3-point shots to go up by
nine at halftime," Valhalla coach Robert Wilson said.

Briette Storrs led Valhalla with 13 points - including a pair of 3s, and 7
rebounds. Jasmine Beauchamp added 6 points, Kelly Wyatt chipped in 5 points,
and Megan Alexander corralled 9 rebound to go with 4 points. Jennifer
Kolegraff made 6 steals.

Other Valhalla scoring: Kristine Fleming 4, Stutz 2, , Kolegraff 2, Angel
Burch 2.

FRANCIS PARKER 67, HELIX 42 - Sophomore Marisa Mohan scored a career-high 24
points, hauled down 14 rebounds, and made 4 steals, but the Highlanders (0-6)
were unable to supply much of a supporting cast as they succumbed to coach
Lenny Schlein's Lancers in a non-league on Tuesday (Dec. 11).

Junior Desiree Marheine added 8 points and 9 rebounds for Helix.

The Highlanders, who trailed 30-12 at halftime, put on a stronger showing in
the second half, but it was too little, too late.

"We played much better in the second half, but it just hasn't become a habit
for us to play the right way yet," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion.

CALVIN CHRISTIAN 49, CHRISTIAN 29 - Cassandra Stone cast in 20 points and
snared 6 rebounds, but the Patriots (1-5) could not generate any kind of
substantial perimeter shooting in Tuesday's (Dec. 11) non-league contest
against visiting Calvin Christian.

(12-11-01)


Sultans slip in showdown with Centurions

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - The Santana Sultans were well on their way to a victory over the
defending San Diego CIF Division II champion University City Centurions in
Saturday's (Dec. 8) Santana Coca Cola Classic championship game.

The Sultans (4-1) held a 13-point lead over the visiting Centurions with
seven minutes to play, and then suddenly the air went out of Santana's
balloon.

"We choked," said Santana coach Wade Vickery. "There was a stretch at the end
where we turned the ball over six times in a row. We gave up a couple of 3s
to a player who hadn't been given a look all night."

Vickery, however, admitted that University City (5-0) possessed as much
quality as it had in the previous two seasons.

"They're just as good as they were last year," Vickery said. "We had them on
the ropes, but then we fell apart. We turned the ball over, and they were off
to the races."

Santana turned the ball over 27 times, 16 in the second half.

"Can we beat them?" Vickery said, repeating the question. "I don't know for
sure. What I do know is we need a healthy Brooke Sutton to stand any kind of
chance."

Sutton is playing with an inflamed ligament in her knee. Doctors say the
senior forward cannot cause further damage to her knee by playing.

"I know her dad (Don Sutton) is trying to get her into Kaiser for an MRI,"
Vickery said. "If Brooke has to have arthroscopic surgery and we lose her for
a month, so be it. We need her down the stretch and in the playoffs if we
expect to have any chance to beat teams like University City."

Sutton corralled a team-high 8 rebounds, but scored only 4 points. Jaime
Ransom reeled in 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the Sultans' loss.

Amanda Krismer added 16 points, while Jackie Turpin handed out 12 assists,
made 6 steals and scored 4 points for Santana. Margeaux Bass contributed 9
points and 4 assists, while Courtney Ash layed in 7 points.

ORANGE GLEN 46, MOUNT MIGUEL 34 - The Matadors (5-1) couldn't find their
offensive touch, as they came up short in the Granite Hills Classic
championship game against Orange Glen on Saturday (Dec. 8).

Although Christine Fitzgerald tallied 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and a
pair of steals, the Matadors could generate little offensive firepower
against the Patriots, who took a 14-8 first quarter lead and claimed a 31-16
halftime advantage.

"We had our opportunities all night," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie
Sandoval. "We just couldn't put the ball in the basket."

Ijal Barnes had 6 points and 11 rebounds, while Kayla Henry had 6 points and
9 rebounds for the Matadors. Genevieve Costello also had 6 points.

West Hills 74, Madison 53 - Amanda Brown fired in five more three-pointers on her way to a
17-point effort as West Hills defeated in a
Grossmont Tournament game on the Foothillers' floor.

Brown, who leads the county with 29 three-pointers, broke the San Diego CIF
record of 11 treys in one game in her last start. She earned an
all-tournament berth.

Julie Strick added 13 points for the Wolf Pack (5-1).

Grossmont 64, Montgomery 58 - The host Foothillers (5-0) rallied in the second half to get past Montgomery in a Grossmont Tournament victory Saturday.
Down 29-25 at intermission, the Hillers got 20 points from freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg, and a combined 32 points from the Felice sisters - Laura and Lyndsay.
Laura Felice had 17 points, including a three-pointer, while Lyndsay Felice went 7-of-10 from the line, as Grossmont connected on 21-of-27 foul shots for the game.
Heather Hemingway added six points for Grossmont, which placed Goldbarg and Lyndsay Felice on the All-Tournament Team.


Eagles escape with fifth-straight victory on McCurdy's put-back

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - The Granite Hills Eagles improved to 5-0 in thrilling fashion Friday night, getting a rebound and layup from Amanda McCurdy wtih eight seconds left, giving the hosts a 49-47 win over Oceanside at the Granite Hills Classic.
Joelle Bunnell, a junior forward, led Granite Hills with 11 points, including a three-pointer, and eight rebounds, while teammate Rochelle Arrington was next with nine points.
McCurdy, who finished with seven points, grabbed the carom off a missed shot and made the put-back.
"We had balance," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "I'll take that, as long as we keep winning."
Brenda Najor contributed 6 points for the Eagles, while Amy Hoyt and Jenny Holden both added 5. Holden also canned a three-pointer.
Jeannie Case tallied 4 points and handed out four assists for Granite Hills, while senior Jennifer Young added two points.

El Cajon Valley 43, Pt. Loma 34 - In the last game of the night at the Granite Hills tourney, El Cajon Valley scored 11 points in each of the final three quarters to pace past the Pointers.
Pt Loma outscored the Braves 14-10 over the opening eight minutes, but was held to just 12 points in the second half, including six in the fourth period.
Ferrari Funches had 17 points and 15 Rebounds for El Cajon, while Donette Randall added 11 points and 8 rebounds. Michelle Thompson had 6 points for the Braves, while Joyce Barton grabbed 8 rebounds and Roschelle Boyd had 5 boards.
"The girls hustled all game long, they wanted this game bad," Braves coach Randy Adams said. "They were running the offense and played hard defense all night long. They started to have a little trouble with a half-court press, but were able to break it and make free throws down the stretch."

Grossmont 80, Helix 24 - The host Foothillers (4-0) cruised to the Grossmont Tournament victory behind Taryin Casillas' 21 points, including two three-pointers.
Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg stroked 11-of-14 free throws en route to 16 points, as she also canned a three-pointer. Grossmont went 25-for-31 from the charity stripe on the night.
Laura Felice chipped in 13 points, while Sarah Fernandes hit four floor shots and finished with 10 points for the Hillers.
Lyndsay Felice added eight points for Grossmont, while Heather Hemingway and Natalie Vozely both had six points.
The Highlanders (0-4) got seven points from Chastity Toilolo and four from Marisa Mohan. Ashley Terril, Brandy Wilson and Calista Glenn, who hit from behind the arc, all chipped in with three for Helix, while Verita White and Natalie Glenn both added a bucket.

Scripps Ranch 63, Monte Vista 44 - Lisa Roper led Monte Vista with 14 points, as the Monarchs (3-3) dropped a Granite Hills Classic game Friday night.
Dyanne Lorenzana and Amy Reiland both added 9 points for the Monarchs, while teammate Rachel Vorman netted 7 points. Ashley Shriver was the other point-scorer for Monte Vista, tossing in five.

Escondido 37, Christian 28 - No other information reported.


Mount Miguel silences San Diego at The Cave
Roper's 43 points in win over Pats two shy of Mascari's team mark

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - If the Mount Miguel Matadors aren't one of the top 10 girls
basketball teams in the county, somebody isn't paying attention.

Known for their defensive tenacity, the Matadors pulled off what most would
call an upset Thursday (Dec.6) when they defeated Charde Houston and the San
Diego Cavers 72-68 on their home court.

"It was a fantastic game," exclaimed Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval of
the Granite Hills Classic battle of 4-0 teams. "We mixed up our defenses,
playing zone when Houston was in the game and man-to-man when she wasn't."

Houston, who was held to 19 points - half her season average of 38 - was
excused early on this night, fouling out with 3 1/2 minutes remaining and the
score tied at 65-all.

"As soon as she was out, we went to full-court pressure," Sandoval said.

Genevieve Costello put Mount Miguel on top to stay 69-67 when she hit a
jumper in the lane with 1:30 remaining.

After the Cavers closed it to one point, the Matadors came back with the key
play of the night. Ijal Barnes retrieved an offensive board as she was
falling out of bounds and shoveled a pass to Kayla Henry underneath. Henry
made the layup to give Mount Miguel a 71-68 advantage. Costello tacked on a
free throw with one second left.

Mount Miguel's Christine Fitzgerald led all scorers with 25 points, including
a trio of three-pointers. She also grabbed 8 rebounds, made 9 steals and
dished out 5 assists.

"Christine was attacking the basket all night, because nobody could guard
her," Sandoval said. "And Costello did a great job of handling (San Diego's)
pressure. I think I have the best guard combination in the county."

Costello finished with 11 points and 4 assists.

Mount Miguel turned the ball over only 13 times, while forcing the Cavers to
throw the ball away 22 times.

"We did a good defensive job on (San Diego's Alisha) Bell, holding her to 7
points (when she averages 20)," Sandoval noted.

Barnes was a stalwart inside for Mount Miguel with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2
blocks, 2 steals and 3 assists. Henry and Teresa Melendez combined for 16
points and 11 rebounds.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Lyneth Labuguen 7, Melendez 8, Henry 8.
(12-06-01)

MONTE VISTA 77, CHRISTIAN 49 ( REVISED) - Lisa Roper scored the
second-highest total in Monte Vista girls basketball history with a 43-point
effort as the Monarchs (3-2) raced past the Patriots (1-3) in a Granite Hills
Classic game Thursday (Dec. 6) at Christian.

Roper, who scored 33 points in a game earlier this season, nailed 4
three-pointers and 11 of 15 free throws in her effort. She also blocked 3
shots and made 6 steals.

The Monte Vista record for points in a game belongs to Paula Mascari-Bott,
who scored 45 points versus Granite Hills during the 1985-86 season. What
makes Mascari-Bott's mark so impressive is she did it without benefit of the
three-point line, which was not part of the game at that time.

The Monarchs had their shooting shoes on, as they clicked on 58 percent of 40
shots from the field.

Erika Munoz added 10 points and Rachel Vorman netted 9 points, including
3-for-3 free throw shooting. Dyanne Lorenzana was 3-for-6 from the floor for
8 points, and also made 3 steals for the Monarchs.

Cassandra Stone, a 5-foot-11 senior, led Christian with 18 points, and Maggie
McGill chipped in with 13.

"Christian is a very tall team," Monarchs assistant coach Sig Chabrowski
said. "Stone held the position down low, and dominated the post (hitting
7-of-15 field goals and 4 free throws)."

Three Patriots fouled out as the Monarchs converted 16 of 22 free throws.

Monte Vista outscored the Patriots 46-24 in the middle two quarters to claim
the victory.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Sarah Lynch 2, Tara Campbell 2.

Other Christian scoring: Marilee Parnell 6, Rachel Edelan 6, Kyleen Murray 2,
Jenny Ray 2.

EL CAPITAN 54, USDHS 48 - Jessica Cable cranked in 21 points, including two
3-pointers, and grabbed 9 rebounds, while notching 4 steals as host El
Capitan improved to 5-1 with the Granite Hills Classic victory on Thursday
(Dec. 6).

Alissa Unden chimed in with 12 points and 11 rebounds (7 offensive), while
Lyric Teigen rolled in 10 points, cleared 6 rebounds and swiped 5 passes for
El Capitan. Mallory Palmer popped in 9 points and pulled down 5 rebounds.

After Cable hit a pair of threes to help stake El Cap to a 15-12 first
quarter lead, Unden scored 10 second-quarter points to give the Vaqueros a
32-24 halftime edge.

Other El Capitan scoring: Jenny Holley 2.

VISTA 68, VALHALLA 38 - Too much schedule, not enough offensive firepower
for Valhalla so far. The visiting Norsemen (1-4) fell behind host Vista 16-2,
but scrambled back to within eight points with three minutes left in the
first half of Thursday night's (Dec. 6) Granite Hills Classic game.

"We showed for a little while that we can play with this caliber of team,"
Valhalla coach Robert Wilson said.

The Panthers led 36-22 at intermission and steadily widened the margin in the
second half.

Jennifer Kolegraff led Valhalla with 13 points and Kelly Wyatt added 7.

Other Valhalla scoring: Jasmine Beauchamp 6, Briette Storrs 5, Megan
Alexander 2, Kristina Fleming 1.

(12-06-01)


Brown lights up nets with section-record 11 threes for Pack

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - West Hills coach Dave Burgess knew he had a long distance shooter
in the making when he first saw Amanda Brown launch a few jumpers a year ago.
So he wasn't amazed or surprised when the 5-foot-6 junior sank a San Diego
CIF record 11 three-pointers on Wednesday (Dec. 5) as the Wolf Pack (4-1)
swamped Sweetwater 80-13 in a Grossmont Tournament game.

Brown's effort broke the SDCIF mark of 10 shared by Lynn Riordan (Serra,
1990), Kelly Simers (Santana, 1994) and Brandi Collato (Santa Fe Christian,
2001).

"I knew Amanda was capable of doing something like this, but I thought it
would be next year when she's a senior," Burgess said. "When she came out and
hit her first two three-point shots tonight, I thought maybe, just maybe this
would be the night."

Brown, who leads the county with 24 three-pointers, finished with 33 points,
hitting 11 of 25 shots from long distance against the hapless Red Devils. She
closed the evening with four threes in the final quarter, long after the game
had been decided.

"I talked with my assistant coach (Don Rutledge) about leaving Amanda in the
game when we were so far ahead," Burgess said. "We agreed to let her go for
the record.

"My players realize that this is a team accomplishment. They did a good job
of getting Amanda the ball. I think they were more excited about her breaking
the record than she was."

Julie Strick logged six assists, while Melissa Porter passed out four. Eric
Hourigan added 18 points and her sister Megan Hourigan canned the first
three-pointer of her career.

SANTANA 81, MT. CARMEL 44 - Known for their air-tight defense, the Sultans
blanked the visiting Sundevils 18-0 in the second quarter to snap a 19-19
first-quarter deadlock in Wednesday's (Dec. 5) semifinals of the Santana Coca
Cola Classic.

The Sultans (4-0) will host University City (4-0) for the tournament title on
Saturday (Dec. 8) at 1 p.m.

"It was nothing I said," remarked Santana coach Wade Vickery when asked about
the Sultans' second period success. "We pulled our press off and went back to
half-court pressure. That's what we do best."

Mt. Carmel (2-2), which had its two best players on the sidelines, went
0-for-13 in the scoreless second period.

The Sultans put the game on ice with a 27-14 run in the third quarter, which
inflated their cushion to 64-33.

Jaime Ransom led Santana's balanced attack with 19 points, 6 steals and 3
blocked shots. Jackie Turpin netted 14 points, dished off 9 assists and
recorded 7 steals, while Amanda Krismer canned 14 points, including 6-for-8
free throw shooting. Brooke Sutton added 13 points for the winners.

Other Santana scoring: Denise Bennett 8, Courtney Ash 6, Margeaux Bass 6,
Ashley Hight 1.

EL CAPITAN 62, MAR VISTA 50 - Alissa Unden drilled in 5 three-pointers on
her way to a 20-point night as host El Capitan (4-1) whipped the Mariners in
Wednesday's (Dec. 5) Granite Hills Classic game.

Unden also chipped in with 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists, while Jessica
Cable canned 14 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, made 6 steals and dealt 5
assists. Lyric Teigen rolled in 11 points, with a pair of 3s. Valli Burks
made 7 steals and handed out 4 assists to go with 6 points.

El Capitan stretched a 30-21 halftime lead into a 49-30 advantage in the
third quarter.

Other El Capitan scoring: Mallory Palmer 4, Rachel Overton 3, Becky Holley 2,
Jenny Holley 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 70, HORIZON 22 - Genevie Costello scored a career-high 22
points, passed out 7 assists and logged 7 steals as the undefeated Matadors
(4-0) pummeled the Panthers Wednesday (Dec. 5) in a Titan Tipoff Classic
contest.

Christine Fitzgerald turned in a card filled impressive numbers - 14 points,
5 assists, 5 steals and 3 rebounds. Ijal Barnes added 10 points and 5 steals,
while Kayla Henry chimed in with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

The defensive-minded Matadors used their pressuring tactics to open up a 24-5
first-quarter lead. Mount Miguel limited Horizon to 2 points in the middle
two quarters and led 61-9 after three.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Lyneth Labuguen 4, Teresa Melendez 4, Ivanna
Velez 2, Chesley Dixon 2, Catalina Diaz 2, Dorian Steel 2.

(12-05-01)


Roper rounds-up three milestone as Monarchs corral Chieftains

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Lisa Roper lassoed a Monte Vista girls basketball record Tuesday
(Dec. 4) as the Monarchs clobbered Clairemont 63-37 in a Granite Hills
Classic game.

Although she did not have one of her better shooting nights, Roper became the
first Monte Vista girl to net 100 three-point baskets. She was a chilly
2-for-12, but pushed her career total for treys to 101.

Roper poured a game-high 23 points, raising her season total to 87 (a 21.8
average) and three-point count to 9. The 5-foot-5 senior guard also had 5
assists, 6 steals and 4 rebounds.

Senior Dyanne Lorenzana had a solid double-double for the Monarchs, drilling
in 16 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Erika Munoz chipped in with 10
points and 6 rebounds.

Monte Vista (2-2) jumped out to a 22-11 first-quarter lead and never looked
back.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Amy Reiland 6, Ashley Shriver 6, Sarah Lynch 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 67, OCEANSIDE 29 - Kayla Henry pulled an inside job on the
visiting Oceanside Pirates in Tuesday's (Dec. 4) Granite Hills Classic game.
The 5-foot-9 sophomore patrolled the key and controlled the glass, recording
career highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds as the undefeated Matadors won
their third straight.

"Kayla was really going up strong, getting put-backs," Mount Miguel coach
Robbie Sandoval. "Eight of her rebounds were on the offensive end."

Christine Fitzgerald spearheaded the always-aggressive Mount Miguel defense,
which is allowing only 24.7 points per game. The 5-6 junior guard made 11
steals while scoring 17 points, handing out 7 assists and clearing 4 rebounds.

"Our half-court pressure got to them early," said Sandoval of the Matadors
who led 37-14 at intermission and then played shutout ball with the Pirates
(0-3) for the opening seven minutes of the third quarter to extend their
advantage to 48-14.

Genevieve Costello cast in 10 points, dished off 6 assists, and made 3
steals, while Ijal Barnes contributed 6 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals for
the Matadors.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Ivanna Velez 4, Lyneth Lauguen 3, Dorian Steel 2,
Chelsey Dixon 3.

ORANGE GLEN 58, EL CAPITAN 46 - The Vaqueros fell behind host Orange Glen
18-3 in the opening quarter, but came back to tie on two occasions before
submitting to their first loss in four starts in the Granite Hills Classic.

Trailing 39-36 at the close of the third quarter, the Vaqueros watched the
Patriots pop in three quick field goals (2 of the three-point variety) at the
start of the final quarter. That spurt secured the victory for Orange Glen.

Valli Burks led El Cap with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Alissa Unden
collected 9 points and 9 rebounds, while Jessica Cable cashed in 9 points, 5
rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Unden and Cable each had a 3-pointer.

Other El Capitan scoring - Lyric Teigen 7, Becky Holley 6, Jenny Holley 2,
Mallory Palmer 1.

FALLBROOK 50, VALHALLA 27 - The visiting Norsemen trailed only 22-18 at the
half, but couldn't generate any offense in the final two quarters as
Fallbrook won going away.

"We were pretty excited about the first half, because were playing good
defense," Valhalla coach Robert Wilson said. "But we just couldn't get
anything going. We're still going through some growing pains, but we'll be
ready by league."

Briette Storrs led Valhalla with 10 points, including a three-pointer.
Jasmine Beauchamp added points. Adriana Malone also had a three-pointer.

Other Valhalla scoring - Jennifer Kolegraff 3, Kristina Fleming 3.
(12-04-01)


Eagles' Bunnell nails nine threes

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Joelle Bunnell flirted with history Monday night (Dec. 3) when she sank 9 three-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points, as undefeated Granite Hills (4-0) hammered Hilltop 79-26 in a Granite Hills Classic game.

Bunnell, who is averaging 23 points, missed the San Diego CIF record for 3-pointers in a game by one. The record of 10 is shared by Lynn Riordan (Serra, 1990), Kelly Simers (Santana, 1994) and Brandi Collato (Santa Fe Christian, 2001).

A 5-foot-7 junior forward, Bunnell is off to a blazing start on her long-distance shooting career. In four games this season she has connected for a county-leading 18 three-pointers.

The Eagles, meanwhile, who are on a collision course for a Dec. 11 showdown with county power San Diego, led the Lancers 24-5 after one quarter, 50-14 at the break, and 70-21 after three quarters. The Granite Hills' starters sat out the final quarter.

Jeannie Case, who tallied 10 points, was the only other Granite Hills player to finish in double figures. Sophomore center Megan Suggs produced 8 points and 4 rebounds, while senior Jennifer Young rang up 8 points and 3 steals.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Amy Hoyt 7, Rochelle Arrington 5, Jenny Holden 3, Brenda Najor 3, Amanda McCurdy 2.

GROSSMONT 52, SWEETWATER 39 - The Foothillers (3-0) sprinted to a 21-3 first-quarter lead, and then cruised to the Grossmont Tournament victory on Monday night (Dec. 3).

Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg led a balanced attack with 12 points and 7 assists.

Laura Felice chipped in 10 points, while Taryin Casillas collected 9 points, as did Lyndsay Felice.

"We used our press to take the big lead early," said Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle. "And then we just dominated on the boards. We're one of the smaller teams, but we really were aggressive. We had 47 rebounds (21 offensive), and that's the best we've done all year."

Heather Hemingway, a 5-foot-7 junior, collected a dozen caroms to lead Grossmont's board brigade. Lyndsay Felice had 10 rebounds.

Other Grossmont scoring: Hemingway 6, Natalie Vozely 3, Lindsey Woods 2, Amber Dase 1.

CARLSBAD 42, WEST HILLS 36 - The visiting Wolf Pack did everything but win in Monday's (Dec. 3) Grossmont Tournament game at Carlsbad.

The Pack (3-1) sacked its chances for victory by committing 23 turnovers and poor shooting.

"When you shoot 29 percent from the floor (14-for-47) and 28 percent from the free throw line (2-for-7) and commit the number of turnovers that we did, it's a miracle that we came as close as we did," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said. "It was a totally a winnable game. Our defense did a great job. We played very good half-court defense and didn't let their big girls get to us."

Amanda Brown hit four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 14 points for the Wolf Pack. Julie Strick tallied 12 points and made 7 steals, while Erin Hourigan added 6 points and 4 rebounds.

MONTGOMERY 65, HELIX 48 - The Highlanders (0-3) faltered at the free throw line, connecting on only 13-of-27 chances on Monday night (Dec. 3) as they lost the Grossmont Tournament game at Montgomery.

Both teams scored progressively more in each of the four quarters, but the Aztecs outscored the Highlanders in each of the individual stanzas.

Desiree Marheine had a team-high 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Highlanders. Marisa Mohan added 7 points, while Verita White grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Chastity Toilolo rolled in 5 points and pulled down 8 rebounds.

"We didn't convert on our easy shots, and turned the ball over too much," Helix coach Kathy Gunion said. "We just have to continue to get better fundamentally."

Other Helix scoring:, Calista Glenn 5, Brandy Wilson 5, Toilolo 5, White 4, Natalie Glenn 4, Ashley Terrill 3, Robyn Jordan 2.

PT. LOMA 47, CHRISTIAN 40 - The Pointers outscored the visiting Patriots 17-10 in the final quarter to secure the Granite Hills Classic victory on Monday (Dec. 3).

"We got killed on the boards and missed 16 free throws," Christian High coach Tim Jollett said of his 1-2 Patriots.

Jenny Ray led Christian with 11 points, while Cassandra Stone added 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Other Christian scoring: Kyleen Murray 6, Kelli Murray 6, Rachel Edelan 6, Marilee Parnell 2, Lauren Oldenburg 2.

ESCONDIDO 48, EL CAJON VALLEY 41 - Ferrari Funches led the Braves with 15 points, but the Cougars out the visitors 23-7 over the final eight minutes.
(12-03-01)


Sultans pull away from Bulldogs

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - To most coaches, a 20-point victory is well within the comfort zone. For Santana coach Wade Vickery and his Sultans, Saturday's (Dec. 1) 53-33 Coca Cola Classic conquest of visiting Ramona marked the closest encounter so far this season.

The Sultans (3-0) scrambled to a 17-14 first-quarter lead, and then gradually increased their advantage until breaking the game open with a 17-9 fourth-quarter spread.

Junior Jaime Ransom rattled in 18 tallies, which included a pair of 3-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws, while clearing 8 rebounds.

"Jaime is having a great year," Vickery said. "Her shooting is on, she's hitting her shots. She's being much more aggressive this year going to the basket, which leads to more free throw attempts."

Santana was 17-for-22 from the free throw line against the Bulldogs. That included a 6-for-7 effort from sophomore Margeaux Bass, who totaled 14 points. Jackie Turpin tossed in 13 points, patrolled the boards for 11 rebounds, dished out 8 assists and made 3 steals for the Sultans. Brooke Sutton also had 8 rebounds.

Other Santana scoring: Amanda Krismer 4, Sutton 3, Courtney Ash 1.

ORANGE GLEN 59, MONTE VISTA 42 - The Monarchs tangled with another ranked team, and came up short Saturday (Dec. 1), as No. 8 Orange Glen (3-0) put the squeeze on Monte Vista (1-2) in a Santana Coca Cola contest in Spring Valley.

The Monarchs trailed only 32-27 at halftime, but saw their offense stall over the final 16 minutes.

Lisa Roper led Monte Vista with 14 points, while Ericka Munoz tossed in 11. Amy Reiland collected 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Dyanne Lorenazana contributed 6 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

Katie Anderson scored 25 points for Orange Glen, which sank in six 3-pointers. The Monarchs were 0-for-4 from 3-point range.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Sarah Lynch 2, Ashley Schriver 1, Rachel Vorman 2.

MOUNT MIGUEL 76, HILLTOP 20 - Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval is almost manic when he talks to his Matadors about the importance of defense. His student-athletes are obviously getting the message.

The Matadors (2-0) proved to host Hilltop that they are progressing nicely, as they forced 44 turnovers and limited the Lancers to 5 points in the second
half.

Christine Fitzgerald spearheaded the Matadors' effort with 12 steals and 23 points, including a pair of 3s. She also blocked a shot, grabbed 4 rebounds, and handed out 5 assists.

Genevieve Costello, a 5-foot-2 freshman, cast in 19 points, collected 5 steals, 3 assists, a 3-pointer, a rebound and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Ijal Barnes was 7-for-8 from the free throw line, as she put in 17 points while grabbing 5 steals and 4 rebounds. Kyla Henry had a big game, with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal.

Other Mount Miguel scoring: Nastasha Edwards 5, Teresa Melendez 2, Ivana Velez 2.

GRANITE HILLS 73, EL CAJON VALLEY 24 - Joelle Bunnell continued her shooting spree with 16 points, which included her 7th, 8th and 9th 3-pointers of the season, as the Eagles mauled their Madison Avenue rivals in a Granite Hills Classic contest at El Cajon Valley on Saturday (Dec. 1).

Junior center Brenda Najor nailed 15 points for the Eagles (3-0). Rochelle Arrington punched in 10 points and passed out 6 assists, while Jenny Holden hit a pair of 3-pointers, totaled 10 points and 6 assists for the evening.

Senior Jennifer Young produced 7 points and 4 steals for the winners.

Donette Randall led El Cajon Valley with 11 points. The Braves (0-3) played without leading scorer Ferrari Funches.

Other Granite Hills scoring: Amy Hoyt 5, Amanda McCurdy 2, Jeannie Case 4, Megan Suggs 4.
Other El Cajon Valley scoring: Michelle Thompson 4, Joyce Barton 4, Mirna
Nuno 3, Roschelle Boyd 2.

EL CAPITAN 48, CLAIREMONT 24 - Jessica Cable scored 13 points, collected 13 caroms and made 5 steals to lead the visiting Vaqueros (3-0) to a convincing Granite Hills Classic victory over Clairemont Saturday (Dec. 1).

Alissa Unden netted a pair of 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 14 points. She also grabbed 8 rebounds, as did Rachel Overson.

Valli Burks directed the offense with 5 assists, 6 points and 2 steals.

Mallory Palmer chipped in 5 points and 4 rebounds, while Lyric Teigen was 4-for-4 from the free throw line, finishing with 6 points. Heather Molzen, a 6-foot-2 freshman, retrieved 5 rebounds, blocked a shot, and dealt 2 assists.

El Capitan charged out of the gates for a 14-2 first quarter lead, and widened the margin to 31-11 by halftime.

Other El Capitan scoring: Jenny Holley 2, Overson 2.

BRAWLEY 48, VALHALLA 37 - Slow starts at the beginning of each half cost the Norsemen (1-2) against the visiting Brawley Wildcats in Saturday's (Dec. 1) non-league game.

The 'Cats clawed their way to a 10-4 first-quarter lead, and then extended their advantage to 38-24 at the close of the third stanza.

Jennifer Kolegraff had 9 points to lead Valhalla, which also got 8 apiece from Kelly Wyatt and Briette Storrs.

Other Valhalla scoring: Megan Alexander 6, Jasmine Beauchamp 5, Sade' Campbell 1.
(12-01-01)


Norsemen, Patriots make coaches' debuts successful

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Two varsity rookie head coaches celebrated victories on Friday (Nov. 30), and neither Valhalla's Robert Wilson nor Christian's Tim Jollett figure it's going to be a "once in a blue moon" experience.

In case you're wondering, a "blue moon" refers to two full moons in the same month, which occurs about every three years. It happened Friday night.

These victories were special, however, as they were "firsts" for both coaches.

VALHALLA 46, ESCONDIDO 41 - Jennifer Kolegraff canned 12 points and collected 8 steals for the Norsemen (1-1), who defeated the visiting Cougars in a Granite Hills Classic encounter. Jasmine Beauchamp chipped in a game-high 10 rebounds along with 8 points for Valhalla. Briette Storrs and Megan Alexander also tossed in 8 points apiece for the winners.

Valhalla, which generated 16 steals, led only 23-22 at the half, and 31-30 after three quarters, before pulling away in the final period.

"It feels good to get this first win, kinda gets the monkey off my back," Wilson said. "We got a lot of our points off the fast break."

Other Valhalla scoring: Adriana Malone 6, Kelly Wyatt 2, Cathy Russo 2.

CHRISTIAN 48, EL CAJON VALLEY 22 - Senior Cassandra Stone poured in 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as the visiting Patriots (1-1) rocked the
Braves (0-2) in a Granite Hills Classic game.

"Stone was great," Jollett said. "But we just didn't do well in the first quarter (falling behind 9-6). Then we changed up, pressed a little bit and surged ahead. In the second half we played really well (claiming a 31-8
scoring edge)."

Jenny Ray added 11 points and 9 rebounds for Christian, which also got 7 rebounds and 6 points from Merilee Parnell. Kyleen Murray tacked on 7 points for the Patriots.

Ferrari Funches led the Braves with 10 points.

Other Christian scoring: Lauren Oldenburg 4, Jessica Harris 2, Kelly Murray 1. (No other ECV information was reported.)

GRANITE HILLS 40, PATRICK HENRY 33 - Jennifer Young, the Eagles' only senior, made three key steals in the fourth quarter, as Granite Hills (2-0) came from behind to defeat visiting Henry. Her first theft led to two free throws; when she pilfered a second pass, it resulted in a 3-point-play. She then sealed the victory with a third steal and burned off the clock.

Young finished with 5 steals to go with 11 points.

Joelle Bunnell continued her hot-handed shooting with 13 points, including 3 treys and 8 rebounds. The Eagles got a clutch 3-pointer from Bunnell as the halftime buzzer sounded, shaving the Patriots' lead to 20-19. The 5-foot-7 junior forward now has 43 points and six 3-pointers in two games.

"We were down the whole game," said Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett. "We started off slow, missed a lot of shots, and got in foul trouble." (Two Granite Hills starters fouled out early in the fourth quarter.)

Other Granite Hills scorers: Jenny Holden 4, Jeannie Case 4, Rochelle Arrington 4, Brenda Najor 3, Amy Hoyt 1.

SANTANA 81, RANCHO BUENA VISTA 38 - Jaime Ransom connected on 11-of-14 floor shots and 4-of-4 free throws to finish with a game-high 28 points as the Sultans (2-0) smothered the visiting Longhorns Friday (Nov. 30) in a Santana Coca Cola Classic contest.

Clinging to a 14-10 first-quarter lead, the Sultans broke the game open with a 24-9 second quarter surge keyed by Ransom's 11 points.

Ransom included a pair of 3-pointers in her totals, while Brooke Sutton canned 14 points and snagged 9 rebounds. Amanda Krismer cashed in 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jackie Turpin handed out 11 assists, made 6 steals and chalked up 9 points.

"We played tough defense in the second quarter, and that created a lot of transition opportunities for us," Santana coach Wade Vickery said.

Other Santana scoring: Courtney Ash 7, Margeaux Bass 7, Ashley Hight 2.

BISHOP'S 64, MONTE VISTA 48 - The Monarchs (1-1) didn't wilt under the pressure of playing the defending Division V state champions, as they trailed only 14-11 after the first quarter of Friday's (Nov. 30) Bronco Invitational game at Rancho Bernardo.

The Knights, ranked No. 2 in the county and No. 19 in the state, led only 43-34 after three quarters before pulling away in the final eight minutes.

Lisa Roper scored 17 points to lead the Monarchs. Although she now has 50 points in two starts, Bishop's double- and triple-teamed Roper, causing her shooting to dip to 5-for-15. She did, however, sink a pair of 3-pointers and converted 5-of-6 free throws. She also had 3 assists and 2 steals.

Dyanne Lorenzana turned in a powerful game for the Monarchs with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Ericka Munoz dished off 5 assists for Monte Vista, which sank 15-of-42 floor shots and 16-of-26 free throws.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Rachel Vorman 7, Munoz 3, Sarah Lynch 2, Amy Reiland 2, Ashley Schriver 2, Tara Campbell 2.
(11-30-01)


Monarch Mania could take hold behind seniors Roper, Nunez

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Carlos Moss calls his Monte Vista High girls basketball team the "Crazy 8."

That's the number of players the coach lists on the Monarchs' roster. But more than that, Moss believes his girls are going to drive a few of Monte Vista's opponents crazy this season.

Senior guard Lisa Roper rustled up 33 points and senior forward Ericka Munoz notched 19 as Monte Vista opened the season Thursday (Nov. 29) with a convincing 79-24 rout of host Hilltop High in the Grossmont Tournament.

What a gala opening night it was for Roper, who connected on 11 of 15 floor shots and 6 of 9 free throws. She was 5-for-7 from three-point range, and
still found time to hand out 5 assists and record 4 steals.

Munoz also had a sharp shooting eye, as she clicked on 8 of 14 shots and 3 of 4 free throws. She grabbed 7 rebounds and made 3 steals.

Sophomore Ashley Schriver contributed 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals in her varsity debut for the Monarchs.

Other Monte Vista scoring: Sarah Lynch 2, Amy Reiland 2, Tara Campbell 5, Dyanne Lorenzana 5, Rachel Vorman 7.

EL CAPITAN 56, CHRISTIAN 32 - Sophomore guard Alissa Unden knocked down 16 points (including a pair of 3s), snared 7 rebounds and made 3 steals to help
lead the visiting Vaqueros (2-0) to the Granite Hills Classic victory on Thursday (Nov. 29).

Valli Burks and Jessica Cable added 10 points apiece for El Capitan. Cable
collected a team-high 8 rebounds, while Burks notched 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Lyric Teigen and Mindy Carr canned 6 points each, and Mallory Palmer brought home 6 rebounds, one more than Rachel Overton.

Sophomore Kyleen Murray had a team-best 9 points for Christian, which was making its debut under first-year head coach Tim Jollett. Senior Jenny Ray chipped in with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Merilee Parnell, a 5-foot-10 senior, garnered 5 points, while Rachel Edelan snagged 5 rebounds.

Other El Capitan scoring: Palmer 3, Iyshia Hernandez 2, Overton 2, Heather Molzen 1.

Other Christian scoring: Jamie Ray 4, Kelli Murray 2, Edelan 2, Cassandra Stone 2.

GROSSMONT 59, MADISON 49 - Lyndsay Felice scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, including 10 in the Foothillers' 26-8 second period, as Grossmont (2-0) broke open a 5-point game after the first quarter.

Felice was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field in the contest and also finished 5-of-6 from the line.

"Lyndsay played well for us," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle said. "She really carried us on the offensive end."

Jaclyn Goldbarg added 10 points and dished out a team-high seven assists.

Other Grossmont scoring: Laura Felice 6, Taryin Casillas 5, Heather Hemingway 4, Lindsey Woods 4, Sarah Fernandes 3, Rikale Dickens 3, Amber Dace 2.

EL CENTRO SOUTHWEST 51, HELIX 41 - The Highlanders (0-2) raced out to a 16-7 first-quarter lead, and maintained a 28-21 cushion at the half. In the second half, the Eagles outscored the Highlanders 30-13.

Junior forward Desiree Marheine netted 12 points to lead the Highlanders. Freshman Chasity Toilolo added 9 markers.

"Southwest played a very physical game," Helix coach Kathy Gunion said. "We need to learn how to handle that."

Other Helix scoring: Ashley Terrill 6, Marisa Mohan 6, Brandy Wilson 5, Robyn Jordan 2, Stevi Browne 1.

WEST HILLS 61, MONTGOMERY 54 - Erin Hourigan scored 17 points, Julie Strick added 15 points and Amanda Browne tossed in 5 more as the Wolf Pack won its third straight game in the Grossmont Tournament. No other information was reported.
(11-29-01)


Sultans open season with 66-point victory over Morse

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Different year, similar results.

If there was any doubt about the status of the Santana girls basketball team, pencil in coach Wade Vickery's Sultans as sure-fire contenders, once again.

Santana stormed to leads of 18-5, 50-10 and 71-20 over the visiting Morse Tigers on Wednesday (Nov. 28), as the Sultans opened the Coca Cola Classic with an overpowering 97-31 victory.

Amanda Krismer cashed in 21 points and 4 rebounds to lead a balanced Santana attack. Jaime Ransom added 18 points and 6 rebounds, while Brooke Sutton chipped in 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Margeaux Bass proved that she will be a major player this season, pouring in 13 points while collecting
6 steals.

UC Davis-bound Jackie Turpin scored only 4 points, but handed out 13 assists and corralled 9 rebounds in the victory.

Santana broke the game open with a 32-5 spread during the second quarter. The Sultans connected on 15-of-20 shots from the floor during that eight-minute scoring spree.

Ashley Hight chipped in 9 points, and Denise Bennett contributed 8 points and 4 steals for the Sultans.

As a team Santana shot 51 percent in the game, clicking on 40-of-78 shots.

GRANITE HILLS 68, PT. LOMA 34 - Joelle Bunnell scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as the Eagles opened the season with a lopsided victory over the visiting Pointers. The 5-foot-7 junior forward scored 14 points in the second quarter, helping Granite Hills take a commanding 39-9 halftime lead.

Junior guard Rochelle Arrington added 11 points, and sophomore guard Jeannie Case contributed 9. Jennifer Young, the only senior on the team, made 5 steals and netted 4 points. Junior Jenny Holden tossed in 7 points.

MOUNT MIGUEL 61, ESCONDIDO 25 - Coach Robbie Sandoval took major losses to graduation from last year's 22-7 team that won the Grossmont South League championship.

Don't feel sorry for Sandoval. He'll find a way to make the Matadors competitive this season. He made his first move a positive one, as the Matadors opened the season with a convincing victory over host Escondido on Wednesday (Nov. 28) in the Granite Hills Classic.

Returning junior Christine Fitzgerald, one of the top guards in the county, led the way for the Matadors with 18 points, 9 steals, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

"It was Christine's first game since ACL surgery on May 24th," Sandoval said. "She went through six months of rehab, and she's been itching to get in there."

Sophomore Kayla Henry led the supporting cast with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals. Freshman Genevieve Costello generated 10 points, 4 steals, 3 assists and 3 rebounds for the Matadors.

"Genevieve is a nice addition," Sandoval noted. "She really controlled the tempo of the game."

Ijal Barnes, whose brother Khalif Barnes is a starting offensive lineman for the University of Washington football team, grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds, tossed in 7 points, and made 7 steals.

A Mount Miguel trademark is pressure defense, and Sandoval's new crew forced Escondido into 37 turnovers.

HORIZON 33, EL CAJON VALLEY 24 - Helix High transfer Ferrari Funches produced career highs of 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Braves, but it wasn't enough, as host Horizon won the Granite Hills Classic contest on Wednesday (Nov. 28).

The Braves were enjoying a 13-11 halftime lead, but were outscored 10-0 in
the third quarter.

"We were moving the ball and penetrating in the first half," El Cajon Valley first-year girls basketball coach Randy Adams said. "We just ran out of steam. They changed to zone defense in the second half, and we started making little, simple mistakes."

Michelle Thompson added 5 points for the Braves, while Mirna Nuno contributed 3 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. Joyce Barton also had 5 rebounds and 3 points.

SAN DIEGO 95, VALHALLA 52 - San Diego sophomore Charde Houston proved once again that she is one of the top players in San Diego County, scoring 39 points in a season opening victory over Valhalla.

The Norsemen of first-year head coach Robert Wilson battled the Cavers to a 15-15 first-quarter tie, before San Diego broke the game open with a 33-9 scoring spree in the second quarter.

"We were hanging in there, and then they started pressing and went on a lengthy run," Wilson said. "I'm very proud of the girls. They played hard for me in my first varsity game as head coach. I can't ask for any more than that."

Briette Storrs led Valhalla with 15 points, including 7-for-9 free throw shooting. The 5-foot-9 senior also had 8 rebounds, one less than junior Jasmine Beauchamp, who finished with 14 points. Senior forward Kelly Wyatt added 9 points for the Norsemen.

Wilson noted that San Diego, leading 69-42 entering the fourth quarter, turned up its press for the final eight minutes.

"My kids never gave up, kept playing hard even when that press came back on (in the fourth quarter)," Wilson said. "I guess they thought they didn't have a big enough lead."
(11-28-01)


Pack 2-for-2 after drubbing Helix in Grossmont Tournament

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON - Coach Dave Burgess' Wolf Pack won for the second time in as many nights on Tuesday (Nov. 27), as West Hills hammered Helix 62-41 in the opening round of the Grossmont Tournament.

West Hills' Julie Strick is off to a fast start this season, averaging 20 points in the first two games. The 5-foot-8 junior scored a game-high 26 points and collected 8 steals against the Highlanders.

"We created a lot of turnovers with our full court press, especially in the first three quarters," Burgess said, noting that Strick did all her scoring during that time, as West Hills built a 54-27 lead.

Amanda Brown and Lois Porter contributed 10 points apiece for West Hills, with Brown hitting a pair of 3-pointers. Porter pulled down 6 rebounds, one more than Erin Hourigan.

"We're going to be pretty tough this year," Burgess said. "We have a good group of returning players, and also have players coming up from a talented JV team that went 16-3 last year. We have a key player - Katy Kelly - who has a broken thumb, and we'll be even better when we get her back."

Freshman Ashley Terrill led Helix with 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

"We are really young and inexperienced," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion. "We only have four people coming back from last year's team, and two are hurt right now. Bryeanna Barmer will be out four weeks with a knee strain she got in the Chula Vista scrimmage (Nov. 21). And Ashley Walker hurt an ankle in practice, but we hope to have her back by our next game (Dec. 8)."

GROSSMONT 68, SOUTHWEST EL CENTRO 52 - Freshman Jaclyn Goldbarg began her career in terrific fashion, scoring a game-high 18 points, and maybe even more impressively, handing out 15 assists in the Foothillers' Grossmont Tournament victory over the Eagles on Tuesday (Nov. 27).

Goldbarg was 6-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range. She also was 4-for-6 from the foul stripe. Sophomore Laura Felice added 14 points, while Lyndsay Felice and sophomore Taryin Casillas both added 12. The four Foothillers were 23-of-32 from the free throw line.

"We started a freshman, two sophomores and two juniors today," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle said. "It'll take awhile for us to get to be where we want to be. But this group plays extremely hard. They listen, and do what I ask."

EL CAPITAN 47, LA COSTA CANYON 41 - The visiting Vaqueros outscored the Mavericks 15-9 in the final quarter to break a 32-32 tie to secure the non-league victory on Tuesday (Nov. 27).

Junior Jessica Cable collected a team-high 17 points, including four 3-pointers to pace El Capitan.
Sophomore guard Alissa Unden added 12 points, half of them coming on 6-for-10 free throw shooting. Junior Lyric Teigen cashed in 10 points for the Vaqueros. Senior Valli Burks added 6 points, and Rachel Overson completed the scoring with two.

(11-27-01)


West Hills girls win at Mar Vista

Amanda Brown and Julie Strick scored 14 points apiece, as West Hills opened with a 46-33 road win over Mar Vista.

Brown hit four three-point field goals, while teammate Erin Hourigan finished with eight points.
(11-26-01)


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