East County Sports.com

Martin spots up for 18 to lead South stars

ECS. com staff report

EL CAJON - Mount Miguel's Kim Martin was named Most Valuable Player of the
East County Senior Girls High School All-Star Game Friday (April 6) after
scoring 18 points to lead the Grossmont South to a 58-34 over the Grossmont
North at Cuyamaca College.

Martin, who is expected to sign with UC Irvine later this month, also won the
Spot Shot contest.

The South, coached by Mount Miguel's Robbie Sandoval, used its decisive size
advantage to dominate the game from its early stages. The South led 21-6
after the first quarter and 39-19 at the half.

Elisabeth Reynolds of Granite Hills added 10 points for the South as did
Monte Vista's Rachel Johansen.

Mount Miguel's Sara McGovern won the three-point shooting contest.

Ashley Bowker (Grossmont), Shannon Schiele (El Cajon Valley) and Michelle
Capati (West Hills) shared high-point honors for North with 7 points apiece.
The North was coached by El Capitan's Darin Curtis.
(04-06-01)

East girls contribute at San Diego
North/South Senior All-Star game

Special to ECS.com

SAN DIEGO -Six East County seniors combined to score 38 points for the Blue
(South) team Saturday night (March 24) in the annual San Diego County Senior
All-Star game, won by the White (North) team 81-79 at Point Loma Nazarene
University's Golden Gym.

Mount Miguel's Kim Martin, the Grossmont South League Player of the Year,
scored a game-high 18 points for the Blue All-Stars. Granite Hills' Elisabeth
Reynolds added six points, Monte Vista's Afton Huggar had five, Santana's
Daniesha Price had four, Helix's Shannan Hawes had three, and Sara McGovern
of Mount Miguel chipped in two.

"It was an entertaining game," said Mount Miguel's Robbie Sandoval, who along
with Monte Vista's Carlos Moss and Mar Vista's Dave Holden coached the Blue
All-Stars. "It came right down to the wire."

The game was tied 79-all with 20 seconds remaining.

Brianna Winn of The Bishop's School was leading a fast-break for the Blue,
when Syreeta Jones of Rancho Buena Vista stole the ball, Sandoval said. Jones
was eventually fouled, and hit two free throws with 15 seconds left,
providing the White with the winning margin.

The Blue had two chances to win it in the final 10 seconds, but Brandi
Collato of Santa Fe Christian and Monte Vista's Huggar missed shots from
3-point range.

WHITE ALL-STARS 81,  BLUE ALL-STARS 79
Blue     19   17   21   22 - 79
White    14   19   21   27 - 81
Blue scoring: Martin (MtM) 18; Collato (SFC) 15; Winn (Bishop's) 11; Reynolds 
(GH) 6; Jensen (BV) 6; Huggar (MV) 5; Manglicmont (Eastlake) 5; Price 
(Santana) 4; Hawes (Helix) 3; McGovern (MtM) 2; Esquer (BV) 2; Eszlinger 
(LJCD) 2. 
White scoring:  Duringer (RB) 14; Jones (RBV) 13; Coakley (Kearny) 10; Kerley 
(Hoover) 9; Sorrell (Vista) 9; Bradford (Hoover) 5; Doung (Mt. Carmel) 4; 
Mercado (SD) 4; Washington (Kearny) 4; Perram (Ramona) 4;Burns (Mt. Carmel) 
3; Harris (El Camino) 2.
(03-24-01)

SD-CIF GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Purple ponytails provide no power to Sultans
Uni City stops Santana for Division II championship, 48-39, at Cox Arena

ECS.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - The Santana Sultans did not play championship caliber basketball
in Friday night's (March 2) San Diego CIF Division II title game at San Diego
State University's Cox Arena.

Santana coach Wade Vickery knew it. His players knew it. And the University
City Centurions capitalized on it.

"Their defense was good, but that's as poorly as we've played offensively all
year," Vickery said after his Sultans shot a paltry 25 percent (13-for-52)
from the field and missed 12 of 25 free throws as University City claimed the
championship with a 48-39 victory. "We never did get into a flow offensively,
never got a run going. We made too many turnovers (33)."

It was only the second loss of the season for the top-ranked Sultans (28-2),
who saw their 23-game winning streak snapped. It was the 17th win in a row
for University City (23-3), which had lost to Santana by nine points earlier
this season.

The Sultans jumped out to an eight-point lead in the first quarter of the
turnover-marred game, but the Centurions closed with a 12-2 run over the
final five minutes to secure the championship.

"I thought we played hard, but without confidence," Vickery said. "They (the
Centurions) played with a little more determination."

The Sultans figured that controlling senior Breezy Ambort would be the most
difficult assignment, but it was the contributions from all the UC starters,
including the Iglehart sisters, that helped the Centurions convert on the
offensive boards and overcome a disastrous night on the foul line.

"We came in here knowing we had to get revenge (for last year's 50-47 title
game loss to the Sultans)," Ambort said. "Some of us had some foul trouble. I
had to control myself late in the third quarter."

Ambort's 13 points, 7 steals and 8 rebounds were key, but sophomore Brigayle
Iglehart stepped up with a 10-point effort, and Ciara Iglegart led all
scorers with 19 points.

"(Ambort) was our stability out there," said UC coach Jenny Gross. "We got in
the point guard's face and we got some turnovers. Late in the game, we saw
the mismatch, and we gave the ball to Brigayle."

Shooting 68 percent from the free throw line as a team during the season, the
Sultans sputtered in the title game, converting just 13 of 25 attempts.
Santana, which normally shoots in the neighborhood of 45 percent from the
field, went 0-for-8 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Centurions weren't much better from the charity stripe, clicking on just
8 of 21 chances. From the field, however, University City was a more
respectable 20-for-51 (39 percent).

UC's 2-2-1 and 2-3 zones, plus pressure from Ambort, forced Santana into an
inordinate number of turnovers.

"I never thought they'd be able to disrupt us that much," Vickery said. "We
had trouble with their size and quickness. They had too many weapons for us.
One-on-one, we're not athletic enough to control them without playing team
defense. For the most part, our defense was good, but it broke down a little
bit down the stretch."

Brooke Sutton led Santana with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Amanda Krismer added
8 points and 8 rebounds, while point guard Jackie Turpin logged 6 points, 6
steals and 3 assists. Jaime Ransom chipped in 6 points and 4 steals. Daniesha
Price, Santana's only senior, finished with 5 points. Margeaux Bass completed
the Sultans' scoring with 3 points.

Both University City and Santana will advance to Tuesday's (March 6) Southern
California Regionals. Opponents and sites won't be announced until Sunday
(March 40).
(03-02-01)

SD-CIF GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

"This is the toughest semifinal we've had in... years." - Santana coach Wade Vickery
Sultans surge into title game

ECS.com staff report

SAN DIEGO - Wade Vickery's Santana Sultans found themselves trailing
upset-minded Mission Bay 41-38 entering the fourth quarter of Tuesday's (Feb.
27) San Diego CIF Division II semifinals at Mt. Carmel High.

But when you're the winningest girls' basketball coach in San Diego County
history (485 victories in 22 seasons), your teams find a way to win. And
Vickery's Sultans did, using a 19-6 final quarter surge to push the
Buccaneers off the plank, 57-47.

"This is the toughest semifinal game we've had in seven, eight, maybe even as
long as 10 years," Vickery said. "It was one of our better games of the
season, and we had to play well because it was against a very good opponent."

The victory sends Santana (28-1) into Friday's (March 2) Division II
championship game against University City (22-3) at San Diego State's Cox
Arena. The 6 p.m. game will be a rematch of last year's championship contest,
won by the Sultans 50-47. It will also mark the 11th time Vickery has taken
the Sultans to the CIF finals. His teams have captured six CIF crowns.

The Vickery victory ledger currently stands at 23 wins in a row. From early
last season to the present, the Sultans have won 52 of their last 55 games.

In their latest victory, Santana enjoyed leads of 6-0, 18-14, and 26-18 over
Mission Bay, but wound up on the short end of a 28-27 halftime score.

"In the first half we sagged off their perimeter girls," Vickery said. "But
they hurt us by making the shots. And we were giving up too many entry passes
into the low post. So at halftime we decided we needed to get in their faces
a little more."

The focus of Santana's intensified defense was Mission Bay freshman point
guard Amanda Rego.

"We turned up the heat on Rego," Vickery said. "We wanted to keep the ball
out of her hands. Once she made her initial pass, we wanted to make sure she
didn't get the ball back."

Vickery credited Jackie Turpin and Margeaux Bass for slapping the defensive
muzzle on Rego.

"They took turns guarding her because we didn't want fatigue to become a
factor," Vickery said. "By taking Rego out of her game, it forced the other
(Mission Bay) girls to handle the ball and take the shots. Basically, we took
them out of their comfort zone."

Nevertheless, Mission Bay clicked on 48 percent (20-of-42) shots from the
field, while Santana struggled connecting on less than 33 percent of 55 shots
from the floor. The Sultans, however, maintained a decisive advantage from
the free throw line, where they converted 18-of-26 chances compared to just
3-of-6 for Mission Bay.

Offensively, the Sultans saved their best for the final eight minutes. Amanda
Krismer scored 8 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth period, while
Brooke Sutton scored 5 of her 12 points in the last quarter.

"I knew going in that this was going to be a toss-the-coin type of game,"
Vickery said. "And it was every bit of that."

Turpin turned in another of her versatile performances, contributing 9
points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists. Jaime Ransom followed Turpin's
lead with 9 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. In addition to her 18 points,
which included 6-for-6 free throw shooting, Krismer collected 4 rebounds.
Sutton, Ransom and Daniesha Price each hit a 3-pointer. Price finished with 8
points.

EL CAMINO 51, MOUNT MIGUEL 35 - The Mount Miguel Matadors ran out of magic
Tuesday night (Feb. 27) against #2 seeded El Camino in the San Diego CIF
Division I semifinals at Mira Mesa High.

"I don't know if it was anything that they were doing defensively, but we
just couldn't get any offense going," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval
said. "We were getting to the basket, but we couldn't make anything fall. We
were missing point-blank chances."

The Grossmont South League champion Matadors (22-7) saw their 12-game winning
streak come to an end.

El Camino led 7-1, but the Matadors got a 3-point bucket from Christine
Fitzgerald and appeared primed to make a game of it.

"We went into a zone and then they hit two 3's, just like that," Sandoval
recalled. "We still had our chances to get back in the game, but we just went
cold. El Camino got the last six points of the half, and we were down 27-12."

The Matadors managed only nine field goals in the game. They could have taken
up a lot of slack at the free throw line, but converted only 15-of-37 charity
tosses.

Putting points on the board was only part of the defensive-minded Matadors'
woes.

"El Camino was killing us on the offensive glass," Sandoval said. "They were
getting second and third shots every time down."

Fitzgerald, the Matadors' 5-foot-5 sophomore point guard, scored 18 points,
made 4 steals, but dished out only one assist. Senior standout Kim Martin
struggled, finishing with a season-low 2 points (both from the free throw
line). She also had 5 rebounds, but Mount Miguel's leaders on the boards were
Ijal Barnes with 10, and Leah Murphy with 8.

Senior Sara McGovern scored all three of her points from the free throw line,
grabbed 3 rebounds, made 3 steals and blocked 3 shots. Stacey Hayward was
Mount Miguel's No. 2 scorer with 5 points.

While El Camino (25-3) continues on to Friday's (March 2) Division I
championship game against Mt. Carmel (27-3) at Cox Arena at 8 p.m., Sandoval
and the Matadors can only reflect on what turned out to be a memorable season.

"I'm disappointed that we lost, but we accomplished a lot this season,"
Sandoval said. "Our girls have no reason to hang their heads at all."
(02-27-01)

SD-CIF GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Wildcats win quarterfinal over wounded Wolf Pack

ECS.com staff report

OCEANSIDE - Injury-riddled West Hills was simply no match for No. 2 seeded El
Camino in Saturday's (Feb. 24) Division I quarterfinals.

Even if the Wolf Pack had not lost 5-foot-10 seniors Stacey Ostrander and
Lisa Miller to knee injuries in the previous game, West Hills would have been
on the run against the press-happy Wildcats (24-5).

"The worst thing possible happened to us," West Hills coach Dave Burgess
said. "We got off to a horrible start. Their full-court pressure and trapping
defense killed us. We turned the ball over our first 10 possessions."

Not surprisingly, El Camino led 24-3 after the first quarter, and continued
on for an 87-47 romp over the Wolf Pack (16-13).

The Wildcats will advance to the SD-CIF semifinals against Mount Miguel
(22-6) on Tuesday (Feb. 27) at a yet-to-be-determined neutral site.

One of the West Hills walking wounded, senior guard Nicole Widmer, played
despite a dislocated finger.

"Her injured finger was on her shooting hand, but we taped two fingers
together so she could play," Burgess said. "We didn't know how long she'd be
able to go."

Widmer answered the call by scoring a game-high 19 points.

Senior Tocara Steele added 9 points, including the first 3-pointer of her
career at the final buzzer. At the other end of the spectrum was Amanda
Brown. Promoted from the junior varsity this week and playing in her first
varsity game, she reached the scoring column by hitting a 3-pointer. Michelle
Capati also hit a 3-pointer, and finished with 5 points.

Despite the lopsided conclusion to the season, Burgess was pleased by the
Pack's overall performance in his first campaign as West Hills' coach.

"I reminded the girls of what we accomplished," he said. "We reached the
finals in two of our three tournaments, finished No. 2 in a league won by the
top-ranked team (Santana) in the county, and won the first playoff game for
West Hills in nine years (beating Helix 50-48 on Feb. 20)."
(02-24-01)

SD-CIF GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Vickery upset, but Sultans aren't by Bulldogs

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Santana coach Wade Vickery was hardly impressed by his Sultans'
performance during a 64-45 San Diego-CIF Division II quarterfinal victory
over visiting Ramona.

"I'm quite disturbed, because we turned the ball over 35 times against a team
that doesn't press," said Vickery of his 27-1 Sultans. "We weren't alert. We
were more skillful, thank goodness, because I know we got outplayed."

Nevertheless, Santana, which has won 22 straight, will take on Mission Bay, a
53-50 upset winner over Kearny, in the Tuesday (Feb. 27) semifinals at a
neutral site to be determined.

As usual, the Sultans displayed a balanced offense. Jaime Ransom was at the
top of the list with 15 points, two 3-pointers and 4 assists. Amanda Krismer
cashed in 13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, while Brooke Sutton and
Daniesha Price added 11 points apiece. Sutton also collected a team-high 11
rebounds. Price canned two of Santana's five 3-pointers in the game.

Versatile Jackie Turpin had a handful of everything, including 10 rebounds, 9
assists, 6 steals and 5 points.

"We didn't play very well so I don't really remember the good things that we
did," Vickery said. "We played good enough to get by."

Santana has been averaging about 48 percent shooting accuracy from the field
during the regular season. But the Sultans converted a mere 33 percent of 72
shots against the Bulldogs (18-12).

MOUNT MIGUEL 47, RANCHO BERNARDO 44 - The Matadors (22-6) won their 12th
straight game and will play El Camino in Tuesday's (Feb. 27) semifinals at a
yet-to-be-determined neutral site.

Senior Sara McGovern scored 17 points, including what proved to be the
game-winning basket with 50 seconds remaining. It was her third 3-pointer of
the game, which gave the Matadors a 46-44 lead. McGovern also had 5 assists
and 2 steals.

Christine Fitzgerald added 10 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals,
while Kim Martin chipped in 9 points and 7 rebounds despite foul problems.
Ijal Barnes had 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

"Martin was in foul trouble early and missed most of the first half,"
Sandoval said. "But we had a lot of other people step up."

Despite Martin's foul troubles, the Matadors had managed a 20-13 lead with
three minutes to go in the first half. But Rancho Bernardo closed the half
with a 12-1 run for a 25-21 lead at the break.

The Broncos led 40-35 after three quarters, but the Matadors kept coming back.

"We were down by one and then we came up with a loose ball and called
timeout," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "We were hoping to get the
ball inside to Kim. Christine drove, but Kim was covered up, so she kicked
the ball to Sara, who was wide open for the shot."

With 16 seconds remaining, Rancho Bernardo (18-10) missed a chance at a tying
score and the Matadors got the rebound, but quickly turned the ball over.
Rancho Bernardo again tried for the tying score and missed. Fitzgerald got
the rebound and was fouled. She made 1-of-2 free throws with 8 seconds left.

LINCOLN 88, CHRISTIAN 39 - Coach Doug Johnson and his Christian High
Patriots probably couldn't believe what they were seeing from the visiting
Lincoln High Hornets in Friday's (Feb. 23) San Diego-CIF Division IV
quarterfinals.

"They couldn't miss," Johnson said in utter disbelief. "They must have hit
their first eight shots in a row. They looked like an all-star team out
there. I saw them earlier in the season and they didn't look like this. I'm
completely baffled. They didn't look or play like a 4-14 team. They were
definitely aggressive they finished in traffic. They totally dominated."

In reality, though, the Hornets were winning for only the fifth time in 19
starts. Christian finished 14-12.

Miya Krystek, the Patriots only senior starter, scored a team-high 17 points,
while Cassandra Stone tossed in 14.
(02-23-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Defense gives Matadors 11th straight win and South title

ECS.com staff report

SPRING VALLEY - Mount Miguel will probably never be mentioned among the San Diego County offensive juggernauts, but that doesn't really concern the Matadors' first-year coach Robbie Sandoval.

That's because not many teams are more tenacious on defense than Sandoval's crew.

"We came out flat," Sandoval said. "It was our worst shooting night of the year. But give Monte Vista credit - it was their senior night and they really took it to us in the first half."

The Monarchs led 13-12 at intermission. In the second half, however, the Matadors mustered up a little more offense while Monte Vista continued to struggle.

The result: Mount Miguel 34, Monte Vista 25.

It was the Matadors' 11th straight victory, and gave Mount Miguel (20-6, 8-0) the Grossmont South League championship.

Kim Martin led the Matadors with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block, while Christine Fitzgerald garnered 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

"Kim picked up two quick fouls and was virtually a non-factor in the first half," Sandoval said. "But it wasn't just her absence. We were just casting up shots from everywhere."

Monte Vista (17-9, 3-5) led 18-15 with four minutes to go in the third quarter before the Matadors broke off a 9-0 run.

"Martin and Fitzgerald finally got us going, but we really never caught fire," Sandoval said. "We started to take the ball inside a little more in the second half, and that helped."

A key 3-pointer by Megan Hayward with 2:30 to go, followed by a pair of free throws by Martin, and two more by Fitzgerald in the final 1:35 locked up the win for Mount Miguel.

Only four players scored for Monte Vista, led by Afton Huggar's 7 points. Rachel Johansen scored 6 points, blocked 6 shots and grabbed 5 rebounds for the Monarchs. Phoebe Perkins pulled down a team-high 7 rebounds for Monte Vista, while Lisa Roper tossed in 5 points, dished out 4 assists and made 3 steals.

SANTANA 69, EL CAJON VALLEY 37 - Even when the game was tied 10-10 in the first quarter, Santana coach Wade Vickery was hardly in a state of panic. It wasn't that he lacked respect for the visiting Braves, but rather that he had confidence in his Sultans (26-1, 8-0).

"We were getting good looks, but were missing shots in the first quarter," Vickery said. "I never felt uncomfortable, because I knew eventually we would wear them down."

After gaining a 15-12 first quarter lead, the Sultans outscored the Braves 44-15 in the middle two quarters to present Vickery with his 483rd victory, his 16th league championship, and his 21st straight win this season.

Brooke Sutton paved the way to the Sultans' victory with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Jaime Ransom added 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Amanda Krismer cashed in 14 points and 3 steals. Not to be overlooked was Daniesha Price with 12 points and a pair of treys. Jackie Turpin scored only 4 points, but dished out 7 assists, hauled down 7 rebounds and made 3 steals. Margeaux Bass made 3 steals, passed out 4 assists, and scored 5 points.

Shannon Schiele scored 21 points for the Braves (6-19, 0-8), while Tonya Farrugello added 11.

"Schiele played very well," Vickery said. "She scored 17 points in the second half, but it's not like we were letting up. She penetrated and she hit some leaning shots. She's hard to guard."

Santana shot 30-for-63 (48 percent), while the Braves canned 27 percent (13-for-48). Schiele, who was smothered by the Santana defense, still managed to net 7-of-17 shots.

WEST HILLS 68, EL CAPITAN 44 - Nicole Widmer and Stacey Ostrander scored 18 points apiece, as the Wolf Pack (15-12, 5-3) secured second place in the Grossmont North League under first-year head coach Dave Burgess.

After building a 24-20 halftime lead, West Hills shattered the Vaqueros (11-16, 4-4) with intensified pressure on defense.

"They were missing their point guard (Valli Burks), so our pressure really hurt them," Burgess said.

Julie Strick engineered West Hills' pressure defense, collecting 4 steals. Ostrander contributed 4 blocks.

West Hills buried El Capitan from the free throw line, converting 30-of-45 opportunities. Widmer clicked on 10-of-12 shots from the charity line, while Ostrander netted 8-of-10.

Ostrander led the West Hills board brigade with 8 rebounds. Widmer had 6 assists, and Strick handed out 3 scoring passes. Strick, Michelle Capati and Erin Hourigan contributed 6 points apiece to the Pack attack.

Jessica Cable canned 15 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and made 3 steals to lead El Capitan. Carissa Gonzales collected a game-high 13 rebounds, blocked a shot and poured in 7 points for the Vaqueros. Nichole Overson made 7 steals, handed out 4 assists, grabbed 4 rebounds and chipped in 4 points. Alissa Unden ripped off 6 rebounds, while JV recruit Mallory Palmer picked off 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 6 points.

GRANITE HILLS 71, VALHALLA 53 - Elisabeth Reynolds scored a career-high 37 points to lead the Eagles (15-12, 4-4) past the visiting Norsemen in a Grossmont South League finale.

Reynolds capped her big night by scoring 13 of the Eagles 14 points in the fourth quarter. She also collected 9 rebounds as the Eagles won for the fourth time in their last six starts.

Nicole Davis notched 12 points and 8 rebounds for Granite Hills, while Rochelle Arrington added 9 points. Emily Killinger dished out 4 assists, while Jeannie Case handed out 3 assists.

The Eagles led 15-14 after the first quarter, but broke the game open with a 24-12 second-quarter edge.

"In the second quarter we really shot the ball well (scoring 22 of their 24 points via field goals)," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "It was senior night and our seniors played well (scoring a combined 53 points)."

Janene Stutz scored 17 points, finishing strong in an injury-laden season for Valhalla (0-8, 8-17), which closed a disappointing campaign with 15 consecutive losses.

CLAIREMONT 32, CHRISTIAN 21 - The Patriots failed to score more than seven points in any quarter as they succumbed to the visiting Clairemont Chieftains in the Harbor League finale for both teams.

Jenny Ray scored 8 points for the Patriots (14-11, 6-4), who will enter the San Diego CIF Division IV playoffs without the services of Maggie McGill. The sophomore guard suffered a broken wrist in the Patriots' victory over Crawford on Wednesday (Feb. 14).

"When you really look at it, it's been a pretty good year," Christian coach Doug Johnson said. "It's too bad we had to end it on a sour note here at home. But we didn't attack the basket, we just kept casting shots up."

Despite losing three of their final four games, the Patriots figure to be among the top four seeds in the Division IV playoffs.
(02-16-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Wolf Pack delivers easy victory

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON -- The visiting West Hills Wolf Pack had a "little something extra" to celebrate Tuesday night (Feb. 13) at Grossmont.

Twenty-four hours prior to tipoff, West Hills head coach Dave Burgess and his wife Shelly welcomed their first child - Hayden Robert Burgess - into the world on Feb.12, 2001 at 5:55 p.m.

Nicole Widmer poured in 19 points, including 7-for-9 free throw shooting, while Stacey Ostrander rang up 17 points and a pair of 3's as the Pack (14-12, 4-3) defeated Grossmont 71-45 in a Grossmont North League game.

"The thing about this game is we did a really good job of distributing the ball," Burgess said. "And you can see the results, because we got good scoring balance."

Julie Strick and Katy Kelly garnered 11 and 10 points, respectively, giving West Hills four scorers in double digits.

"We haven't had that kind of balance often enough this year," Burgess said.

Burgess was pleased with West Hills' defensive effort in general, and the individual shadowing that Tocara Steele did on Grossmont's Ashley Bowker in particular.

"We played most of the game in a zone, but Tocara did a good job of keeping track of Bowker," Burgess said, noting that the Grossmont senior made only two field goals in the game. Bowker totaled 11 points, but did the bulk of her damage from the free throw line, where she hit 6-of-8.

Applying the brakes to Grossmont senior Erin Anderson was another matter, as she finished with a game-high 21 points. Kaleena Watkins pulled down 11 rebounds for the Foothillers, who concluded the season 8-15 overall, 3-5 in the Grossmont North League.

MOUNT MIGUEL 71, GRANITE HILLS 38 - It was Senior Night for the Grossmont South League champion Matadors Tuesday (Feb. 13) at Mount Miguel. Only the faces changed, as the results remained the same.

First-year head coach Robbie Sandoval started an all-senior lineup, and the Matadors stormed out to an 18-11 first-quarter lead.

"Jennifer Blackwell, Megan Hayward, Ijal Barnes, Leah Murphy, and Sara McGovern played the whole first quarter. They did a great job of getting us off to a good start," Sandoval said. "They are unsung heroes."

Sandoval rotated his regulars into the game in the second quarter, as Mount Miguel extended its advantage to 37-19 by intermission. The Matadors (19-6, 7-0) outscored Granite Hills in all four quarters while rolling to their 10th straight win.

"Mount Miguel is head and shoulders better than anybody in our league," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "They play defense like there's no tomorrow. They don't give up easy shots. They do a great job of taking away the passing lanes, and their perimeter defense is just tremendous. That's why they've killed everybody in our league."

Kim Martin led Mount Miguel with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. McGovern chipped in 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and 2 blocks, while Christine Fitzgerald had 9 points, 8 assists and 5 steals.

Not to be overlooked were Barnes (9 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds), Murphy (8 points and 3 rebounds), Hayward (7 points, 3 assists and 2 steals), and Blackwell (2 points and 4 rebounds).

Elisabeth Reynolds led Granite Hills (14-12, 3-4) with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Joelle Bunnell added 10 points, and Nicole Davis had 7 points for the Eagles.

EL CAPITAN 41, EL CAJON VALLEY 26 - The visiting Vaqueros had to play without their leading scorer, Valli Burks (ankle sprain), and found themselves trailing the Braves 11-9 after one quarter.

But El Capitan (11-15, 4-3) turned up the defensive heat and limited El Cajon Valley (6-18, 0-7) to seven points in the middle two quarters. Not surprisingly, the focal point of the Vaqueros' defense was on senior Shannon Schiele, the Grossmont North's third-leading scorer.

Schiele was surrounded by double- and triple-team coverage most of the night, which put a stranglehold on El Cajon's offensive plans. Schiele finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds, but nobody else in the Braves' lineup scored more than six.

El Capitan sophomores Lyric Teigen and Jessica Cable helped pick up the slack in Burks' absence, scoring 27 points while grabbing 20 rebounds between them.
Cable had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, as well as 3 steals and 2 assists.

Carissa Gonzales, El Capitan's lone senior, produced 9 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Alissa Unden didn't contribute to the scoring, but grabbed 7 rebounds, despite playing with a sprained ankle.

Melodi Williams led the Braves' board brigade with 9 caroms.

HELIX 53, VALHALLA 45 - The Helix Highlanders secured a second-place finish in the Grossmont South League, but it wasn't easy.

In fact, the visiting Highlanders trailed the Norsemen 38-37 after three quarters. However, Helix (16-6, 5-3) rallied for a 16-7 scoring edge in the final period to hand the Norsemen (8-16, 0-7) their 14th straight loss.

Helix senior Shannan Hawes took another step toward wrapping up the East County scoring crown, with 27 points in the Highlanders' regular season
finale. She included a trio of treys in her totals.

Yasmin Eaddy also knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with 10 points for Helix. Desiree Marheine was 5-for-6 from the free throw line, and totaled 7 points in the game.

Tamara Beedie led Valhalla with 12 points, including 4-for-6 accuracy from the free throw stripe. Jennifer Kolegraff and Iliana Rucker added 8 points apiece for the Norsemen.
(02-13-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs knock off Valhalla behind Roper's 30 points

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Monte Vista Monarchs were getting sick of it.

After winning 16 of their first 20, the Monarchs hit the skids, losing four consecutive games.

But the Monarchs are back. After pasting Valhalla 62-32 in a Grossmont South League game Friday (Feb. 9), Monte Vista is putting its focus on post-season seeding. The Monarchs cannot win the league championship, but they can put themselves in prime playoff position by winning their final game next week
against league champions Mount Miguel.

Lisa Roper scored a season-high 30 points, one shy of tying Kelli Alexander's 31 points against San Dieguito Academy in 1998. Roper connected on 5-of-8 three-pointers, and 7-of-9 from 2-point range. Roper also had 4 steals and blocked 2 shots while collecting 3 rebounds.

Afton Huggar added 12 points, including a pair of 3's, 4 assists and 6 rebounds.

"We finally had a good game. We played together as a team, played fundamentally sound -- not many mistakes," said Huggar. "No one was down. We all played with intensity. Everyone was fired up and we helped each other play hard. Now we're back on track."

Rachel Johansen yanked down a game-high 10 rebounds and blocked 7 shots to spearhead the Monte Vista defense.

"The game went really well," said the 6-foot-2 Johansen. "We were missing two players (Amy Reiland and Phoebe Perkins, both ill). "I had a really good game defensively. A lot of people took shots that usually don't. It's time to get out of our losing streak."

The Monarchs overcame a 9-6 first quarter deficit by outscoring the Norsemen 23-8 in the second period. They extended their advantage via a 13-2 third quarter scoring edge.

Monte Vista, which has struggled with its shooting all year, shot 48 percent from the field, including 8 three-pointers.

Tamara Beedie led Valhalla (8-15, 0-6) with 7 points. Janene Stutz added 6, as did Jasmine Beauchamp.

GRANITE HILLS 59, HELIX 55 - Elisabeth Reynolds enjoyed a career night with 31 points and 13 rebounds, as the Eagles won their third straight while eliminating Helix from Grossmont South championship consideration.

The Eagles' victory gave idle Mount Miguel exclusive rights to the Grossmont South League crown.

Reynolds netted 9-of-12 free throws, while Nicole Davis cashed in 11 points and 7 rebounds as well as clicking on 7-of-11 free throws. Emily Killinger and Joelle Bunnell hit two 3's apiece, and Killinger dished out a team-best 4 assists.

Helix's Shannan Hawes knocked down 34 points, and Ferrari Funches added 10 to keep the Highlanders (15-6, 4-3) in contention to the end.

Granite Hills sealed the victory when Davis hit a pair of free throws, Reynolds converted two charity tosses and a basket in the fourth quarter.

"Our defensive intensity and ability to make free throws when it counted was the difference in the game," said Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett.

SANTANA 87, WEST HILLS 57 - The Santana Sultans secured the Grossmont North League championship, the 16th league title during the 22-year tenure of coach Wade Vickery.

The Sultans took a 22-10 first quarter lead en route to their 20th straight victory of the season.

Amanda Krismer set the pace for the Sultans with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Brooke Sutton added 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Daniesha Price had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Jaime Ransom ripped off 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Jackie Turpin recorded only 2 points, but dished out 11 assists
and made 4 steals.

"Even though it doesn't look like it in terms of points scored, Jackie dominated the game in a lot of ways," Vickery said. "She did a good job of penetrating and kicking the ball off. She made good long passes. She shot the ball only three times, which hardly tells the whole story."

Margeaux Bass chipped in with 8 points, 5 assists, and 5 deflections, while Price and Sutton pulled down 8 rebounds apiece.

Katy Kelly cranked in a season-high 15 points, while Erin Hourigan netted a season-best 12 points and 8 rebounds for the Wolf Pack (13-12, 3-3). Stacey Ostrander added 10 points and 4 rebounds. She was 4-for-5 from the free throw line, while Kelly was 5-for-5.

"We had way too many defensive breakdowns, gave up too many easy shots," said West Hills coach Dave Burgess. "You can't do that against good teams. We didn't feel we played our best tonight."

GROSSMONT 51, EL CAPITAN 41 - In a physical foul fest, the Foothillers (8-14, 3-4) put a crimp in the Vaqueros' drive for a second-place finish in the Grossmont North.

Three girls suffered injuries in the opening quarter as Grossmont muscled its way to a 9-4 lead in Lakeside. El Capitan's Valli Burks, who came in averaging a team-best 14.4 points per game suffered a knee injury in the opening quarter, and did not return. Freshman Alissa Unden tweaked an ankle,
and also left the game after scoring 3 points in the opening period.

Grossmont did not go with its share of injuries in a game that featured 51 fouls. Laura Felice, who came in to the game with a broken nose (suffered in a flag football last weekend), got hit in the face but managed to continue, finishing with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Shauna Soto suffered a cut over her eye, but returned to garner 7 rebounds and 3 points before fouling out in the final period.

Versatile Erin Anderson directed Grossmont's victory drive with 16 points, 6 assists, 7 steals, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Taryin Casillas collected 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, while Ashley Bowker tossed in 8 points while grabbing a game-high 8 rebounds and making 3 steals.

Jessica Cable led El Capitan (10-15, 3-3) with a game-high 20 points, which included 8-for-14 free throw shooting.

HOOVER 39, CHRISTIAN 31 - The Patriots saw their hopes for a Harbor League championship go up in smoke when they fell to Hoover at the Ryan Athletic Center. The Cardinals (13-9, 7-1) remain in a tie with Coronado for the league lead with two games left.

Christian (13-10, 5-3) figures to finish third in the six-team circuit.

It was senior night at Christian, and the Patriots lone senior, Miya Krystek, celebrated with a team-high 14 points.

Cassandra Stone chipped in 8 points, while Jenny Ray rolled in 7.
(02-09-01)

SD-CIF GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Strick's buzzer-beater beats Highlanders

ECS.com staff report

LA MESA - When Julie Strick was making final mental preparations for
Tuesday's (Feb. 20) San Diego CIF Division I playoff opener at Helix, she
probably never imagined herself in the starring role.

But when two of her teammates were felled by injuries, and another pair
fouled out, Strick took matters into her own hands.

With 25 seconds left and the game tied 48-48, Strick - the Pack's point guard
- was dribbling the ball near the top of the key, running time off the clock.
Her thoughts? Perhaps she could pass the ball inside. Or, maybe she could
attempt a drive to the basket in hopes of drawing a foul.

Strick, who is used to quarterbacking the offense, is usually focused on
delivering assists, not her personal scoring totals. After all, she had only
tallied one point against Helix in the game.

None of that seemed to matter to the 5-foot-8 sophomore, as she pulled up to
unleash a leaning 18 footer that beat the buzzer - and the Highlanders -
50-48.

While elated by the results of Strick's decision to take the pressure shot
herself, West Hills coach Dave Burgess was quick to credit the Wolf Pack
defense for an integral role in the upset victory.

"It was a real buzzer beater," said Burgess. "Our whole game plan was to try
to always keep someone on (East County scoring leader Shannan) Hawes. She was
the focus of our game plan."

West Hills had lost to Helix twice before this season, and Hawes was the
difference, scoring more than 30 points in each contest. She had 34 points in
the championship game of the Grossmont Tournament in December, and tallied 32
in a cross-league game Jan. 9.

"The pressure was really on the people who guarded her," Burgess said.
"Tocara Steele, Michelle Capati and Strick rotated on Hawes and did a
fantastic job - held her to just 22 points. But we certainly didn't expect
that (Yasmin) Eaddy would hit five 3's."

Eaddy, who came in averaging 7.6 points and one trey per game, scored 18
points against the Wolf Pack, with a career-high shooting night from 3-point
range.

Talk about survival. West Hills lost 5-foot-10 senior Stacey Ostrander in the
second quarter to a knee injury. Ostrander had scored 8 points, including two
3's before leaving the game. Then guard Nicole Widmer, the Pack's top scorer,
dislocated her finger in the second half. She missed a good chunk of action,
but returned to the game after getting taped.

"We overcame some adversity when Ostrander hurt her knee, and may be out for
the rest of the year, and Widmer could possibly be out too," Burgess said.

After Ostrander was hurt in the second quarter, Steele moved into the post
position, but eventually fouled out.

"Sophomore post Erin Hourigan entered the game in the first quarter and never
came out," Burgess said. "She did a fantastic job of rebounding and playing
help defense in the paint."

Another standout for West Hills was Katy Kelly with team-highs of 11 points
and a trio of 3-pointers. Junior guard Melissa Porter tallied 5 points and
one of the Pack's seven 3-pointers in the game. Capati also had 8 points and
a pair of treys. Widmer was 7-for-9 from the free throw line.

Helix (16-7) had seven 3-pointers in the game as well, the majority by Eaddy.
Hawes also hit a pair of treys.

West Hills (16-12) advances to Friday's (Feb. 23) quarterfinals against No. 2
El Camino (23-5) in Oceanside at 7 p.m.

MOUNT MIGUEL 48, SCRIPPS RANCH 19 - It was defensive domination at its
finest when the Mount Miguel Matadors opened the SDCIF Division I playoffs
with a lopsided victory over the visiting Falcons from Scripps Ranch.

Coach Robbie Sandoval's Matadors (21-6) completely throttled Scripps Ranch
(15-14), limiting the Falcons to a mere two field goals and eight total
points over the first three quarters.

"We played our usual tough man-to-man defense," Sandoval said. "Our defense
kind of rattled them, but we started off cold offensively."

Senior Kim Martin scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the second quarter,
as the Matadors managed a 19-7 halftime lead.

"Kim carried us offensively in the first half," Sandoval said, noting that
the 5-11 forward scored all but one of Mount Miguel's 13 second-quarter
points.

Mount Miguel opened up a 30-8 lead after three quarters.

"Scripps only got four field goals in the whole game," Sandoval said. "They
did most of their scoring from the free throw line (11-for-14)."

Mount Miguel sophomore Christine Fitzgerald caught fire in the fourth
quarter, as she scored 11 of her 13 points in that period. Her totals
included a trio of 3-pointers, 7 assists, 5 steals and 5 rebounds.

"In the second half we started throwing the ball inside more," said Sandoval.
"It kind of opened it up for the shooters on the outside. Christina played
well, and Ijal (Barnes) did a good job on the boards (with a game-high 10
rebounds)."

Martin capped off another strong all-around performance with 5 steals and 5
blocked shots. Senior Sara McGovern scored 7 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and
dished out 3 assists, while senior Megan Hayward chipped in 4 points and 4
steals for the Matadors.

Mount Miguel, which has won 11 in a row, will host Rancho Bernardo (18-9) in
Friday's (Feb. 23) quarterfinals at 7 p.m. The Broncos eliminated Montgomery
70-53 in the first round.

EASTLAKE 62, MONTE VISTA 56 - The visiting Monarchs (17-10), who were
trailing by three points with less than a minute to play in Tuesday's (Feb.
20) SD-CIF Division II first-round game at Eastlake (19-6), committed two
crucial turnovers in the final 30 seconds which helped bring a close to their
season.

Afton Huggar led Monte Vista with 17 points, clicking on 7-of-16 shots in her
final prep game. The senior guard also logged 5 steals, handed out 3 assists,
and collected 3 rebounds.

Junior Lisa Roper chimed in with 10 points, 5 assists and 3 steals for the
Monarchs, while senior Lisa Alexander connected on 4-of-8 shots to finish
with 9 points. Senior Phoebe Perkins contributed 5 points, 6 rebounds and 2
blocked shots for Monte Vista.

Known more for their defensive prowess than their offensive firepower, the
Monarchs shot just under 44 percent from the field. Senior Rachel Johansen
shot 75 percent from the inside, but was only able to launch 4 shots.

The Monarchs were hampered by 18 turnovers and 22 fouls.

BONITA VISTA 67, GRANITE HILLS 47 - The visiting Eagles (15-13) ran into a
Bonita Vista buzz saw in Tuesday's (Feb. 20) opening round of the SD-CIF
Division I playoffs.

The game, for all intents and purposes, was over by halftime, as the Barons
(18-6) used a 23-5 second-quarter scoring advantage to lead 33-14 by
intermission.

Four Bonita Vista players reached double scoring figures, led by Ashley
Jensen's 21 points.

Elisabeth Reynolds was the lone Granite Hills player to score more than 7
points, as she finished with 18.
(02-20-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Patriots show no love in handling of Colts

ECS.com staff

EL CAJON - The Christian High Patriots' basketball team will probably finish
third in the Harbor League standings. Furthermore, coach Doug Johnson's team
will most likely earn the No. 3 seeding position in the San Diego CIF
Division IV playoffs.

Soon-to-be-crowned league champion Hoover will advance to the Division III
playoffs, but the Patriots will still have to deal with league runner-up
Coronado (15-9, 7-2).

"It'll probably be between us, Lincoln and Holtville for that No. 3 seed,"
said Johnson, after the Patriots clipped Crawford 48-26 Wednesday (Feb. 14)
at the Ryan Athletic Center. The playoff picture will unfold on Saturday
(Feb. 17) when the CIF Seeding Committee puts the power ratings to work.

Jenny Ray paced the Patriots (14-10, 6-3) with 14 points, while Cassandra
Stone added 10 in the victory over Crawford. Ray scored 5 points, as did
Maggie McGill in the third quarter when Christian used a 16-2 edge to turn
the game into a rout. McGill finished with 8 points, as did Miya Krystek.
(02-14-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sultans convert for easy victory

ECS.com staff report

LAKESIDE -- The Santana Sultans had the El Capitan Vaqueros all fouled up in Tuesday's (Feb. 6) Grossmont North League game.

And made them pay. The top-ranked Sultans (24-1, 6-0) converted 32-of-36 free throws (89 percent) as they rolled to a 72-43 victory.

It was the 19th straight win for Santana, which assured itself of nothing less than a share of the league title. Of course, winning championships is nothing new to Sultans' coach Wade Vickery, who celebrated his 16th league crown in 22 seasons at Santana.

It was victory No. 481 for Vickery, the winningest girls' basketball coach in San Diego-CIF history. But ever the coach, Vickery's focus was on the game at hand.

"We didn't shoot particularly well from the field (20-of-53 for 38 percent)," Vickery said. "But it's hard to complain about our free throw shooting."

Jackie Turpin was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line en route to a 17-point outing. East County free throw leader, Jaime Ransom, was 4-for-4 as she finished with a game-high 18 points. Amanda Krismer was 7-for-7 on her way to 13 points. Brooke Sutton was also 4-for-4 from the line.

Turpin's game didn't stop at the charity stripe. She also had 9 steals and 4 assists, while Sutton snagged 9 rebounds, and Krismer collected 7.

The Sultans sprinted to a 19-8 first quarter lead, ballooned their advantage to 37-21 by intermission, and to 56-28 by the close of the third quarter.

Jessica Cable led El Capitan (10-14, 3-2) with 17 points, including 6-for-8 free throw shooting, and 9 rebounds. Valli Burks punched in 10 points, which included 3-for-4 accuracy from the foul line. Burks also handed out 3 assists, while Carissa Gonzales snared a game-high 10 rebounds and scored 8 points.

Nichole Overson and Becky Holley contributed 4 points and 3 steals apiece for the Vaqueros.

GRANITE HILLS 56, MONTE VISTA 50 -- Sometimes it's tricky to evaluate match-ups. Case in point, was the first-round Grossmont South League tussle between the Monarchs and the Eagles.

It was a clear-cut blowout, as Monte Vista won 71-39 in January. In Tuesday's (Feb. 6) rematch, the Monarchs jumped in front 5-2 on a Phoebe Perkins basket and a 3-pointer by Stephanie Chabrowski. Shortly thereafter, the Monarchs found themselves playing catch-up, as the Eagles handed Monte Vista its fourth straight loss.

"We've been up and down all year," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "But I thought we could beat them because we were playing well tonight."

Spearheading the Granite Hills' attack was senior Elisabeth Reynolds with 20 points, half of which came on 10-for-13 free throw shooting.

Nicole Davis rolled an impressive double-double, with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Eagles (13-11, 2-3). Joelle Bunnell came through with 13 points, including a pair of 3's.

"Reynolds had a great game," Rowlett said of the 6-foot senior center, who is being recruited by Cal Lutheran University and two scholarship-bearing Arizona community colleges.

Emily Killinger, once again, directed the Eagles' attack with her crisp passing (5 assists). In addition, the Eagles converted 20-of-28 free throws.

The Monarchs (16-8, 2-4) trailed only 35-33 entering the final quarter. Any hopes Monte Vista had of a comeback were severely hampered when Rachel Johansen, Chabrowski, and Perkins all fouled out.

Johansen was 6-of-7 from the field for a team-high 12 points. Chabrowski added 8 points and 6 rebounds, while Perkins popped 8 points and had 2 steals. Lisa Roper rolled in 7 points and dealt out 6 assists.

MOUNT MIGUEL 48, HELIX 34 -- They should save the ballots, rather than cast them for Grossmont South League Player of the Year. Mount Miguel's Kim Martin should win by default.

The magical Martin made like Peter Pan, as she helped the Matadors do a fly-by on the visiting Highlanders en route to locking up at least a share of the South League crown.

"Offensively we struggled tonight," Matadors coach Robbie Sandoval said. "Kim pretty much carried us tonight in the first half (scoring 17 of her game-high 26 points)."

The mighty Martin also clicked on 10-of-11 free throws, pulled down 10 rebounds, blocked 5 shots, made 4 steals and logged 2 assists. Almost as a crowning touch, Martin -- who does her best work on the inside -- nailed a pair of 3-pointers. Talk about a complete player

"Martin can take over a game on her own," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion. "We couldn't contain her."

Mount Miguel (18-6, 6-0), which has won eight in a row, marched out to a 21-4 lead over the Highlanders (15-5, 4-2).

Sara McGovern added 10 points, including a pair of 3's for the Matadors, while Ijal Barnes grabbed 7 rebounds and dropped in 9 points. Sophomore guard Christine Fitzgerald came up empty in the scoring column, but contributed nonetheless with a game-high 10 assists and 5 steals.

One of the most stunning facts in the lop-sided game between Grossmont South frontrunners was the fact that Helix senior Shannan Hawes, East County's scoring leader, was rationed to 10 points. That's 11.4 points below her season average.

"We rotated coverage on Hawes," Sandoval said when asked how the Matadors kept Hawes in check. "As always, it's our defense that makes us go."

GROSSMONT 40, EL CAJON VALLEY 30 -- The Foothillers overcame a 20-17 halftime deficit by battering the Braves 23-10 in the second half.

Versatile sophomore Erin Anderson engineered the victory for Grossmont (7-14, 2-4). The Hillers' floor leader tallied a game-high 13 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, made 3 steals and dished out 3 assists.

Taryin Casillas collected 8 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds for the Foothillers, who also received 8 points and 5 rebounds from Ashley Bowker.
Grossmont senior Shauna Soto didn't contribute to the scoring column but dominated the boards with 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists. Kaleena Watkins contributed 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 points.

The Felice sisters, Lyndsay and Laura, generated 9 points and 2 assists between them. Kudos to Laura, who managed to compete despite playing with a broken nose sustained in a flag football game over the weekend.

Shannon Schiele poured in 12 points, handed out 4 assists and grabbed 3 rebounds for the Braves (6-17, 0-6). Naomi Lathan added 10 points and 4 rebounds, while Tonya Farrugello landed a pair of 3's for 6 points.

CORONADO 46, CHRISTIAN 24 -- The Patriots were knocked out of the Harbor League lead by the Islanders, who outscored visiting Christian 27-7 in the second half.

Coronado (14-8, 6-1) claimed a 12-3 scoring edge from the free throw line. On top of that, the Islanders received a quartet of 3-pointers from Suzy Solem to maintain their share of the league lead with Hoover.

Maggie McGill and Jenny Ray scored 9 points apiece to lead the Patriots.
(02-06-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Killinger seals win with steal

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON - Elisabeth Reynolds scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the Eagles past visiting USDHS 45-44 Saturday night (Feb. 3) during Granite Hills' annual Outback Hoop Hysteria.

The victory pushed the Eagles' overall record above the .500 mark at 12-11.

Granite Hills rallied from a 28-24 halftime deficit to take a 45-40 lead with less than a minute to play in the game. But the Dons turned a pair of Granite Hills miscues into baskets, cutting the Eagles' lead to one. USDHS was closing in on the victory as the Dons had the ball at the Granite Hills end
of the floor with 0:03 remaining.

If the sport were baseball, the Eagles' Emily Killinger would receive credit for a save. The senior guard intercepted a USDHS pass underneath the basket to preserve the victory as the clock ran out.

Killinger finished with 8 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, while Nicole Davis pulled down 12 rebounds.

This game was part of an all-day affair matching the boys' and girls' varsity, JV, and freshman teams of Granite Hills and USDHS.
(02-03-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monte Vista's Lisa Roper puts up a shot during the Monarchs' loss to visiting Helix Friday night.

Matadors roll to 5-0 in league

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Mount Miguel Matadors proved that there's a lot of difference between first and last place in the Grossmont South League.

The Matadors (17-6, 5-0) rolled out to a 22-6 first-quarter lead over the visiting Norsemen (8-14, 0-5), and never looked back as they won 66-26.

It was the 12th straight loss for Valhalla.

"We passed the ball really well tonight," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "We were getting easy steals and able to convert. Kim (Martin) made 10 of her 24 points in the first quarter."

Martin could have had even more had Sandoval elected to leave her in the game. Sandoval did wholesale substitutions in the final three quarters.

"Kim is always a constant for us," said Sandoval. "She's the best player in the league."

Christine Fitzgerald led a strong supporting cast with 16 points, 7 assists and 7 steals. She also netted two of the Matadors' 3 treys in the game. Sara McGovern got the other 3-pointer, and finished with 10 points while pulling down a game high 8 rebounds. She also blocked 4 shots and handed out 4
assists. Megan Hayward also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Janene Stutz led Valhalla with 7 points, and Jennifer Kolegraff had five.

SANTANA 76, GROSSMONT 39 -- Five Santana players reached double scoring digits as the Sultans (23-1, 5-0) rolled over the visiting Foothillers (6-14, 1-4).

Jackie Turpin led the way with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals and 5 assists.
Jaime Ransom scored 17 points and l limited Grossmont's Ashley Bowker to 5 points. Bowker was only 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-5 from the free throw line, as she finished with a season low.

The fact that Grossmont played without backcourt standout Erin Anderson and rebound leader Shauna Soto didn't help Bowker's cause, let alone the Foothillers.

Brooke Sutton added 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals for Santana, which also got 11 points and 6 steals from Amanda Krismer. Daniesha Price contributed 10 points.

Laura Felice scored 10 of her team-high 13 points for Grossmont in the first quarter. Taryin Casillas added 10 points and Kaleena Watkins had 7 rebounds.

WEST HILLS 59, EL CAJON VALLEY 43 -- Michelle Capati scored 17 points, and Nicole Widmer added 15 as West Hills (13-11, 3-2) defeated the visiting Braves (6-16, 0-5).

Shannon Schiele paced the Braves with 17 points, which included 11-for-16 free throws. Schiele also had 7 assists and 3 steals, while Melodi Williams hauled down 15 rebounds.

"We only had six players, and West Hills had 12, and they pressed us the whole game," El Cajon Valley coach Jimmy Ross said. "Their depth really hurt us."

Tonya Farrugello hit three 3's and finished with 12 points for El Cajon Valley. Capati also had three 3's.

HELIX 45, MONTE VISTA 26 -- Helix strengthened its hold on second place in the Grossmont South, as Shannan Hawes scored 22 points to lead the Highlanders (15-4, 4-1) past the host Monarchs (16-7, 2-3). It was the third straight loss for Monte Vista.

The Monarchs struggled with their shooting as they converted only 10 of 50 (20 percent), including 1-of-11 from 3-point range. Stephanie Chabrowski led the Monarchs with 7 points, and Phoebe Perkins pulled down 8 rebounds.

CHRISTIAN 44, MADISON 41 -- The Patriots maintained their share of the Harbor League lead using a 20-10 fourth quarter burst to defeat host Madison.

Miya Krystek and Jenny Ray paced the Patriots (13-8, 5-1) with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
(02-02-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Showdown ruled no-contest, Sultans knock-out Monarchs

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Two of East County's top girls basketball teams collided Tuesday (Jan. 30) at Santana High.

The result: Santana 75, Monte Vista 36.

It only goes to show that not many teams can keep up with the Santana Sultans (22-1), who are ranked No. 1 in San Diego County.

The visiting Monarchs (16-6) had the Sultans on the ropes in a first quarter that ended in a 14-14 deadlock. It was a different story in the second stanza, however, as Santana steamrollered the Monarchs 26-1.

"They came out real aggressively and got us into early foul trouble," Santana coach Wade Vickery admitted. "But in the second quarter we just shut them down defensively, didn't give them any good looks. That picked up our game
offensively. We had real good ball movement, and were able to slice through the defense and finish."

Jaime Ransom scored 8 of her 19 points, and Amanda Krismer netted 7 of her game-high 22 during Santana's second quarter siege.

But Vickery was quick to credit Margeaux Bass, who stepped in for Jackie Turpin after the latter picked up two quick fouls in the opening four minutes.

"Margeaux did a good job of stabilizing us," Vickery said. "She got 8 points, 4 assists and 3 steals."

Krismer and Ransom helped the Sultans dominate the boards against the taller Monarchs, with 14 and 13 rebounds respectively. Ransom also had four steals, one more than Denise Bennett. Turpin totaled 11 points and 4 assists.

Afton Huggar led Monte Vista with 17 points, including a trio of treys. But the Monarchs connected on only 29 percent of 48 shots from the field, and 4-of-12 free throws.

East County 3-point leader Lisa Roper was 4-for-4 from 2-point range, but 0-for-4 from long distance, as she finished with 8 points. Phoebe Perkins plucked 9 rebounds for Monte Vista, and made 3 steals.

MOUNT MIGUEL 62, GRANITE HILLS 40 -- The visiting Matadors showed Granite Hills why defense wins championships. The Eagles scored 76 points in their previous outing at Valhalla, but were limited to 11 in the first half by the Grossmont South-leading Matadors (16-6, 4-0).

"Both teams started off a little slow, offensively," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "But our defense picked up in the second quarter and we got some steals and easy baskets."

Granite Hills trailed by 15 points at intermission and never got closer than 14 in the second half.

"You never go into a game expecting to blow somebody out," Sandoval said. "Early in the second quarter we were up 16-8, and then went on a 10-0 run. It gave us a little separation in the game."

Senior Kim Martin was the catalyst for Mount Miguel. She scored 26 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. Christine Fitzgerald dished out 10 assists, made 9 steals, corralled 5 caroms, netted one 3-pointer, and finished with 5 points in the game.

Sara McGovern led the Matadors' supporting cast with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, while Megan Hayward added 8 points. Ijal Barnes collected a team-high 7 rebounds and 3 steals to go along with 7 points. Leah Murphy also had 6 rebounds and 5 points.

Elisabeth Reynolds led Granite Hills (11-11, 1-3) with 11 points, and
Jennifer Young added eight.

EL CAPITAN 55, EL CAJON VALLEY 28 -- A 19-1 third quarter scoring spree helped El Capitan turn back the visiting Braves in a Grossmont North League encounter, and kept the Vaqueros in sole possession of second place.

While the El Capitan defense was putting the clamps on the Braves' offense, Valli Burks was scoring eight of her game-high 14 points in the third period.

Carissa Gonzales, the only El Capitan senior, rolled a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Jessica Cable collected 8 points and 7
rebounds. Rebecca Southward also did a fine job on the boards, yanking down 11 rebounds while scoring 6 points.

It was one of El Capitan's best defensive nights of the season, as the
Vaqueros came up with 20 steals. Freshman Alissa Unden, who has been known more for her 3-point shooting, made 5 steals against the Braves. Nichole Overson had 4 steals, while Becky Holley, Lyric Teigen, Burks, Gonzales and Cable had two thefts apiece. Alyssa Edelin pilfered one pass.

El Cajon Valley's Shannon Schiele, who came in averaging close to 16 points per game, was limited to five by El Capitan's various multiple coverage schemes.

One of the few positives for Schiele was the fact that she was responsible for the Braves avoiding the shutout in the third quarter. Nevertheless, Schiele -- a 65 percent free throw shooter on the season -- connected on only 3-of-10 free throws.

El Cajon Valley (6-15, 0-4) managed to stay close in the first half on the
strength of Tonya Farrugello's trio of 3-point bullseyes, trailing 26-21 at
the break.

WEST HILLS 65, GROSSMONT 48 -- The host Wolf Pack did a better job of handling the basketball as they registered a surprisingly easy victory over the Foothillers.

"The first half was the best two quarters that we've played in quite awhile," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said, referring to the Pack's 40-19 halftime lead. "We only had two turnovers in the first half.

"It was a definite improvement over the last two games when we struggled in the first quarter (in losses to Santana and El Capitan). We turned the ball over 38 times against Santana and 25 times against El Cap."

Nicole Widmer scored 9 of her 15 points in the first quarter for West Hills (12-11, 2-2).

"That really provided the spark," Burgess said, noting that the Wolf Pack was sitting on a 24-8 cushion after one quarter.

Stacey Ostrander generated 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals for West Hills, which also got 10 points from Julie Strick.

Ashley Bowker had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, while Erin Anderson produced 13 points, 7 assists, 7 steals and a pair of 3-pointers for Grossmont (6-13, 1-3).

Kaleena Watkins and Shauna Soto pounded the boards for Grossmont, snaring 13 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Eight of Watkins' collection came off the
offensive glass.

CHRISTIAN 38, CLAIREMONT 35 (OT) -- Maggie McGill hit back-to-back 3-pointers on Christian's first two possessions in overtime, enabling the Patriots (12-8, 4-1) to maintain their share of the Harbor League lead.

Even after McGill's clutch shooting, the Patriots couldn't celebrate a
victory until Miya Krystek hit a 17-foot jumper with 0:03.4 seconds left in overtime.

"Basically it was a shot (Krystek's) that kept the clock running," Christian coach Doug Johnson said. And time ran out on Clairemont as the Chieftains (3-15, 0-5) were unable to get off a desperation attempt.

Jenny Ray led Christian with 13 points, including 7-for-7 free throw
shooting. McGill finished with 10 points, and Krystek settled for eight.

HELIX 57, VALHALLA 43 -- Shannan Hawes (20 points), Ferrari Funches (12 points), and Yasmin Eaddy (11 points) paced a balanced attack as the Highlanders (14-4, 3-1) maintained their grip on second place in the Grossmont South League.

Helix, which netted only 5-of-21 free throws got a lift from Eaddy, who
connected for a trio of treys. Ashley Walker also hit a 3-pointer, as she
tallied nine markers in the game.

Valhalla (8-13, 0-4) has had an anemic offense since Janene Stutz was injured in an automobile accident last month. But the junior guard appears to be back on track as she scored 15 points against the Highlanders, and Valhalla gained a 28-26 second-half scoring advantage.
(01-30-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Santana starters come off bench to easily tame Tigers

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Santana coach Wade Vickery wanted to try something new in Saturday's (Jan. 27) non-league game at Morse. That is, he gave four of his players their first starting assignment of the year.

"I just wanted to give these players the taste, the feel of starting a game," Vickery said. "They're good players and they've worked hard, and they need this reward."

The new quintet played the first four minutes of the game, and trailed the Morse regulars only 8-5. At that point Vickery began rotating the Sultans regular starters into the contest.

Santana led 13-10 at the end of the first period, and continued on to an easy 77-42 victory. It was the 16th straight win for the Sultans (21-1).

"We were in control by the middle of the second quarter," Vickery said. The Sultans outscored the Tigers 28-8 in the second period.

Jackie Turpin, who came in averaging 9.9 points per game, erupted for 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals.

"She played real well - a typical performance for her," Vickery said. "She's our leading rebounder and just an all-around good player. She's the type of kid who will do whatever it takes."

Jaime Ransom added 20 points and 6 steals for the Sultans, who also received 13 points from Amanda Krismer. First-time starter Courtney Ash added 8
rebounds and 4 points to the Santana coffers.
Margeaux Bass handed out 4 assists, and Denise Bennett logged 5 steals.

"Ransom played particularly well tonight," Vickery said.
(01-27-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Matadors still too much for Monarchs

ECS.com staff report

SPRING VALLEY - More than Spring Valley bragging rights were at stake when the Mount Miguel Matadors overpowered the Monte Vista Monarchs 46-32 Thursday night (Jan. 25) to claim sole possession of first place in the Grossmont South League.

The challenging Monarchs had aspirations of proving themselves worthy of championship recognition, but the Matadors jumped out to a 12-4 first-quarter lead to establish themselves as the premier club of the five-team circuit.

"We've had a habit of getting off to good starts, and that's helped us a lot," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "We scored on three straight
possessions against their 'man,' and then they went to a zone the rest of the way. This was a half-court game - not up and down at all."

Mount Miguel's Christine Fitzgerald led all scorers with 16 points while grabbing 5 rebounds, handing out 5 assists and making 4 steals. Senior standout Kim Martin mashed in 13 points, collected 10 rebounds, made 4 blocks and 3 steals, while Sara McGovern muscled in 12 points, yanked down 9 rebounds and collected 5 steals for the Matadors (15-6, 3-0).

Only one Monte Vista player reached double figures - Afton Huggar, with 10 points. Lisa Roper added 9 points.

Monte Vista (16-5, 2-2) connected on only 8-of-35 shots from the floor, including 3-of-16 from 3-point range.

"We took away their 3-point shot. We made them take us off the dribble, and we did a good job of defending," Sandoval said.

Rachel Johansen picked off 7 rebounds and blocked 4 shots for Monte Vista. It was a rough night for Phoebe Perkins, who was 0-for-9 from the floor and scored only 2 points, but pulled down 7 rebounds and made 6 steals for the Monarchs.

HELIX 68, GROSSMONT 62 (OT) -- Grossmont's Laura Felice did her only scoring in the game by hitting a 3-pointer with five seconds left in regulation to tie it at 52-all, sending the non-league contest into overtime.

The Highlanders (13-4), however, bounced back to outscore their Grossmont hosts 16-10 during the four-minute overtime.

Shannan Hawes and Ashley Walker scored 5 points apiece in the extra stanza to lift Helix to victory.

Hawes shared Helix scoring honors with teammate Ferrari Funches at 22 points apiece. It was business as usual for Hawes, who also had 5 rebounds and 2
steals. For Funches, it was a career night, as she included 19 rebounds (9 offensive), 3 steals, and 5 assists to go along with her 22-point effort.

Walker finished with 11 points, including a trio of 3's, while Yasmin Eaddy tossed in 10 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and made 3 steals. Funches also had 5 assists and 3 steals.

For Grossmont (6-12), Erin Anderson returned to the lineup after missing a game due to illness and scored a game-high 23 points while dishing off 12 assists. The senior guard also had 5 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Senior Ashley Bowker produced 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals for the Foothillers, while Taryin Casillas cashed in 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2
steals. Other Foothillers contributing to the cause were Shauna Soto with 8 rebounds and 3 steals, and Kaleena Watkins with 7 rebounds, 4 points and 1
block.

EL CAPITAN 60, WEST HILLS 50 - The El Capitan Vaqueros were singing a happy tune as Lyric Teigen supplied the proverbial score to their Grossmont North
League victory over the visiting Wolf Pack (11-11, 1-2).

The 5-foot-6 sophomore generated a career-high 21 points, including a trio of 3's as the Vaqueros (9-13, 2-1) moved into second place in the Grossmont
North.

Teigen popped in back-to-back 3-pointers to spark El Capitan to a 22-9 second-quarter run, resulting in a halftime lead of 35-23.

Valli Burks scored 13 points, including 5-for-6 free throw shooting, two 3's, 2 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals for the Vaqueros. Carissa Gonzales led El
Capitan's board brigade, collecting 10 caroms to go along with 7 points, 3 blocks, 4 assists and 2 steals. Freshman Alissa Unden nailed a pair of 3's as
she contributed 9 points and 3 rebounds.

Perhaps the most noteworthy statistic for El Capitan was the Vaqueros' accuracy at the free throw stripe -- 19-of-23. Quite an improvement for a team that was converting less than 50 percent of its free throws over the course of the season.

Not to be overlooked was the standout performance by West Hills' Nicole Widmer, who scored a game-high 29 points. The 5-8 senior hit a pair of 3's, but did most of her damage from the free throw line where she converted 15-of-18 chances.

GRANITE HILLS 76, VALHALLA 28 - The slumbering Eagles (11-10, 1-2) erupted for a season-high 76 points as Elisabeth Reynolds scored 23 and grabbed 8 rebounds in the Grossmont South League victory.

"Our outside game was goin' on," said Eagles coach Jay Rowlett. "We've been struggling because we haven't been hitting from the outside. In this game we
were working inside and outside extremely well."

Joelle Bunnell was the driving force behind the Eagles' outside success. The 5-foot-6 sophomore hit four 3-pointers en route to an 18-point outing, while
collecting 3 steals. Senior guard Emily Killinger enjoyed a banner day with 11 points, including a trio of 3's while passing out 8 assists.

Brooke Smith led Granite Hills' supporting cast with 8 points, while Nicole Davis snagged a team-high 9 rebounds and scored 6 points. Jennifer Young
contributed 6 points and 2 steals.

Jennifer Kolegraff topped Valhalla (8-12, 0-3) with 7 points. Janene Stutz, who had been sidelined for three weeks with an injury resulting from an automobile accident, came off the bench for 6 points. Jasmine Beauchamp added 6 points for Valhalla, which has lost its last 10 games.

SANTANA 72, EL CAJON VALLEY 32 -- After shuffling to a 12-10 first-quarter lead at El Cajon Valley, the Sultans (20-1, 4-0) turned up the heat as they smoked the Braves in a Grossmont North League rout.

Amanda Krismer connected on 14-of 16 free throws en route to a game-high 20 points for Santana. She also collected 8 rebounds and 4 steals, while Jaime
Ransom rustled up 18 points and 5 steals.

"We couldn't hit anything in the opening quarter," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "Krismer kept us in the game with her free throws in the first quarter,
and then we started to play a lot better on defense. And that seemed to get our offense going."

Margeaux Bass dumped in 8 points and made 4 steals, while Brooke Sutton slipped in 7 points, and Jackie Turpin dished out 7 assists for Santana.

Denise Bennett chipped in 4 points and 4 steals.

Shannon Schiele topped El Cajon Valley (6-14, 0-3) with 13 points. Tonya Farrugello fired in a pair of 3's for the Braves.
(01-25-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs make it look easy, handle Valhalla in second half

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON -- Not many teams in San Diego County have more wins than the Monte Vista Monarchs. Coach Carlos Moss' squad ran its record to 16-4 Friday (Jan. 19) by outscoring host Valhalla 22-9 in the second half to claim a 49-30 Grossmont South League victory.

Phoebe Perkins rolled a double-double for the Monarchs with 10 points and 10 rebounds, as well as 3 steals. Lisa Roper led the Monarchs with 11 points, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Amy Reiland had a little bit of everything for Monte Vista, which stands in a second-place tie with Helix in the Grossmont South. The 5-foot-5 junior had 6
points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and one block.

Ten of Monte Vista's 11 players contributed to the scoring.

"This is definitely not our best game, but we still managed to pull out a victory," said Monte Vista's Erika Munoz matter-of-factly.

Coach Moss agreed. "This was ugly shooting," he said. "This trumps the Hilltop game (a 48-39 victory in the Montgomery tournament last month)."

For Monte Vista, the story was defense, as the Monarchs limited the Norsemen (8-11, 0-2) to nine points in the second half. It was the ninth straight loss for Valhalla.

Iliana Rucker was the only Norseman to score more than seven points, finishing with 11.

HELIX 57, GRANITE HILLS 41 -- Shannan Hawes ran roughshod over host Granite Hills with 34 points as the Highlanders (12-4, 2-1) held onto a share of
second place in the Grossmont South by clubbing the Eagles Friday night (Jan. 19).

Although the final score indicates that the Highlanders won with relative ease, the game wasn't decided until the final quarter. Leading 30-24 for
three periods, Helix hammered out 24 points, including 21 by Hawes, to decide the issue.

"We just kept chipping away," Helix coach Kathy Gunion said. "It wasn't one of our better games, but we just kept plugging. We didn't play with the
defensive intensity that we normally do."

Hawes converted 14 field goals and 4-of-7 free throws and a pair of 3's. Yasmine Eaddy added 8 points, Ferrari Funches notched 6 points and as did Lindsey Allen.

Nicole Davis led Granite Hills with 17 points. Elisabeth Reynolds added nine.

"Granite Hills did a good job of getting the ball inside to their big kids," Gunion said.

Not enough to offset the scoring of Hawes, though.

MOUNT MIGUEL 60, EL CAJON VALLEY 19 -- Not many teams in San Diego County play better defense than Mount Miguel (14-6).

Coach Robbie Sandoval's Matadors slapped a muzzle on the Braves (6-13) in Friday's (Jan. 19) non-league game at El Cajon Valley.

Kim Martin, arguably the best player in East County, scored one less point than the entire El Cajon Valley team with 18. She also jerked down 9 rebounds
and blocked 4 shots.

Sophomore Christine Fitzgerald was all over the court, collecting 14 points, 7 assists, 5 steals and 5 rebounds for the Matadors. Sara McGovern also
enjoyed a productive outing with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Unsung senior forward Leah Murphy grabbed 8 rebounds to go with 6 points.

Speaking of unsung heroes, enter Mount Miguel's Megan Hayward. Matched up against one of East County's top scorers, Shannon Schiele (16.1 ppg), Hayward limited the Braves' shooting star to 8 points. All but one of Schiele's points came in the first half.

"Hayward did an excellent defensive job," Sandoval said.

The game did not become one-sided until the second half. Sitting on a 26-13 halftime lead, the Matadors overpowered the Braves 18-2 in the third quarter
to take command.

SANTANA 84, WEST HILLS 30 -- Showdowns in the Grossmont North League are few and far between when Santana is involved. Coach Wade Vickery's Sultans steamrollered their Santee rivals in a game that was never close.

"We were on fire all night," Vickery said. "We played both ends of the floor with equal intensity."

After West Hills (11-10, 1-1) scored the opening basket of the game, the Sultans embarked on a 15-1 run, and the rout was on.

Amanda Krismer collected 17 points and 8 rebounds as the Sultans (19-1, 3-0) won their 14th game in a row. Brooke Sutton slammed in 17 points, while Jaime Ransom rocked in 12 points, ripped off 8 rebounds and dished off 5 assists.
Jackie Turpin scored only 4 points, but grabbed 9 rebounds, handed out 5 assists and made 4 steals. Daniesha Price chipped in 11 points, and Kelly
Andersen added 8 points.

Despite wholesale substitutions, Santana shot 43 percent from the field (31 for 70), and netted 16-of-27 free throws.

It was a long night for West Hills (11-10, 1-1). Nicole Widmer and Stacey Ostrander scored 6 points apiece to pace the Wolf Pack.

EL CAPITAN 57, GROSSMONT 40 -- The visiting Vaqueros (8-13, 1-1) stormed to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, and continued on for the victory over the
Foothillers (6-11, 1-2) to move into a tie for second place in the Grossmont North League.

Freshman Alissa Unden scored a career-high 26 points, including five 3-pointers, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for El Capitan. Valli Burks led the
supporting cast with 17 points, two 3's and 5 rebounds.

Grossmont was at a clear disadvantage, playing without floor leader Erin Anderson. Senior Ashley Bowker attempted to pick up the slack, finishing with
19 points (including two 3's), 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Taryin Casillas logged 9 points and 4 rebounds, while Shauna Soto grabbed a game-high 7 rebounds, handed out 3 assists, blocked a shot, made a steal and tossed in 2 points.

HOOVER 62, CHRISTIAN 31 -- Playing without one of their leading scorers and rebounders, who missed the game for personal reasons, the Patriots proved to
be no match in the Harbor League game between league leaders at Hoover.

The Cardinals (9-8, 3-0) raced to leads of 17-7 and 35-17, and never looked back as they trounced the Patriots (10-8, 2-1).

Cassandra Stone led Christian with 11 points.
(01-19-01)

PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

Patriots aren't slowed down on trip to island

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Coronado prides itself on being one of San Diego County's elite defensive teams. It's no secret that the Islanders use ball control to keep a tight rein on their opponents' numbers.

Apparently Christian wasn't impressed, as the Patriots beat the Islanders in a game of lowball Wednesday night (Jan. 17) at Coronado.

"Coronado slows it down to a crawl, likes to grind it down to the nubs," Christian coach Curtis Hofmeister said after the Patriots won the Harbor League encounter, 41-32.

Christian, however, is no slouch when it comes to playing defense either. In the last four games - a lineup that includes Mount Carmel, Horizon and
Coronado (12-3, 1-1) - Christian has limited its foes to an average of 41 points per game.

The strategy for Christian (12-5, 2-0) against the Islanders was to play a game of pickpocket. The Patriots notched 18 steals, with Josh Paddock and
Jake Wohlfeil pilfering five apiece. Michael Jackson and Michael Singleton had 3 steals each.

"It's fun for me to watch us play defense, even if we're not having a big offensive game," Hofmeister said.

Neither team could produce a player in double-scoring digits.

Jake Wohlfeil led Christian with 9 points, while Moulaye Niang added 7 points, 9 rebounds and blocked 2 shots.

"Obviously it's pretty rare to have a game where no one reaches double digits," Hofmeister admitted. "But we had nine guys contribute to our 41 points. And that's spreading it around pretty good."

Christian led 20-10 with three minutes left in the first half. That's when Coronado enjoyed its only scoring spree of the night, tossing in 8 points in less than a minute. By the close of the half, the Patriots were clinging to a 21-20 lead.

However, a 10-0 start to the third quarter put Christian in command for good.

"We were doing a great job of guarding people, and got some breakout baskets," Hofmeister said. "Our defense in the fourth quarter was excellent.

"We held them to one point for 7:45 until they got a bucket right there at the end."

Christian continues its surge toward the Harbor League title Friday (Jan. 19) when it visits Hoover for a 7:30 p.m. game.
(01-17-01)

PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

Braves' Taylor all about winning

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON -- No question, Anthony "Pooh" Taylor is the leader of the El Cajon Valley basketball team. Although unheralded and a virtual unknown, the
6-foot-3, 240-pound junior is a man with direction.

"He has great anticipation and finishes well," Braves coach Mike Raney said. "He knows how to take the ball to the basket, but he can also take you
outside and hit the 3. He's one of the best players in the county."

Taylor was the best player on the court at Grossmont High Tuesday (Jan. 16) as he led the Braves to a 48-45 Grossmont North League victory over the Foothillers.

Taylor scored a game-high 21 points, hitting 10-of-18 shots, including one 3.
He also grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 4 shots.

"This is a very big win for us," Raney said. "We've lost some close games, but I think we're starting to believe in ourselves."

Nate Reed rolled in 11 points and handed out 4 assists for the Braves (5-13, 1-1), who won their first league game in two years. Jarrod Lott logged 10
points, while Al Tooks recorded 5 steals.

The unsung hero for the Braves was Jeroid Jordan. The senior guard limited Grossmont's Jesse Long to one point in the second half and five points in the
game.

John Sanders had 12 points to lead Grossmont (5-15, 0-2), which has lost six in a row. Noah Stevens and Cody Long chipped in 8 points apiece.

The Braves should have a shot at a second win this week when they host short-handed Mount Miguel in a non-league game Friday (Jan. 19) at 7:30 p.m.
Grossmont entertains El Capitan in a Grossmont North League game on Friday at the same time.

WEST HILLS 70, VALHALLA 46 -- Tied at 21-21, the visiting Wolf Pack (13-6) used a 5-0 scoring sprint at the close of the opening half and a 10-2 run at
the beginning of the third quarter to take command 36-23 in the non-leage win over the Norsemen.

"We were right with them and then we make two turnovers, and they cash it in
for five points in the last minute of the first half," Valhalla coach Lenny
Schlein said. "That was a key momentum swing. And then the first couple of
minutes of the second half, it was more of the same thing."

Jesse Doubek led a 26-10 third-quarter surge for West Hills, scoring 10 of his 14 points during that eight minute stanza. He also collected 6 rebounds
and made 2 steals.

Quick draw C.J. (Colter Jack) Zimmerlink scored a game-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers. The senior guard also handed out 7 assists for
West Hills. Steady Matt Henriksen netted 15 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and made 3 steals, while Karl Burris was 3-for-4 from the field with 4 rebounds,
4 assists and 4 steals in a reserve role.

Blake Fowler led Valhalla (9-11) with 12 points.

HELIX 66, MOUNT MIGUEL 41 -- Any chance the Matadors had at an upset was lost before the Grossmont South League game began at Helix.

Missing from the Mount Miguel lineup was the backcourt tandem of Sean Gullett and Alan Aguilar. Gullett was out for disciplinary reasons and Aguilar was sidelined with an ankle sprain. The duo accounts for more than 32 points per game.

"We pointed out to our kids before the game that it's been a long time since Helix wasn't included among the Top 10 (scoring) defenses in the county,"
Highlanders assistant coach Pat Kelly noted, as Helix was not listed in that familiar position this week. "We didn't know that Gullett and Aguilar weren't playing."

Helix converted 26-of-34 free throws, but only 38 percent of 48 shots from the field. Mount Miguel, by comparison, netted 20-of-30 free throws, but only
7-of-36 shots from the field (19 percent).

The Highlanders (15-4, 2-0) jumped out to a 20-9 lead and cruised to the easy victory. It was Helix's 10th win in its last 11 starts.

Stanley Caldwell was 5-for-5 from the floor and 5-for-8 from the free throw line for a team-high15 points. He also led the Highlanders with 9 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and made 2 steals. Tommy Thompson overcame three early personal fouls to finish with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Johnny Davis added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Dominick Foster and Chris Campbell paced the Matadors (7-12, 0-2) with 15 and 10 points, respectively.

GRANITE HILLS 67, MONTE VISTA 52 -- Brian Mosier hasn't been a consistent factor in the Granite Hills offense this season. But the 5-foot-8 senior
guard made a major impact in the Eagles (5-14, 1-0) Grossmont South League victory over the visiting Monarchs (5-13, 0-2).

Mosier scored all of his season-high 10 points in the second half, as Granite Hills outgunned Monte Vista 46-34. His totals included two 3-pointers.

Brent Genton grooved six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points. The senior guard scored 19 points in the second half. Genton, who also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists, was 8-for-17 from the field, including 6-for-9 in the second half.

As a team, Granite Hills was 12-of-14 from the free throw line, and 23-of-49 from the floor (47 percent).

Jacques Alaby was the only Monte Vista player to reach double digits, as he finished with 22 points.

EL CAPITAN 77, SANTANA 63 -- Rob Keller scored 22 points as Grossmont North favorite El Capitan opened its league campaign with a victory over the
Sultans in Lakeside.

Jarrod Boswell and Jeff Fisher added 10 points apiece for the Vaqueros (11-8).

"El Cap's kids are big and thick. They are a very well disciplined team that never lost their composure," Santana coach Tim Barry said. "We only forced 14
turnovers, and that's what we feed off of -- that's how we stay in games. When we force teams up and down the court, it gives us a chance to win."

Hayden Penn produced 17 points and 8 rebounds for the Sultans (5-14, 1-1).

Garrett Kerns added 17 points, and Jon Sturgill tossed in 14. Michael Bass had 10 points, including a trio of 3's to go with 5 assists. Chris Mazzi contributed 6 assists and 5 points.

"I'm happy with our 1-1 (league) start, considering we played our first two on the road," Barry said.

HORIZON 45, CHRISTIAN 41 -- Playing without three-point shooting specialist Chris Carter didn't help the Patriots. Neither did falling behind the visiting Panthers by 17 points in the third quarter.

Nevertheless, Christian (11-5) fell just short of a miraculous comeback against Horizon (12-6), one of the top teams in the county.

"Anytime you hold Horizon to 25 points over the last three quarters, you've given yourself a chance to win," Christian coach Curtis Hofmeister said.

"It's just that we dug the hole a little too deep in the beginning."

The major turnaround was putting the brakes to Horizon's 6-foot-6 power forward Nate Carter, who was limited to four points in the second half after scoring 16 in the first two quarters.

"He hits some unbelievable shots, over challenge hands," Hofmeister said.

"Michael Jackson had his hand in Carter's face all night. In fact, our whole team did a better of guarding in the second half."

Jake Wohlfeil led Christian with 16 points and 4 rebounds. Moulaye Niang added 6 points, 7 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.
(01-16-01)

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Patriots squeeze out victory over visiting Coronado

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE -- It looked as though the Christian Patriots were going to win
Wednesday's (Jan. 17) Harbor League showdown with Coronado going away.

And why not? The Patriots jumped out to a 15-2 after the first five minutes.
In the end, however, Christian was scrambling, as it squeezed a 33-31 victory
over the Islanders at Ryan Athletic Center in El Cajon.

Maggie McGill accounted for nearly half of Christian's points, muscling in 16
markers to go along with 7 rebounds. Miya Krystek cashed in 7 points, and
Jenny Ray added 6, and Cassandra Stone contributed four.

"They used full court pressure, and that turned the game into a track meet,"
Christian coach Doug Johnson said. "Both teams were running the floor. There
were a lot of non-shooting fouls."

Christian will face preseason favorite Hoover Friday night (Jan. 19) on the
Cardinals floor at 6 p.m.
(01-17-01)

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Foothillers shock Braves with one-point win

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON -- By the post-game celebration, it might have seemed like coach Walley Yeakle and his Grossmont Foothillers had just won a girls basketball version of the Super Bowl Tuesday night (Jan. 16) at El Cajon Valley.

Sure, the fact that the Foothillers squeezed a 61-60 Grossmont North League victory over the Braves probably didn't cause earthquake tremors. But Yeakle and his team were more than pleased by their narrow escape.

"This is really an exciting win," Yeakle said. "We came out very cold and
trailed by 14 points in the first quarter. But we were able to get our act
together and turn things around."

With the Foothillers clinging to a 60-59 lead with 10 seconds remaining, El
Cajon Valley's Shannon Schiele tied the game by hitting 1-of-2 free throws.
The Braves had a shot at the victory when Melodi Williams stole the inbound pass with 4 seconds left. Williams, however, was called for traveling, and the Hillers gained possession.

Grossmont's Erin Anderson, who had 18 points and 10 assists, had hardly put the ball on the floor before she was fouled by Schiele with 2.8 seconds left.
Anderson scored what proved to be the winning point when she converted the second of her two free throws.

The Braves (6-12, 0-2) narrowly missed a shocking finish when Williams
launched a 3-point shot from beyond halfcourt, only to have it lip the rim
and fall off as the buzzer sounded.

"Schiele was going for a steal when she fouled Anderson," Yeakle said. "She
gambled, but we came out on the positive end. El Cajon made eight 3-pointers in the game, so anything they threw from long distance was scary."

Ashley Bowker scored a game-high 27 points for Grossmont (6-10, 1-1). She tallied 11 points in the fourth quarter, as the Foothillers outscored the
Braves 20-16. She also pulled down 9 rebounds -- five on the offensive end.
Laura Felice grabbed 7 boards for Grossmont.

Schiele paced El Cajon Valley with 22 points, 12 of which came in the first
quarter. Naomi Lathan landed four 3-pointers, and totaled 16 points in the
game, while Tonya Farrugello hit a trio of 3's and finished with 11 points.

MOUNT MIGUEL 61, HELIX 35 -- It had to be painful for the visiting
Highlanders, who were coming off a thrilling Grossmont South League-opening victory over Monte Vista.

Credit Mount Miguel for bringing the Highlanders back to earth. Coach Robbie Sandoval's Matadors marched to a decisive 19-1 first-quarter lead, and the rout was on.

"We really jumped on them at the beginning of the game," Sandoval admitted. "Then they went on a 23-12 run to cut our lead to seven. We came out a little flat in the second half, but closed the third quarter with an 8-0 run (to lead 39-25)."

But the first-place Matadors (13-6, 2-0) were never seriously threatened.

"Our defense was very good tonight," Sandoval said.

So was Kim Martin. The Mount Miguel senior poured in 29 points, grabbed 11
rebounds and made 5 steals, while Christine Fitzgerald fired in 15 points,
handed out 8 assists and garnered 4 steals.

Shannan Hawes was basically a solo act for Helix, with 21 points. No one else
in the Highlanders lineup scored more than six.

"Hawes is a good player, very athletic," Sandoval said. "But our defense was
good on her, holding her to 11 points through three quarters.

Beginning of Granite Hills-Monte Vista game with the Monarchs' Phoebe Perkins winning the tap against the Eagles' Nicole Davis (33).

MONTE VISTA 71, GRANITE HILLS 39 -- The host Monarchs (15-4, 1-1) muscled
their way back into the Grossmont South League race by routing the Eagles
(10-9, 0-1).

Afton Huggar hammered in 24 points, the majority coming on six 3-point
bulls-eyes. The 5-foot-6 senior was accurate on 6-of-9 shots above the arc.

Phoebe Perkins led the Monarchs' supporting cast with 15 points on 6-for-13
shooting. She also grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and made 3 steals.

"We talked all season about putting a complete game together, and we did it,"
said senior guard Lisa Alexander, who tallied 6 points (on 3-point shots) and
grabbed 5 rebounds.

All 11 Monarchs contributed to the scoring. Guard Lisa Roper directed the
attack with 9 assists and 7 points. She also had 6 steals.

Rachel Johansen registered 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting, blocked 3 shots and
grabbed 4 rebounds for the Monarchs.

Nicole Davis and Elisabeth Reynolds led Granite Hills with 12 and 9 points,
respectively. Jeannie Case added 7 points for the Eagles.

SANTANA 71, EL CAPITAN 51 -- It took Santana until the second quarter to
establish superiority, but the tradition-rich Sultans (18-1, 2-0) turned a
one-point first quarter lead into a 37-26 halftime advantage.

"We played real good defense in the second quarter (and gained a 17-7
advantage) and took control, even though we missed seven free throws in that
quarter alone," Santana coach Wade Vickery said.

The Sultans had converted 23 free throws without a miss in their previous two
games, but were accurate on only 15-of-33 against the Vaqueros.

The driving force behind Santana's latest conquest was Brooke Sutton, who
scored a team-high 20 points, including 7-of-9 shooting from the free throw
line.

"Sutton played one of her best games of the year," Vickery said. "She was
going hard all night. She did an excellent job of taking the ball to the
basket."

Amanda Krismer collected 16 points and 8 rebounds for the Sultans, while
Jaime Ransom contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jackie Turpin also pulled
down 8 rebounds, tossed in 7 points and handed out 5 assists for Santana,
which won its 13th straight game.

Other Santana standouts included Daniesha Price (9 points) and Margeaux Bass
(4 points, 5 steals, 6 assists).

Freshman Alissa Unden scored a career-high 21 points, including a trio of 3's
to lead the Vaqueros (7-13, 0-1). Valli Burks added 11 points, and Jessica
Cable collected eight.

WEST HILLS 63, VALHALLA 42 -- LuAnn O'Neil wound up coaching the Norsemen
against her former team, but not by design. Seems Valhalla head coach Andy
Rucker and the officials didn't see eye-to-eye, resulting in two technical
fouls and a premature departure for Rucker in the second quarter.

Two other principal players were missing from the scene. Valhalla's Janene
Stutz missed her third game due to injury, while West Hills point guard Julie
Strick was sidelined by a hip injury.

The Pack (11-9) pranced to leads of 15-6 and 40-18, and never looked back.

"We played really well with the exception of the third quarter," said West
Hills coach Dave Burgess, referring to Valhalla's 15-8 scoring edge in the
third period. "We had a real letdown in intensity, especially on the
defensive end. In the first, second and fourth quarters, we played very well."

Reliable Nicole Widmer scored a game-high 19 points, including 7-of-8
shooting from the free throw line. Stacey Ostrander chipped in with 14
points, including one 3-pointer and 3-for-3 free throw shooting.

Michelle Capati made all four of her free throws, landed a 3-pointer and
totaled 9 markers for the game.

A new face emerged for West Hills -- guard Melissa Porter, who popped in 7
points, including one trey. "She doesn't always get a lot of minutes, but she
shot well in the first half and got a lot of rebounds." Burgess said.

Iliana Rucker notched 15 points to lead Valhalla (8-10), while Jennifer
Kolegraff collected 10. Briette Storrs added 8 points for the Norsemen, who
host Monte Vista in a Grossmont South League game Friday (Jan. 19) at 6 p.m.
West Hills entertains Santana in a Grossmont North League contest, also at 6
p.m.
(01-16-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Helix's Hawes more than OK with position switch

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE -- Helix coach Kathy Gunion has asked a lot of Shannan Hawes, a senior
transfer from Sallisaw, Okla.

"She was a forward, back in Oklahoma, and I've asked her to convert to a
guard," the Highlanders' mentor said of the 5-foot-7 Hawes. "She has guard
size and that's where she'll play if she goes on to the next level."

Hawes is also an honor student with a 4.6 GPA. Her scoring average for the
Highlanders is about five times that high.

"It would be very easy for the kids on our team to be jealous of Shannan,"
Gunion said. "But they aren't, because of her personality. She's a perfect
fit."

Hawes hammered in 27 points, including 19 over the final 10 minutes, as the
Highlanders stunned visiting Monte Vista 55-51 in Friday's (Jan. 12)
Grossmont South League opener that needed an overtime to be decided.

A Monte Vista turnover with eight seconds remaining in regulation gave the
Highlanders (11-3) the break they needed to force the extra session.

Trailing 43-41, the Highlanders gave the ball to Hawes, who went in for a
lay-up and missed. Fortunately for the Highlanders, Ferrari Funches arrived
to convert an offensive rebound into a game-tying put-back with one second
left.

"We were very fortunate," said Gunion. "We missed a lot of shots. Even Hawes
couldn't hit early in the game. It took her quite awhile to get into a
rhythm."

Hawes, who tallied 8 field goals and 11-of-13 free throws, had the hot hand
when the game was on the line, however, accounting for seven of Helix's 12
points in overtime. Ashley Walker connected on a 3-pointer (Helix's only one
in the game), and Bryeanna Barmer scored her only points of the night by
tacking on a pair of free throws during OT.

Lisa Roper had 15 points to lead Monte Vista (14-4), which lost for only the
second time in its last 16 starts. Roper rang up two 3's, hit 5-of-7 free
throws, dished out 3 assists and notched 3 steals.

Phoebe Perkins rolled a double-double for the Monarchs with 10 points and 12
rebounds. Lisa Alexander added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, while Afton
Huggar tossed in 7 points and made 4 steals. Amy Reiland chipped in with 6
points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Rachel Johansen blocked 5 shots.

SANTANA 72, GROSSMONT 53 -- The upstart Foothillers (5-10) began the second
half with a 7-0 scoring run to take a 35-34 lead over perennial power Santana
in the Grossmont North League opener for both teams.

"When our girls fell behind, I think they got a little more excited about the
game," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "I thought we got a little more
animated defensively."

Santana embarked on a 21-4 scoring run of its own to regain control 55-39 by
the end of the third quarter. The Sultans (17-1) went on to lead by as many
as 25 points in the final period.

"There was no big change in strategy on my part," Vickery said. "I think the
girls just started playing harder."

Jackie Turpin provided Santana's spark with 20 points, 7 steals and 7
assists. Brooke Sutton logged a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds,
while Amanda Krismer cashed in 17 points and 9 rebounds.

Denise Bennett chipped in with 10 points, but Vickery was even more pleased
by her defensive presence.

"She came off the bench and got our pressure defense going," the coach said.
"And then Turpin got more aggressive about scoring herself, instead of
passing the ball every time down."

Grossmont's Ashley Bowker captured high-point honors in the game with 28,
including five 3's.

"She's a great player," Vickery said. "She got 15 points in the first half,
and then we were able to hold her to four in the third quarter. She came
right back to hit three 3's in the fourth quarter."

Santana's defense had more success against Erin Anderson, limiting her to 10
points. Anderson, however, engineered 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

Laura Felice also had 10 points and two 3's for the Foothillers, while Shauna
Soto grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

EL CAPITAN 60, GRANITE HILLS 54 (O.T.) -- Lyric Teigen's lay-up two minutes
into overtime gave the Vaqueros a 52-50 lead, then it was a parade of free
throws, as El Capitan converted 8-of-14 and Granite Hills 4-of-12.

The Vaqueros secured the overtime non-league victory thanks to two steals
apiece by Valli Burks and Nichole Overson.

It was a game that nearly slipped out of the El Capitan victory column. The
Vaqueros led all the way until the Eagles erased a four-point deficit in the
final minute of regulation. Granite Hills senior Elisabeth Reynolds grabbed a
pair of offensive rebounds, converting the second into a game-tying put-back.

Reynolds finished with a game-high 26 points, while Nicole Davis added 10, and Rochelle Arrington contributed 9.

The Vaqueros' balanced attack was led by Burks' 18 points, which included a
pair of 3's. The 5-foot-5 junior also had 6 steals. Teigen finished with 12
points and 3 rebounds, and Jessica Cable collected 11 points, 5 steals and 3 rebounds. Carissa Gonzales chipped in with 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.

MOUNT MIGUEL 59, VALHALLA 29 -- Senior Kim Martin of Mount Miguel is arguably the best player in the Grossmont South League. She did nothing to lose Valhalla's vote in Friday's league opener.

The 5-foot-11 Martin scored a season-high 35 points, including 12-for-14 free throw shooting, grabbed 8 rebounds, made 5 steals and blocked 3 shots.

The visiting Matadors (12-6) drained the suspense out of this one early on,
taking leads of 18-5 and 30-9.

"We picked up fullcourt the whole game," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "Our pressure hurt them. But it didn't help that they didn't have (team leader) Janene Stutz (sidelined with an injury)."

Christine Fitzgerald enjoyed another sterling performance with 10 points, 8 assists, 7 steals and 5 rebounds for Mount Miguel. Ijal Barnes grabbed 10 rebounds and netted 6 points, while Megan Hayward logged 6 steals.

Brigette Storrs led Valhalla with 9 points, while Jasmine Beauchamp added 6.

It was the seventh straight loss for the Norsemen (8-9).

WEST HILLS 51, EL CAJON VALLEY 45 -- Nicole Widmer scored 17 points, and Stacey Ostrander added 11 points and blocked 7 shots as the Wolf Pack (10-9) opened the Grossmont North with a victory over the visiting Braves (6-10).

The Pack blazed its way to a 27-16 halftime lead, but the Braves refused to fold.

"That Shannon Schiele is a good ball handler and penetrator," West Hills
coach Dave Burgess said of the Braves' 5-foot-3 senior who scored a game-high 24 points. "They got her the ball and cleared out of her way. She was able to break our press, and able to take people off the dribble."

West Hills, however, had more depth and prevailed in the end.

CHRISTIAN 53, MADISON 41 -- Miya Krystek canned 19 points, including
8-for-16 shooting, as the Patriots overpowered the visiting Warhawks in the Harbor League opener for both teams.

Cassandra Stone led the supporting cast with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Jenny Ray added 8 points, and Merrilee Parnell pulled down 10
rebounds to go along with 5 points.

"We had a much better second half," said coach Doug Johnson, whose Patriots
outscored the Warhawks 32-24 over the final two quarters.
(01-12-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monte Vista ropes Vaqueros in second half on El Cap grounds

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Leave it to the Monte Vista Monarchs to make things interesting. In their final pre-Grossmont South League tune-up, the Monarchs found themselves trailing 14-8 after one quarter at El Capitan, and tied at 22-22 at the half.

Something to ponder, that is not in the scorebook. It was a full moon, and the JV halftime score between these teams was 22-22 over at Monte Vista.
Coincidence or omen?

In both scenarios, Monte Vista rallied in the second half to pull out a victory - the varsity winning 47-41.

"We came away with a victory, but it was a hard fought battle," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss said.

It was the ninth straight win for the Monarchs (14-3), who have won 14 of their last 15 starts.

"The game was too close for comfort," admitted sophomore Stephanie Chabrowski, who contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds to the victory. "But in the second half our defense stepped up, and we hit those last-minute critical free throws."

Monte Vista converted 11-of-21 free throws, including five by Chabrowski and four by Lisa Roper, who led the Monarchs with 12 points. Roper also had 3 assists and a pair of 3-point buckets.

Amy Reiland and Afton Huggar had 4 assists apiece, while Phoebe Perkins popped in 9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and recorded 4 steals. Senior Lisa Alexander pulled down 8 rebounds and contributed 6 points.

Senior Carissa Gonzales had 11 points and 8 rebounds for El Capitan (6-12).

Her totals included 7-for-10 free throw shooting. Jessica Cable also had 11 points, while Valli Burks contributed 9 points and made 4 steals for the Vaqueros.

HELIX 58, WEST HILLS 46 - Senior Shannan Hawes fired in 32 points for Helix (10-3), but it was the Highlanders' defense that eventually sealed the victory over host West Hills (9-9).

The Highlanders sailed out to an 18-9 first-quarter lead, but the Wolf Pack fought back to tie the game at 39-all after three quarters.

"We started out strong and outscored them quickly," Helix coach Kathy Gunion said. "But their pressure hurt us a little bit in the middle quarters."

Stacey Ostrander scored 11 of her 15 points in the middle two quarters as the Wolf Pack claimed a 30-21 scoring edge.

"Their big girl inside (5-foot-10 Ostrander) was very effective in the second and third quarters, but our defense picked up and we held her to two points in the fourth," Gunion noted.

The Highlanders had a host of co-stars. Ferrari Funches and Bryeanna Barmer scored 8 points apiece.

"Yasmin Eaddy, who has been fighting the flu, scored 5 points and was our leader on the floor. She made some nice passes," Gunion said.

Nicole Widmer led West Hills with 21 points, including 11-of-14 from the free throw line.

"If you leave Widmer an ounce of room, she's going to make the shot," Gunion said. "In the third quarter we played zone and left her open a little too much. We had to go back to man."

The flat finish by the Wolf Pack is what concerned West Hills coach Dave Burgess.

"I thought we had an excellent chance to beat them," Burgess said. "But we didn't play very smart, especially down the stretch. We didn't play with enough intensity and toughness."

MOUNT MIGUEL 58, GROSSMONT 55 - The Matadors needed some clutch shooting in the final two minutes to dodge the Foothillers' upset bid.

Grossmont enjoyed its only lead in the game 53-52 with 1:40 remaining. The Matadors (11-6), who have won 11 of their last 13, regained the upper hand as Kim Martin hit a jumper in the lane, giving Mount Miguel a 54-53 edge.

Megan Hayward hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left, inflating the Matadors cushion to 57-53. After Grossmont (5-9) countered with a bucket, Christine Fitzgerald sank a free throw with 10 seconds remaining to secure the victory for Mount Miguel.

Martin paced Mount Miguel with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. She also made 6-of-8 free throws. Fitzgerald turned in a solid performance with 16 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. Sara McGovern produced 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Hayward finished with 7 points.

Erin Anderson dropped in a game-high 24 points for the Foothillers. Ashley Bowker, who was 12-for-15 from the free throw line, added 22 points.

SANTANA 74, VALHALLA 18 - The Sultans (16-1) extended their East County-best winning streak to 11 games, as they steamrollered the visiting Norsemen (8-8).

"We played the game with two shifts," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "Everybody got a lot of playing time."

Brooke Sutton led the scoring parade with 14 points, while Amanda Krismer added 12 points and 8 rebounds for Santana. Denise Bennett chipped in with 10 points, and Jackie Turpin notched 8 assists and 5 steals to go with 6 points.

Santana led 19-2 after one quarter and never looked back.

Valhalla played the game without scoring ace Janene Stutz, who was injured in an automobile accident Monday night (Jan. 8). Stutz is expected to miss Friday's Grossmont South League home opener against Mount Miguel, but should be back in time for Tuesday's (Jan. 16) game at West Hills.

Sophomore Megan Alexander led Valhalla with 6 points against Santana.

EL CAJON VALLEY 44, GRANITE HILLS 40 - Shannon Schiele poured in 22 points, and Naomi Lathan added 11 as the Braves (6-9) upset the visiting Eagles (10-7).

Nicole Davis and Elisabeth Reynolds had 15 and 11 points, respectively, for Granite Hills.
(01-09-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Helix hems, then Hawes leads charge

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Helix Highlanders (9-3) played perfect defense in the third quarter as they turned a one-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead Thursday (Jan. 4) at Coronado.

The Highlanders' 12-0 scoring edge in the third period was the key to a 45-32 nonleague victory over the Islanders.

Shannan Hawes canned eight field goals and four free throws on her way to game-high 20 points for Helix. Yasmin Eaddy added 11 points, including one
3-pointer, and Ashley Walker, known for her defensive prowess, contributed 10 points on the offensive end.

Nobody on Coronado scored more than eight points.

Helix coach Kathy Gunion was pleased with the effort, especially considering the Highlanders were without playmaker Ferrari Funches and senior center Lindsey Allen. Funches is nursing an ankle injury, while Allen has been ill.
Gunion hopes that both will be ready for Tuesday's (Jan. 9) Grossmont Conference game at West Hills at 5:30 p.m.

CLAIREMONT 37, GROSSMONT 34 - The Foothillers (5-8) got 13 points from Erin Anderson, but it was not enough, as they succumbed to the visiting Chieftains.
(01-04-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Pats drop nonleague contest to Calvin

ECS.com staff report

EL CAJON -- The short-handed Christian High Patriots dropped a 41-30
nonleague contest to visiting Calvin Christian Friday night (Jan. 5) at the
Ryan Athletic Center.

It was an ironic turn of events, considering Christian clobbered Calvin 52-31
three weeks ago on the Crusaders' court in Escondido.

In each game, one quarter proved pivotal. In Friday's rematch Calvin broke a
24-24 tie with a 17-6 fourth quarter. In the previous meeting, the Patriots
poured on the steam in the third period 22-9.

Miya Krystek led the Patriots (7-6) with 12 points, and Maggie McGill added
7. Christian played without point guard and leading scorer Jenny Ray, who was
out of town. Two other Patriots were ill.
(01-05-01)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs capture Aztec Invitational

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Monte Vista Monarchs aren't receiving the most publicity in East County girls' basketball, but they may be the most deserving.

Phoebe Perkins led a balanced attack with 16 points and 11 rebounds, as the Monarchs defeated Hoover 52-42 Saturday night (Dec. 30) to capture the Lady Aztec Holiday Invitational championship at Montgomery High.

"We set a goal at the beginning of this tournament to win the championship, and we were able to do it through a team effort," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss said. "It was about setting screens. Amy (Reiland), Rachel (Johansen) and Jessica (Calixto) don't get much ink, but they're not afraid to get the rebound and hustle for the loose ball."

Perkins was selected the Tournament MVP. "It was a good match from the start, but we knew what we had to do, and we took it to them," she said.

Calixto, the team captain, added, "Our team goal was to set the tempo for the game, and that helped us keep our intensity and focus to win."

Lisa Roper scored 13 points and handed out three assists, while Afton Huggar canned 11 points, including 9-for-10 free throw shooting. Huggar, who also garnered an All-Tournament Team berth, had a team-high five assists.
Stephanie Chabrowski blocked two shots and scored six points. Johansen also blocked two shots.

Defense has been one of the keys to success for Monte Vista, which has won eight straight and 13 of its last 14.

SANTANA 41, MOUNT MIGUEL 36 - The Santana Sultans don't participate in many photo finishes during the course of the season. You might say coach Wade Vickery's crew is used to winning in comfort.

The Mount Miguel Matadors had their own ideas when they challenged their host for the Santana Christmas Classic championship Saturday night (Dec. 30).

The Sultans defeated Mount Miguel by 41 points less than two weeks ago, but weren't expecting to waltz by their Spring Valley counterparts as easily the second time around.

"We hammered them a couple of weeks ago, but I knew this was going to be a much tougher game," Vickery said. "Both teams played real tough, man-to-man defense. It may have looked ugly to spectators, but coaches would appreciate the kind of defense that was going on out there. There were not a lot of dull moments in my opinion."

Nevertheless, Santana went to the free throw line 38 times, converting 18.
However, the Sultans (15-1) were a paltry 4-for-16 from the line in the
fourth quarter. That helped the Matadors make a run for the title in the waning minutes.

Mount Miguel (10-6), which has won 10 of its last 12 games, was 7-for-17 from the charity stripe.

The Sultans, however, did not enjoy a profitable shooting night from anywhere on the court, as they connected on only 34 percent of 32 field goal tries.

"Part of our inadequacies shooting the ball was due to Mount Miguel's defense," Vickery said. "It was an intense game all the way."

Amanda Krismer led Santana with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Brooke Sutton added eight points and 11 rebounds.

Talented senior Kim Martin was a force for Mount Miguel, pouring in 16 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and recording five steals. Christine Fitzgerald had 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Ijal Barnes held her own on the boards for the Matadors, collecting 11 caroms off the glass.

"We had a lot of opportunities. We just couldn't convert them," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said.

EL CAPITAN 57, LINCOLN 28 - For the second game in as many days, El Capitan played as well offensively as it did defensively. Led by Jessica Cable's 13 points, the Vaqueros breezed past Lincoln in the Santana Christmas Classic consolation fifth-place game.

The Vaqueros (6-11) have outscored their last two opponents 127-46.

Against Lincoln, it was a game dominated by free throw shooting in the first half. But the Vaqueros picked up their defensive intensity in the second half, and that led to several transition baskets.

El Capitan, which trailed 19-17 at intermission, rolled over the Hornets 17-4 in the third quarter, and 23-5 in the final period.

HELIX 50, SOUTHWEST 32 - The Highlanders (8-3) returned to the winners' circle by limiting the Raiders to single-scoring digits in three of four quarters of the Santana Christmas Classic consolation game.

Shannan Hawes set the offensive tone for Helix with a game-high 20 points.

Desiree Marheine, who had missed earlier tournament action with a turf toe injury, contributed 10 points to lead Helix's supporting cast.

SCRIPPS RANCH 54, GROSSMONT 45 - Ashley Bowker returned from an ankle sprain to score 23 points, and Erin Anderson added 17, but the Foothillers could not overcome the Falcons in a Barons-Optimist Holiday Classic consolation game.

Scripps Ranch was 11-for-15 from the free throw line in the final quarter, to cap a 35-24 scoring advantage in the second half.

"We were 16-for-31 from the free throw line, which isn't very good," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle admitted. "But we shot only 20 percent from the field, and that combination killed us."

Taryin Casillas led Grossmont (5-7) with nine rebounds.

BURBANK 69, CHRISTIAN 37 - Miya Krystek cranked in 22 points, including 4-4 shooting from the free throw line, but the Patriots proved to be no match for
Burbank in a consolation Santana Christmas Classic game.

"Miya kept fighting all the way to the end, but they just ran over us," Christian coach Doug Johnson said.

GOLDEN WEST (Visalia) 62, GRANITE HILLS 54 - The Eagles (10-6) suffered a
surprising loss to the visitors from Visalia in the third-place game of the Granite Hills Sportland Holiday Festival.

Rebecca Gillogly had 19 points, and Elisabeth Reynolds added 15 for Granite Hills.

EL CAJON VALLEY 54, BONITA VISTA-B 41 / BERGAMO (Italy) 60, EL CAJON VALLEY 37 - The Braves snapped a lengthy losing
streak as Melodi Williams scored 12 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the Barons Optimist Holiday Classic victory over the Bonita Vista B-team. Naomi Lathan added four 3-pointers on her way to a 14-point day. Shannon Schiele set the pace with 16 points.

The Italians from Bergamo had too much depth for the Braves (5-9), who suffered a lop-sided loss despite 16 points from Schiele and 11 from Williams.
(12-30-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sultans in Horsman title game

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Coach Wade Vickery's Sultans figured to have a sizable advantage in Friday (Dec. 29) night's semifinals of the Santana/Horsman Automotive Christmas Classic against Vista.

The Panthers were without team leader Hillary Jaeger, who sprained her ankle the night before. Her absence made Santana a decisive favorite, and the Sultans proved that thinking was legit as they cruised to a 67-48 victory over Vista.

"Jaeger is probably the best player in town," Vickery said. "It undoubtedly
affected Vista not having her, but I thought we played without much emotion, especially in the first half."

The Sultans (14-1) led 32-22 after one half.

"We played much harder in the second half," Vickery admitted. "But I really didn't think we played a complete game, even though we led by 30 at one point in the second half. I think our kids figured we'd win easy, with Jaeger out of there. I hope they remember that we trailed most of the first quarter."

Amanda Krismer scored a game-high 24 points for Santana, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the field and 12-of-14 free throws. Jackie Turpin turned in another strong all-around performance with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Brooke Sutton chipped in with 11 points, and Daneisha Price pulled down a team-best nine rebounds.

Santana will host Grossmont Conference rival Mount Miguel for the tournament championship at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night (Dec. 30).

MOUNT MIGUEL 54, POWAY 45 - The Matadors (10-5), who have won 10 of their
last 11 games, have a chance to convince the East County fans that there is more than one elite girls' basketball team in the area.

Mount Miguel, however, nearly missed its showdown with Santana, as it trailed perennial power Poway by 12 points in the third quarter of the semifinals of the Santana Christmas Classic.

"In the first half Poway was hitting shots over our 2-3 zone," Matadors coach Robbie Sandoval said. "So in the second half we started picking them up full court, and that changed the tempo and complexion of the game."

The Matadors' edge in overall team speed became more obvious as the game wore on. In fact, Poway began to foul and the Matadors capitalized from the free throw line. Mount Miguel connected on nine free throws over the last four minutes.

The key to the Matadors' comeback was Christine Fitzgerald. The sophomore
point guard, who hit 7-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter, gave Mount
Miguel a 46-44 lead it wouldn't lose when she hit a baseline runner with 2:30
remaining.

Fitzgerald scored 10 of her 14 points in the final quarter while logging five
steals. Kim Martin finished with 15 points and five steals, while Ijal Barnes
snagged a game-high 13 rebounds, and scored six of her eight points via the
offensive boards in the fourth quarter.

MONTE VISTA 47, BRAWLEY 36 - The Monarchs (12-3) dribbled into Saturday
night's (Dec. 30) finals of the Aztec Holiday Invitational by barging past
Brawley.

"This was a hard-fought victory," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss admitted.
"It's hard to prepare when you don't know anything about a team."

The Monarchs should be a little more familiar with Hoover when they play the
Cardinals for the tournament title, but that doesn't mean victory will come
any easier.

Stephanie Chabrowski hit 6-of-11 shots on her way to a 13-point effort in the
win over Brawley. Afton Huggar also contributed 13 points, and had four
steals - one more than Chabrowski. Phoebe Perkins collected seven rebounds,
four steals and nine points, while Lisa Roper handed out four assists, made
four steals, and rolled in seven points.

USDHS 80, WEST HILLS 73 (OT) - In a game that was certainly played at a
championship tempo, coach Demetrius Laffitte (former Monte Vista/Grossmont
College standout) led his USDHS Dons to the San Pasqual Lady Eagles Winter
Classic tournament title.

Julie Castro scored 28 points, and Mikaela Weber tossed in 22 to drive the
Dons to the winner's circle.

Four West Hills players reached double scoring digits. Nicole Widmer and
Stacey Ostrander notched 21 points apiece, while Katy Kelly scored 15 and
Michelle Capati collected 11.

The Pack led 44-33 at halftime before the Dons moved back on top 53-50 at the
close of the third period. West Hills (9-8) fought back to force overtime,
but the Dons dominated the extra session 16-9.

GRANITE HILLS 52, CALEXICO 35 - The Eagles (10-5) turned up the defensive
pressure as they blew past the Bulldogs for an easy Granite Hills Sportland
Holiday Festival victory.

Granite Hills limited Calexico to nine points in the opening 16 minutes, and
held an 18-point lead at intermission.

"We let everybody play in the second half," said Granite Hills coach Jay
Rowlett. "We're having a great time."

Rebecca Gillogly had 12 points and five assists to guide Granite Hills.
Nicole Davis chipped in with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while
Elisabeth Reynolds and Joelle Bunnell contributed eight points apiece.
Bunnell included a pair of 3-point buckets in her totals.

GOVERNOR SIMCOE 66, GROSSMONT 42 - The Foothillers fell behind 16-0 and shot
only 35 percent as they lost to the Canadian powerhouse in a Baron-Optimist
Holiday Classic game.

"It took us a long time to get anything going, and we never really warmed
up," Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle said. "And they must have shot 70 percent
from the field. At least it seemed like they couldn't miss."

Erin Anderson led Grossmont (5-6) with 14 points and five assists. Lauren
Gase added eight points, while Ashley Bowker, still hobbling from an ankle
sprain, contributed six despite limited playing time.

RANCHO BERNARDO 67, HELIX 41 - Hampered by injuries and illness, the
Highlanders (7-3) struggled against the Broncos in the Santana Christmas
Classic contest.

Rancho Bernardo took control by outscoring the Highlanders 19-2 in the second
quarter to lead 37-16 at the half.

Shannan Hawes and Yasmin Eaddy led Helix with 19 and 13 points respectively.

"Shannan is getting over a cold," Helix coach Kathy Gunion said. But what
hurt Helix's leading scorer more was the loss of point guard Ferrari Funches,
who twisted an ankle early in Thursday's (Dec. 29) 43-34 loss to Poway.
Funches expected to be out a week.

ARGYLE 84, CHRISTIAN 28 - The Canadians from Argyle socked it to the
Patriots (7-4), taking a 67-22 lead after three quarters in the Santana
Christmas Classic rout. It was simply a case of too much size.

"They had four girls 6-feet tall, and that caused major match-up problems for
us," Christian coach Doug Johnson said.

Jenny Ray had 10 points, including two 3-pointers to pace the Patriots.

EL CAPITAN 70, NOTRE DAME 18 - Valli Burks scored 27 points, and Jessica
Cable added 12 as the Vaqueros (5-11) crushed their Canadian opponents in a
Santana Christmas Classic contest.
(12-29-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs clamp down on Lancers

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - When it comes to girls basketball, most would agree that East County
has long been owned by coach Wade Vickery and his Santana Sultans.

While few would argue that this is a tradition unlikely to change in the
immediate future, the Monte Vista Monarchs have championship aspirations of
their own.

Coach Carlos Moss' Monarchs can play defense with the best of them, as they
proved to the Hilltop Lancers Thursday (Dec. 28) in a 48-39 victory in the Aztec Holiday Invitational.

The Monarchs (11-3) put up a SD-CIF record 41 3-point shots, connecting on 10. Afton Huggar clicked on 6-of-21 3-pointers, while Lisa Roper clicked on 4-of-18 from 3-point range.

Defensively, however, the Monarchs limited Hilltop to two points in the
opening quarter, as they took a nine point lead. Monte Vista totaled 19
steals, while turning the ball over only five times.

Huggar totaled a game-high 25 points, including 5-for-7 free throw shooting.
She also had six steals, one less than team-leader Phoebe Perkins. Perkins
and Stephanie Chabrowski pulled down eight rebounds apiece, while Roper
dished out five assists.

WEST HILLS 64, SAN PASQUAL 59 /
WEST HILLS 52, DURANGO (Las Vegas) 46 - For the second time in as many days,
coach Dave Burgess' Wolf Pack played a double-header in the San Pasqual Lady
Eagles Winter Classic.

And the Pack, with a tournament roster of only nine players, has collected
three victories against one defeat.

The Wolf Pack (9-7) will face USDHS for the tournament championship Friday
(Dec. 29) at San Pasqual at 5 p.m.

West Hills jumped out to a 21-7 first quarter lead against the Golden Eagles,
and led 41-22 at the half.

Nicole Widmer and Katy Kelly directed the Pack's victory over host San
Pasqual with 16 and 13 points respectively.

"We really played well," Burgess said. "The game wasn't as close as the final
score indicated."

Against Durango, Stacey Ostrander led the way with 16 points,and Widmer
chipped in with 12. Kelly and Tocara Steele scored 16 second-half points
between them.

"Steele sparked us in the second half with her defensive hustle," Burgess
said. "She's a vocal leader on the court, a team role model."

MOUNT MIGUEL 62, RANCHO BERNARDO 45 - The tradition-rich Broncos of Rancho
Bernardo bucked their way into an 18-15 first quarter lead, but the Matadors
were not intimidated.

Mount Miguel (9-5) outscored Rancho Bernardo 33-16 in the middle two quarters
to leave the Broncos gasping for air in the Santana Christmas Classic.

"They tried to press us in the third quarter, but we handled the ball really
well against their pressure," Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval said. "We
kept them off the offensive glass, won the battle of the boards."

Sara McGovern crashed the boards for a team-high 10 rebounds to lead the
Matadors. Ijal Barnes corralled eight caroms.

Senior Kim Martin scored a season-high 29 points and snared seven rebounds to
pace the Matadors. Point guard Christine Fitzgerald came close to a triple
double, as she rolled 14 points, made nine steals and dished out seven
assists.

"One of our goals is to finish in the Top 3 as a team in any tournament that
we enter," said Sandoval, whose team won the Granite Hills/Valhalla
Invitational.

The Matadors play Poway in the semifinals at 6 p.m. If successful, they will
play the Vista-Santana winner for the championship on Saturday.

SANTANA 62, SOUTHWEST 32 - Scoring is not Jackie Turpin's No. 1 strength,
but the Santana junior guard knows how to bring out the best in her teammates.

Turpin grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out five assists, as the Sultans
steamrollered Southwest in the Santana Christmas Classic. Turpin totaled only
four points, but she created plenty of beneficiaries with her all-around
play.

Amanda Krismer and Daneisha Price shared high-point honors for Santana, with
14 points apiece. Brooke Sutton chimed in with nine points.

The Sultans (13-1) sprinted to a 23-10 first quarter lead, and never looked
back.

GROSSMONT 48, POINT LOMA 28 - Once again coach Walley Yeakle's Foothillers
proved they are not a one-player team. After the multi-talented Ashley Bowker
- who has scored 133 points this season - suffered an ankle sprain in
Wednesday's (Dec. 27) game against Mira Mesa, the Hillers displayed their
depth against Point Loma.

Not surprisingly Erin Anderson scored 22 points in Bowker's absence. But the
key to Grossmont's latest success was Taryin Casillas. The freshman guard
scored a dozen points, all but one coming in the second half, and collected
seven rebounds for the Foothillers (5-5).

Lyndsay Felice flagged down seven rebounds, while her sister Laura Felice
scored six points in the Baron-Optimist Holiday Classic at Bonita Vista.

MADERA 73, GRANITE HILLS 60 - Elisabeth Reynolds scored 18 points, but
didn't have her usual big night on the boards as the Eagles (9-5) lost to the
Bulldogs from Central California in the Granite Hills Sportland Holiday
Festival.

Nicole Davis wrestled nine rebounds off the boards, while generating 11
points for the Eagles, who also got 10 points and two 3-pointers from Rebecca
Gillogly.

Granite Hills led 37-29 at the half, but was mowed down by Madera 44-23 in
the final two periods.

"We had enough scoring, and in the first half we played the best I've ever
seen us play." Eagles coach Jay Rowlett said. "In the second half we just
couldn't stop them. We were up 16 points in the third quarter and they went
on a run. We just couldn't handle their pressure.

"Hopefully, it's a learning experience."

EASTLAKE 56, EL CAPITAN 51 - Jessica Cable cast in 23 points for the
Vaqueros (4-11), but it wasn't enough to turn the tide against the Titans of
Eastlake. After battling to a 12-12 first quarter draw, Eastlake outscored El
Capitan 32-21 in the middle two quarters to secure the Santana Christmas
Classic victory.

Valli Burks added 11 points for the Vaqueros, while Lyric Teigen chipped in
10.

POWAY 43, HELIX 35 - After watching Shannan Hawes score 33 points the day
before, the Highlanders could garner only 34 points as a team as they dropped
a Santana Christmas Classic decision to Poway.

Hawes was held to eight points by the Titans. Ashley Walker led Helix (7-2)
with nine points, and Yasmin Eaddy added eight.

CHRISTIAN 49, CASTLE PARK 48 - Maggie McGill scored a team-high 19 points,
as the Patriots (7-3) overcame a 10-4 first quarter deficit to register the
victory in the Santana Christmas Classic game. Miya Krystek added 15 points
for Christian.

MONTE VISTA-DANVILLE 51, EL CAJON VALLEY 16 - The Braves (4-8) scored 10
points in the second quarter, but were blanked in the final period of the
Baron-Optimist Holiday Classic game at Bonita Vista.

Only four El Cajon Valley players scored, with Naomi Lathan and Tonya
Farrugello leading with five points apiece.
(12-28-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sultans sock it to Argyle

ECS.com staff

SANTEE - When it comes to girls' basketball in East County, Santana High is the measuring stick.

Whether it's international, national or local competition, coach Wade
Vickery's Sultans always find a way to win.

Although sophomore starter Jaime Ransom was on the sidelines with an illness, the Sultans (12-1) high-stepped their way to a 65-48 victory over British
Columbia's Argyle High in Wednesday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the Santana Christmas Classic.

"Argyle is the 7th ranked team in British Columbia," Vickery said. "We fell behind 8-2 right away. They have girls who are 6-foot-3 and 6-1. They tried to trap us at halfcourt, but we were able to beat their press, and that was the major difference in the game."

The Canadians' strategy failed due to the quickness of Santana junior point
guard Jackie Turpin. The 5-6 Turpin repeatedly beat Argyle's pressure,
finishing with nine assists, six points and four steals.

Turpin's wheeling and dealing helped Santana produce a trio of double-digit
scorers led by Daneisha Price (17 points, seven rebounds), Brooke Sutton (15 points), and Amanda Krismer (14 points).

The key to Santana's turnaround was a 23-11 second-quarter scoring edge, led by Turpin's pinpoint passes and Krismer's seven points.

MONTE VISTA 57, HOLTVILLE 18 - The Monarchs (10-3) proved that defense is
the key to victory, as they held Holtville to single digits in every quarterof Wednesday's (Dec. 27) Aztec Holiday Festival at Montgomery High.

Monte Vista marched out to an 11-2 first-quarter lead, stormed to a 33-10
halftime edge, and enjoyed a comfortable 45-11 third-quarter cushion.

Lisa Roper connected on 7-of-13 shots for a team-high 18 points. She also found time for four steals, two assists and four rebounds.

Afton Huggar hammered in 13 points, while Stephanie Chabrowski contributed nine points and eight rebounds. Amy Reiland rustled up a team-high nine rebounds, while Phoebe Perkins produced nine points, six steals and seven rebounds.

Nobody on Holtville scored more than five points.

MOUNT MIGUEL 52, BURBANK 34 - Despite scoring only 13 points in the middle quarters, the Matadors (8-5) used manic pressure to rattle Burbank in a
first-round Santana Christmas Classic contest.

Kim Martin survived early foul problems to produce 19 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. The All-Grossmont League performer also hauled down 13 rebounds and made three steals.

Sara McGovern added 11 points, while Christine Fitzgerald contributed eight points, six rebounds and five steals for the Matadors.

"We picked up the tempo by pressuring them in the first quarter," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval after his Matadors took a 19-4 first-quarter lead. "We struggled offensively, had trouble getting the ball inside in the
middle two quarters because of foul problems. But we came back strong in the fourth quarter (outscoring Burbank 20-15)."

WEST HILLS 61, VALLEY CENTER 47 - The Wolf Pack (7-7) played the first of
back-to-back double headers in Wednesday's (Dec. 27) opening rounds of the San Pasqual Lady Eagles Winter Classic.

West Hills had only eight players in uniform for the twin bill due to
injuries and players who were out of town.

The Pack sacked Valley Center in the first game before falling to USDHS 69-61 in the second game of the opening day.

West Hills gradually pulled away from Valley Center, using a 10-2
second-quarter spread as a springboard to take a commanding 30-18 halftime advantage.

Nicole Widmer finished with a team-leading 21 points, bolstered by 9-for-11 free throw shooting. Stacey Ostrander contributed 12 points to the victory.
Ostrander missed much of the second half of the game after hyperextending her shoulder.

"All of our post players were either hurt, fouled out, or out of town, so we
played our entire bench - all five guards - the whole fourth quarter," said West Hills coach Dave Burgess.

Against USDHS, West Hills' lack of depth was more evident. After taking a 14-6 first-quarter lead, the Pack began to fade and trailed 22-21 at
intermission. Despite scoring 40 points in the second half, the Pack was unable to silence the Dons' offense.

Widmer once again led West Hills with 25 points, including 9-for-10 free
throw shooting accuracy in the final period. Katy Kelly canned a season-high four 3-pointers in the second half.

"While we were scoring, we were not playing defense," Burgess said. "We had too many defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter. We couldn't narrow the gap, couldn't stop them."

GRANITE HILLS 62, KELOWNA (B.C.) 53 - The Eagles overpowered their Canadian
guests from the inside as they won the opening round game of the Granite
Hills Sportland Holiday Festival.

Elisabeth Reynolds, a 6-foot senior center, rammed in 27 points and collected eight rebounds as the Eagles overcame a 25-24 halftime deficit to secure their ninth victory in 13 starts.

Five-foot-11 senior Nicole Davis was concrete solid support for Reynolds with 17 points and a dozen rebounds.

"Our big girls hurt them inside, but I think it was our pressure defense in
the second half that turned the game in our favor," said Granite Hills coach
Jay Rowlett. "We didn't give them as many easy looks as we did in the first
half."

HELIX 64, EASTLAKE 57 - Senior transfer Shannan Hawes scored a season-high 33 points on 12 baskets, and 9-for-13 free throw shooting to lead the
Highlanders (7-1) to the come-from-behind Santana Christmas Classic victory.

Helix trailed 16-13 in the first quarter, and 38-30 at halftime before tying
the game at 46-all after three quarters.

Yasmin Eaddy and Ferrari Funches led Helix's supporting cast with 10 points apiece. Ashley Walker handled the long-range shooting by canning the
Highlanders' only two 3-pointers of the game.

POWAY 53, EL CAPITAN 41 - In a game that featured 71 turnovers, the Vaqueros (4-10) fell short in the opening round game of the Santana Christmas Classic.

Valli Burks popped in 20 points, and Carrissa Gonzales added 13 for El Capitan.

The Vaqueros trailed 15-12 the first quarter and played catch-up the rest of the way.

MIRA MESA 81, GROSSMONT 76 - Ashley Bowker rolled in 24 points, and Erin Anderson added 17, but it wasn't enough to give the Foothillers (4-5) a first-round nod in the Baron-Optimist Holiday Classic at Bonita Vista.

Bowker buried a trio of 3-pointers, while Anderson netted one trey.

CHINO 57, CHRISTIAN 39 - Jenny Ray led the Pats (6-3) with 17 points, while Miya Krystek added 10.

CHULA VISTA 41, EL CAJON VALLEY 39 - After being held to just six points in the first half, the Braves (4-7) outscored their opposition by 10 in the fourth to force overtime.
(12-27-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hillers go to Eagles'
nest for upset

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - When most coaches and players in East County think of the Grossmont High girls' basketball program, the first name that comes to mind is that of senior Ashley Bowker.
Bowker, indeed, played a prominent role in the Foothillers 63-56 upset of
host Granite Hills Friday night (Dec. 22), but the veteran Bowker, who scored only seven points, was instead recognized for her defensive prowess against the Eagles 6-foot senior Elisabeth Reynolds and 5-11 Nicole Davis, as was senior forward Shauna Soto.

"Bowker and Soto did an outstanding defensive job on Granite Hills' big
girls," said Grossmont coach Walley Yeakle, noting that Reynolds and Davis were limited to 10 points apiece.

But the ultimate star of the show was Grossmont senior Erin Anderson, who scored a career-high 37 points. Her totals included 15-for-17 shooting from the free throw line, eight assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block.

"Erin was just outstanding," Yeakle said. "It was a nice touch, considering
that the (weekly) team time gathering had already been planned for Erin's
house after the game."

The Grossmont girls (3-5) planned to meet for a team holiday breakfast
Saturday morning (Dec. 23) at Perry's Café in El Cajon.

Brooke Smith led a balanced Granite Hills (8-4) attack with 12 points, while Joelle Bunnell added nine points, and Rebecca Gillogly chipped in eight.

MONTE VISTA 67, EL CAJON VALLEY 31 - When the order goes in for the Grossmont South League patches, there's a pretty good chance that the name embroidered on those coveted cloths will be "Monte Vista."

The Monarchs Afton Huggar put the squeeze on the visiting Braves, when she hammered in 25 points, including 7-for-12 shooting from 3-point range.
Senior forward Phoebe Perkins coined a double-double for Monte Vista, popping in 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting and reeling in a game-high 11 rebounds.
Perkins also pilfered five passes, while Rachel Johansen blocked six shots.

Junior Lisa Roper scored 14 points and handed out five assists for Monte
Vista (9-3), which has won nine of its last 10 games.

"This is the first time that we've played a sound, fundamental game," said Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss. "We prepared well, and everyone executed."

Monte Vista's defense silenced the Braves' Shannon Schiele, holding the
senior guard to a season-low nine points. Tonya Farrugello hit a quartet of 3's to lead the Braves (4-6) with a dozen points.

MOUNT MIGUEL 63, WEST HILLS 60 (2 OT) - Five-foot-5 sophomore guard Christine Fitzgerald gave a career performance for host Mount Miguel, capping the evening with a game-winning 3-point bucket with 0:04 left in the second overtime.

Fitzgerald fired in 21 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished off six assists
and recorded five steals for the Matadors (7-5). Senior Kim Martin led a strong supporting cast with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while 5-11 senior Sara McGovern chipped in 15 points and blocked five shots.

Nicole Widmer, a 5-8 senior guard, popped in a game-high 25 points for West Hills (5-6), while Stacey Ostrander rolled in 17 points.

The Wolf Pack had an opportunity to win in the first overtime when they
converted 2-of-3 free throws with 0:01 left, sending the game into the second overtime.

SANTANA 83, HELIX 44 - The so-called "showdown" between Grossmont North favorite Santana and Grossmont South-leading Helix never materialized Friday (Dec. 22) in Santee.

"I had heard that Helix pounded the offensive boards pretty hard, but we
boxed out very well," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "We were pretty
aggressive. We had good 'loose-ball reaction,' as I call it."

Santana (11-1) scooted out to a 6-0 lead, and steadily pulled away. Five
Sultans finished in double scoring figures, led by Amanda Krismer's 14.
Brooke Sutton added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaime Ransom produced 13 points, including three treys.

Jackie Turpin narrowly missed a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Denise Bennett tossed in 10 points, while Daneisha Price generated eight points and 10 rebounds.

Shannan Hawes led Helix (6-1) with 16 points - five points below her season average.

"Turpin is a smart defender and she did a nice job on Hawes," Vickery said. "Jackie is real tough, but we were able to give her some good help too."

Krismer, Price and Ransom all had four points, while Turpin and Sutton added three apiece, as Santana built a 22-8 advantage after one period.

"In retrospect, the loss to San Diego may have been the best thing for us," Vickery said. "It gave us a loss, so we're under no pressure to go undefeated. I think it woke us up in a way. The girls are much more focused and realize that nothing is guaranteed.

The Sultans increased the lead to 39-21 at intermission, as Ransom and Margeaux Bass collected seven points apiece in the period.

"We're a total team," said Bennett, a junior. "We don't have any
ball-hoggers at all. We just try and let as many people score as they want
to."

Hawes, a junior guard, had eight
before intermission.

"I thought we played very good position defense," Vickery said.

Krismer scored eight points in the third to help the Sultans take a 62-35 lead into the fourth. Ransom and Courtney Ash each buried
three-pointers during the quarter.

"We just pressured them a lot," said Bennett, who grabbed four rebounds and made six steals. "We picked up half court and got all over the ball, and tried to guard (Hawes) tightly,
because she's their main scorer. We just tried to take her out of the game
and pressure everybody else."

Lindsey Allen added four points for Helix.

"We just didn't play very well and they did," said Gunion. "(Santana is) just very fundamentally-sound."

EL CAPITAN 53, VALHALLA 47 - Jessica Cable scored 13 points, Valli Burks contributed a dozen by hitting four 3-pointers, and freshman Alissa Unden added 12 points, including a trio of treys as the visiting Vaqueros upset
Valhalla.

The Vaqueros (4-9) led 10-8 after one quarter and 23-17 at halftime. The
Norsemen (8-4) scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, but lost their
defensive edge as El Cap produced 21 markers in the final eight minutes.

Janene Stutz and Iliana Rucker paced Valhalla with 19 and 11 points
respectively.
(12-22-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Krismer's 'D' makes rout Sultans' kismet

ECS.com staff report

SPRING VALLEY - In a game that arguably pitted the best two teams in East County, the visiting Santana Sultans (10-1) trounced the Mount Miguel Matadors 80-39 Wednesday (Dec. 20).

"I went into this game thinking it would be a toss-up," Santana coach Wade Vickery said, noting that the Matadors (6-5) had won six in a row, including a resounding 60-35 rout of San Diego in the finals of the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational.

Vickery's concern was justified, considering the Sultans' only loss of the year was an 82-79 defeat at the hands of the Cavers during the Granite Hills Classic. "I was pretty darn sure that this game with Mount Miguel was going to be close," he said.

It was, for awhile. Santana led 14-8 after one quarter, and used an 8-0 run
in the final minutes of the second period to lead the Matadors 33-21 at
halftime.

Santana broke the game open in the third period with a 25-10 scoring bulge.
The Matadors contributed to Santana's scoring spree when Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval was whistled for a double technical, and ejected for
disputing calls of the two female referees.

"I don't want to say that the referees cost us the game, because they
didn't," said Sandoval. "We were struggling already, but when they called a ticky-tack fourth foul on my sophomore point guard Christine Fitzgerald, with six minutes left in the third quarter, I just lost it."

Leading 39-25 at the time of Sandoval's premature departure, Santana went on a 14-0 scoring run to take an insurmountable lead.

"I don't think the game was particularly well officiated," Vickery said. "But I thought we played really good defense against (Mount Miguel All-Leaguer Kim) Martin."

Martin managed 15 points, despite in-her-face defense by Santana's Amanda Krismer.

"I think Martin has the most ability of any player in East County," Vickery
said. "We didn't want to let her get in any one-on-one situations, so we
picked her up at halfcourt. I thought Krismer did a good defensive job on
her, with some help from her teammates.

"But I'll tell you this, I'll take my Jackie Turpin over anybody, any day.
She's a warrior - she's a winner."

The hard-nosed Turpin scored 15 points, one less then Krismer. But Santana's star of the show was sophomore Jaime Ransom, who scored 23 points, grabbed 14
rebounds, blocked two shots, dished out eight assists, and made four steals.

Daneisha Price crashed the boards for 14 rebounds to go along with six points for Santana.

The Matadors tried to stay close by converting 17-of-30 free throws, but the Sultans overpowered them, sinking 46 percent of 68 shots from the field and 15-of-20 free throws.

Granite Hills 71, West Hills 60 - The Eagles (8-3) used their decisive height advantage to defeat the visiting Wolf Pack (5-5) Wednesday night.

Elisabeth Reynolds, a 6-foot senior center, scored 28 points and ripped off
10 rebounds, while 5-11 senior Nicole Davis collected 12 rebounds and
connected on 9-of-14 free throws to lead the Eagles.

"We didn't do a very good job of helping out on our post defense," West Hills coach Dave Burgess said. "We really got hurt on the offensive boards, and generally had too many mental breakdowns."

The Eagles clawed their way to a 33-32 halftime lead, and extended the
advantage to 50-45 after three periods.

"(Rebecca) Gillogly hit two shots in the fourth quarter, one of them a three, which stopped West Hills' (comeback) run and started a run for us," Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett said. "Also, Reynolds played consistently all game."

The Eagles outscored the Wolf Pack 21-15 in the final period to wrap up the victory.

Gillogly finished with 13 points and seven assists, while Rochelle Arrington and Jennifer Young tossed in seven points apiece.

Nicole Widmer paced a balanced West Hills attack with 16 points. Nicole Capati and Katy Kelly produced 11 points each, while Stacey Ostrander added nine.

Monte Vista 58, Grossmont 47 - Senior Phoebe Perkins rolled a double-double for the Monarchs (8-3), as she scored a career-high 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made four steals.

Ashley Bowker scored a game-high 20 points and reeled in eight rebounds for Grossmont (2-5). Erin Anderson added 13 points, while freshman Laura Felice collected nine rebounds and four points. Shauna Soto failed to score for Grossmont, but chased down seven rebounds.

Monte Vista converted seven times from 3-point range with Afton Huggar leading the way with three bullseyes. Huggar, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, finished with 15 points.

Lisa Roper chipped in a dozen points, four assists, and five steals for the
Monarchs.

Helix 58, El Capitan 42 - The Grossmont Conference's only undefeated team won its sixth straight on the strength of a career-high 30 points by Shannan Hawes. The senior guard did much of her damage from the free throw line where she converted 12-of-14 chances.

Sylvia Sanchez led a balanced supporting cast for the Highlanders with nine points. Yasmin Eaddy chalked up eight points, and Ashley Walker tossed in six.

Helix sauntered out to a 10-4 first-quarter lead, and held a nine-point advantage at the half before outscoring the Vaqueros 29-22 in the final two periods.

"The second half is where we blew them out," said Helix coach Kathy Gunion. "(Vaqueros freshman Alissa) Unden hit a couple of 3's to make it closer in the end, but I think our overall speed and quickness got to them."

Sophomore Lyric Teigen led El Capitan (3-9) with 16 points, and Carissa Gonzales added eight points for the Vaqueros.

Valhalla 47, El Cajon Valley 36 - Janene Stutz scored 15 points, and Jennifer Kolegraff chipped in 10 to carry Valhalla (8-3) to the victory over the visiting Braves (4-5).

"Stutz got them going by scoring eight points in the first quarter (to lead
13-11)," said El Cajon Valley coach Jimmy Ross. "The first five shots she put up went in (helping Valhalla to a 28-19 halftime lead).

"In the first half we made some turnovers, had a letdown, and were getting beaten in transition," said Ross.

But that was only part of the problem. Normally a team that shoots better
than 50 percent from the field, the Braves shot a paltry 22 percent
(15-for-69) against the Norsemen.

"We haven't been able to use our gym since last Monday (Dec. 11)," Ross
noted. "And that takes away from practice time that we need."

Shannon Schiele, a 5-foot-3 senior guard, led the Braves with 11 points and five steals. Tonya Farrugello buried a trio of 3's for nine points, while Melodi Williams contributed nine rebounds, five steals, and five points for El Cajon Valley.
(12-20-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs muscle past West Hills

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Pundits take notice - the Monte Vista Monarchs are for real.

The Monarchs (7-3) flexed their muscles against a quality West Hills team, and rolled to a surprisingly easy 59-24 victory in the first round of the Grossmont Conference crossover competition.

West Hills (5-4) was held to single scoring digits in each of the four quarters. The Wolf Pack, in fact, scored only five field goals in the contest. They were 14-for-27 from the free throw line.

Monte Vista's Rachel Johansen completed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with two blocked shots. Lisa Roper led all scorers with 12 points and four assists.

Phoebe Perkins had nine points, five steals, and three assists for the Monarchs, who also got nine points and three assists from Afton Huggar. Stephanie Chabrowski had six rebounds and was 5-for-6 from the free throw line for five points.

"We're trying to take this season to a higher plateau," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss said. "We're only as good as the last person coming in from the bench."

And quality depth has not been a problem for Monte Vista.

Nicole Widmer scored 11 points to lead the Wolf Pack.

SANTANA 84, GRANITE HILLS 61 - Amanda Krismer and Jaime Ransom ignited a 33-point first quarter for the Sultans (9-1) as they sprinted past the Eagles (7-3) at Granite Hills. Krismer canned 12 points in that period, and Ransom was 4-for-4 from the field for eight points.

"They were on fire," said Granite Hills coach Jay Rowlett. "It seemed like everything they put up, went in. They beat our man-to-man defense. We just couldn't match up with their speed."

Foul trouble also plagued two of the Eagles, taller performer 6-foot center Elisabeth Reynolds and 5-11 Nicole Davis. Reynolds scored 21 points in the first half, as the Eagles trailed 44-35 at intermission. She was limited, however, to only two free throws in the second half due to foul difficulties.

Not to be overlooked was the Santana defense.

"We had to do something about their size, especially Reynolds," Santana coach Wade Vickery said. "So we collapsed inside put somebody in front of her and somebody behind her."

Junior guard Rebecca Gillogly tried to pick up some of the slack for Granite Hills with 15 points. Freshman Jeannie Case chipped in nine points. Reynolds led the team with 10 rebounds.

Santana displayed superb offensive balance. Krismer set the pace with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ransom finished with 18 points, while Jackie Turpin (12), Brooke Sutton (12) and Courtney Ash (10) also reached double scoring digits.

MOUNT MIGUEL 55, EL CAPITAN 43 - The Matadors (6-4) stretched their Grossmont Conference-leading winning streak to six games.

Kim Martin knocked down 20 points, including a pair of 3's, while Leah Murphy pulled down 10 rebounds and pouring in nine points. Ijal Barnes also had 10 rebounds and added eight points for the Matadors.

The Matadors, who defeated San Diego by 25 points in their previous outing, could not shake the pesky Vaqueros (3-8), as Mount Miguel led only 34-29 at halftime.

"Neither team played any defense in the first half," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "In the second half we played really good defense, but our offense was still struggling."

Case in point was the third quarter, when the Matadors limited the Vaqueros to four points while scoring only seven themselves.

Sandoval felt the clinching basket of the game was Kim Martin,s 3-pointer with 2 minutes remaining, which extended Mount Miguel's lead to 13 points.

Valli Burks led El Capitan with 20 points, and Jessica Cable garnered 17. Burks also had two 3-pointers, as did Mount Miguel's Martin.

HELIX 52, EL CAJON VALLEY 30 - Helix coach Kathy Gunion was more pleased with her team's defensive performance than she was with the offensive production.

Junior guard Ashley Walker and senior Shannan Hawes slapped the defensive clamps on El Cajon Valley 3-point threat Tonya Farrugello, shutting out the Braves, senior.

Hawes also contributed a game-high 20 points on the offensive end. Sophomore Ferrari Funches fired in 18 points for the Highlanders (5-0).

Shannon Schiele led the Braves (4-4) with 18 points.

VALHALLA 76, GROSSMONT 43 - Janene Stutz scored 25 points, and Iliana Rucker added 14 as the Norsemen (7-3) skated past the visiting Foothillers (2-4).

Briette Storrs led the supporting cast with a dozen points. Jennifer Kolegraff notched nine points, while Kirsten Andersen and Megan Alexander tossed in eight points apiece.

Senior Ashley Bowker punched in 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Grossmont. Shawna Soto collected 13 rebounds and six points for the Hillers.

Bowker and Stutz each had a pair of 3-point buckets.

Grossmont dropped a 52-25 decision to Valhalla in the junior varsity game.
(12-18-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Matadors capture tournament title

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - What's up with the Mount Miguel Matadors? After opening the season with four straight losses, coach Robbie Sandoval's team has established itself as a bona fide contender for the Grossmont South League championship.

Never mind the fact that the Matadors' 5-4 record is the least impressive of
the five Grossmont South League teams. This club means business, as it proved to the brash San Diego Cavers in Saturday's (Dec. 16) finals of the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational.

The Matadors were deadly from the free throw line, as they converted 29-of-35 chances en route to a stunning 60-35 victory over San Diego to claim the tournament title.

Mount Miguel's Sara McGovern scored a season-high 20 points, including 13-for-13 shooting from the free throw line. She made eight straight free throws in the second quarter, helping Mount Miguel to a 25-18 halftime lead.
McGovern also grabbed 10 rebounds, as did Ijal Barnes.

"They did a good job of not letting (San Diego) get second-chance points," Sandoval said.

Defense was Mount Miguel's forte throughout, limiting the Cavers to only 20 points during the first three quarters.

In spite of foul difficulties, Kim Martin finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Christine Fitzgerald also had 13 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals for the Matadors.

One of the key defensive kudos for Mount Miguel was its ability to hold
Charde Houston to 13 points.

"We have size at every position but point guard," Sandoval said. "We match up pretty good."

It was a truly sweet victory for Mount Miguel, as San Diego had dismantled
the Matadors by 50 points in a game last month.

"The girls have a lot of confidence," Sandoval said. "They did a great job
avenging that lop-sided loss (to San Diego) earlier in the season. They've
really stepped up."

MONTE VISTA 51, VALHALLA 42 - The Monarchs used an aggressive defense to
secure their sixth win in seven starts, as they claimed the third-place
trophy in the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational. Monte Vista (6-3) limited
Valhalla to two points in the opening quarter, as it took a seven-point lead.

The Monarchs led 28-16 at halftime, and never surrendered the lead thereafter.

Lisa Roper hit 6-of-13 shots and two free throws for a game-high 16 points.
She also had five assists and three steals. Afton Huggar rang up 13 points, and Rachel Johansen corralled nine rebounds for Monte Vista.

Phoebe Perkins failed to connect on eight shots from the field, but converted 8-of-11 free throws and recorded five steals for the Monarchs.

Janene Stutz and Iliana Rucker scored eight points apiece to pace Valhalla
(6-3).

GRANITE HILLS 45, SCRIPPS RANCH 32 - The Eagles (7-2) wrapped up the
consolation championship of the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational by
flattening the Falcons. After battling to a 13-13 draw in the first quarter,
the Eagles used a tenacious defense to outscore Scripps Ranch 20-7 in the
middle two quarters.

"We didn't let them have any easy looks," said Granite Hills coach Jay
Rowlett. "Our half-court man forced 18 turnovers, most of them coming in the second and third quarters."

Nicole Davis led the Eagles with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Elisabeth
Reynolds chipped in with a dozen points and nine rebounds.

WEST HILLS 42, HOOVER 41 - Julie Strick scored a game-winning basket from an
offensive rebound to give the Wolf Pack (5-3) the narrow nod over the
Cardinals in the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational.

Katy Kelly led West Hills with 12 points, and Nicole Widmer added 10.

SANTANA 68, EL CAPITAN 35 - The Sultans (8-1) crushed Grossmont North League rival El Capitan 68-35 in the fifth-place game of the Granite Hills/Valhalla
Invitational.

Four Santana players finished in double scoring figures, led by junior guard Denise Bennett, who rolled in 15 points. Amanda Krismer chalked up 14 points, while Brooke Sutton and Daniesha Price contributed 10 points apiece.

Valli Burks led El Capitan (3-7) with 14 points.
(12-16-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Matadors send Valhalla early message

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Mount Miguel is the only Grossmont South League team that does not have a winning record. But anybody who thinks that the Matadors can be counted out of the league race didn't see Friday's (Dec. 15) Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational game against the Norsemen.

For starters, Mount Miguel took an 11-0 first-quarter lead, and inflated that advantage to a 34-7 halftime cushion at Valhalla.

"Our defense in the first quarter set the tone," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "I was really proud of the job that Megan Hayward did on (Valhalla scoring leader Janene) Stutz."

Stutz, who is averaging 16 points a game, picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, and didn't score a point until the second half, when she netted a pair of free throws in the third quarter. Hayward held Stutz without a field goal in the game. In fact, none of the Valhalla players scored more than six points.

Meanwhile, Mount Miguel (4-4), which will face San Diego (11-2) for the tournament championship Saturday (Dec. 16) night at Granite Hills at 8:30, received 23 points and 11 rebounds from Kim Martin. Christine Fitzgerald added 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, as the Matadors pounded the Norsemen. Sara McGovern chipped in 8 points.

SAN DIEGO 58, MONTE VISTA 53 - The Monarchs couldn't overcome a 19-4 first-quarter deficit, as they had their 5-game winning streak halted by the Cavers Friday night.

Monte Vista (5-3) established itself as one of the premier teams in East County as it kept the Cavers - and freshman scoring sensation Charde Houston (29 points) - from turning the game into a blowout.

The Monarchs took a brief lead in the final quarter when they were whistled for a critical turnover on a backcourt call.

"We're up with a minute left in the game, and then we get that controversial backcourt call," Monte Vista coach Carlos Moss lamented. "It's a strange thing that a game fought hard by two great teams is taken away by a controversial call. The girls should decide the basketball game, not the referees."

Ironically, Santana lost by three points to San Diego in another
controversial game earlier this week.

"If San Diego is rated No. 5, and Santana is No. 2, we should be in the Top 10," Moss said after the game.

Afton Huggar hit 9-of-15 shots as she scored a career-high 22 points for Monte Vista. Four of Huggar's shots were 3-pointers. She also had four assists, as did Lisa Roper.

The Monarchs also got nine points from Amy Reiland and eight points from Rachel Johansen. Roper added seven points.

SANTANA 58, WEST HILLS 43 - Sophomore Amanda Krismer poured in 18 points, while Jackie Turpin tossed in 12, and Brooke Sutton added 11 to lead the Sultans (7-1) to a victory over crosstown rival West Hills.

Jackie Capati hit four 3-pointers en route to a 16-point effort for West
Hills (4-3).

EL CAPITAN 55, HOOVER 53 - Valli Burks and Jessica Cable scored 20 points apiece, as the Vaqueros (3-6) edged host Hoover in a Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational tournament game.

GRANITE HILLS 46, CLAIREMONT 27 - Elisabeth Reynolds ripped off 20 points,
and Nicole Davis knocked down 15, as the Eagles (6-2) clobbered the Chieftains in a Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational game.

OUR LADY OF PEACE 51, EL CAJON VALLEY 44 - Senior Tonya Farrugello popped in four 3-pointers and totaled 14 points, as did senior Shannon Schiele, but it wasn't enough as the Braves (4-3) lost to the visiting Pilots.

Naomi Lathan added 12 points, while Melodi Williams completed the El Cajon Valley scoring with four points.

SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 42, CHRISTIAN 28 - Jenny Ray accounted for half of Christian's points, as the Patriots dropped a Lady Mustang Tournament game to host San Dieguito Academy.
(12-15-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Vickery vocal about calls versus Cavers

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - Santana girls' basketball coach Wade Vickery wasn't very happy with the results of the Sultans' first major showdown of the season Wednesday night (Dec. 13).

The Sultans suffered their first loss in seven starts, succumbing to San Diego 82-76 in the second round of the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational at Granite Hills.

But it wasn't so much that Vickery was disappointed by the performance of his players as he was displeased by the work of one of the officials.

"I'm not sure I've ever felt this bad about an official after a game like I do right now," Vickery said. "I wouldn't say that he blew his whistle in our favor more than 2-3 times the whole night. It was unbelievable."

Santana was called for 30 fouls, which sent San Diego to the free throw line 42 times. The Cavers (10-2) converted 27 of those charity shots. The Sultans on the other hand, went to the free throw line 17 times and hit 10.

"I can't remember any of my teams getting called for 30 fouls," Vickery said. "We only had one girl foul out, so it may not seem like we were hurt that much. But it put our kids on the bench in foul trouble all night."

Despite a season-high 28 turnovers, the Sultans maintained the lead for the majority of the contest. But San Diego went to the free throw line 15 times in the fourth quarter, as it outscored the Sultans 27-16 during the final eight minutes.

"We average about 20 turnovers a game because of our uptempo style of play," Vickery noted. "But it's awfully hard to defend somebody when they're on the free throw line."

The game was tied 76-all with a minute to play, when San Diego took the lead for keeps on a 3-pointer by freshman Charde Houston.

"We had a hand in her face, but she's just a good player," Vickery said.

Santana's Jaime Ransom shared the game's high-point honors with the Cavers' Houston at 29. Ransom also had eight rebounds, while Daniesha Price produced 15 points, and Brooke Sutton added 11. Jackie Turpin had seven points and five steals for Santana.

MONTE VISTA 49, WEST HILLS 39 - The Monarchs overcame a 26-21 halftime deficit to march to their fifth straight win.

Rachel Johansen, a 6-foot-2 senior center, dominated inside for the Monarchs, sinking 4-of-6 shots, grabbing eight rebounds, and blocking seven shots.

Phoebe Perkins scored a game-high 12 points for the Monarchs (5-2), while Lisa Roper added 11. Perkins and Roper were a combined 10-for-13 from the free throw line.

Stacey Ostrander led West Hills (4-2) with 12 points. Kristen Kelly paced the Pack's supporting cast with 11 points.

GRANITE HILLS 65, CHULA VISTA 48 - Elisabeth Reynolds led all players with 21 points, while Rebecca Gillogly and Nicole Davis both added 12 for the Eagles.
(12-13-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sultans clobber Chula Vista

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Santana Sultans' girls basketball team has steamrollered to six victories in six starts. Nothing surprising there.

Coach Wade Vickery's club figures to face a major challenge Wednesday (Dec. 13) when it takes on San Diego (9-2) at Granite Hills in the second round of the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational at 7:30 p.m.

The Sultans tuned up for the showdown with the Cavers by clobbering Chula Vista 77-39 Tuesday night. Sophomore Amanda Krismer cashed in 14 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Jaime Ransom ripped off 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Santana.

Not to be overshadowed was freshman Margeaux Bass, who netted a game-high 17 points and four steals.

Junior Denise Bennett, a 5-3 guard, shoveled off eight assists to ignite the Santana offense. Junior Brooke Sutton contributed nine points and six rebounds, while junior Jackie Turpin grabbed none rebounds, made four steals, and tossed in six points. Daniesha Price, the only senior on the team, chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.

MONTE VISTA 60, CLAIREMONT 31 - Rachel Johansen, a 6-2 senior center, jammed in 16 points and hauled down five rebounds to lead the Monarchs to their fourth straight victory in the Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational on Tuesday (Dec. 12) night.

The Monarchs (4-2) outscored the Chieftains 27-7 in the third quarter to take a 34-point lead.

Senior guard Afton Huggar knocked down 12 points and logged four steals, while junior guard Lisa Roper canned a trio of 3-pointers and dished off nine assists. Roper, who finished with nine points, also had four steals - one less than Amy Reiland, who had seven points. Phoebe Perkins returned from an injury to contribute seven points.

San Diego 62, Granite Hills 46 - The Eagles took a 9-6 first-quarter lead, but wilted in the middle two quarters as San Diego burned them with its pressure defense. The visiting Cavers outscored the Eagles 44-16 in the second and third quarters to turn the game into a rout.

Elisabeth Reynolds notched 17 points and Nicole Davis added eight for Granite Hills (4-2), which claimed a 19-7 advantage from the free throw line. Where the Eagles didn't measure up was in the transition game.

West Hills 56, Escondido 10 - Coach Dave Burgess' Wolf Pack (4-1) built up a 37-0 halftime lead as they tamed the visiting Cougars in a Granite
Hills/Valhalla Invitational game. Jackie Widmer tossed in 14 points, and Stacey Ostrander contributed 11 for West Hills.

Valhalla 54, Sweetwater 31 - The undefeated Norsemen (5-0) got 19 points from Janene Stutz, as they smothered visiting Sweetwater in a Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational game.

Matadors mash Vaqueros behind Martin

ECS.com staff report

LAKESIDE - Mount Miguel's experience was a major difference in Monday's (Dec. 11) Granite Hills/Valhalla Invitational, as the visiting Matadors rolled over El Capitan 56-36.

Returning senior All-Leaguer Kim Martin paced the Matadors (3-4) with game-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds. She also logged four steals and blocked four shots.

Christine Fitzgerald chipped in with 10 points, eight assists, five steals, and four rebounds, while senior guard Sarah McGovern added seven points, four assists, and three rebounds.

El Capitan (2-6), which has only one returning senior, went to the free throw line 35 times, but converted only 18.

Sophomore Jessica Cable led the Vaqueros with eight points, while Valli Burks
had seven, and Lyric Teigen netted six.

The Matadors led 26-14 at the half, and 43-23 after three quarters.
(12-11-00)

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Santana 71, Mount Carmel 68 - The undefeated and No. 2 ranked Santana Sultans held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the visiting Sundevils to capture the championship of the Santana-CocaCola Classic Saturday (Dec. 9) in Santee.

Amanda Krismer's 21 points paced a balanced Santana attack. Jackie Turpin tossed in 15 points, Jaime Ranson chipped in 10, while Margeaux Bass and Courtney Ash contributed nine apiece.

Santana built up a 40-24 halftime lead, but Mount Carmel closed the gap 55-45 after three periods.

Granite Hills Classic

Mount Miguel 48, Southwest 36 - Sophomore guard Christine Fitzgerald scored 16 points, logged five assists and four steals to lead the Matadors (2-4) over visiting Southwest.

Senior forward Kim Martin also scored 16 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds for Mount Miguel, which jumped out to a 12-2 first-quarter lead. The Matadors were sitting on a 27-12 cushion at halftime.

El Capitan 44, Scripps Ranch 38
(No information reported)
(12-09-00)

Games of Thursday, Dec. 7

GIRLS

El Cajon Valley 42, Valley Center 40 - Shannon Schiele scored 19 points, and Susie Farrugello added 15 as the Braves edged host Valley Center in a Granite Hills Classic game.

Santana 56, University City 47 - Jackie Turpin scored 20, Jaime Ransom produced 14, and Amanda Krismer cashed in 11 as the Sultans streaked to their fourth straight win in the Santana/Coca Cola Classic.
(12-07-00)

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Monarchs close down Center

ECS.com staff report

SANTEE - The Monte Vista Monarchs made it three straight Wednesday (Dec. 6) night as they turned up their defense to shut down the Valley Center Jaguars 52-29 in a Granite Hills Classic contest.

The visiting Monarchs (3-2) built up a 26-8 halftime lead, and then breezed the rest the way to the victory.

Monte Vista dominated the boards as Rachel Johansen pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. Lisa Alexander snagged eight rebounds, and Stephanie Chabrowski corralled seven.

Reliable Lisa Roper scored a game-high 16 points, hitting 6-of-14 shots from the floor and 2-of-4 free throws. She also had four assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

Amy Reiland added 10 points, connecting on 5-of-10 shots while recording a team-leading four steals. Afton Huggar was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, and finished with nine points and three assists.

Mount Miguel 61, Crawford 10 - The Mount Miguel Matadors shut down the Colts at the Granite Hills Classic, as Kim Martin, a senior, had 22 points to lead the Matadors.

Grossmont 54, Hoover 42 - Grossmont's Erin Anderson paced all scorers with 20 points, while teammate Ashley Bowker added nine, including a pair of three-point field goals, in a non-league victory over the Cardinals Wednesday.

Valhalla 59, Hilltop 39 - Janene Stutz led the Norsemen with 18 points at the Granite Hills Classic.

Scripps Ranch 53, Granite Hills 44 - The Eagles' Nicole Davis led all players with 15 points.
(12-06-00)

Games of Tuesday, Dec. 5

Valhalla 65, Carlsbad 47 - Janene Stutz scored a game-high 26 points to lead Valhalla to a 65-47 win over visiting Carlsbad in the Granite Hills Classic Tuesday (Dec. 5) night.

Scripps Ranch 59, Christian 51 - In another Granite Hills Classic game Tuesday night, Scripps Ranch handed Christian its first loss of the season. Only four girls scored for the Patriots (4-1). Jenny Ray led the way with 25 points, and Maggie McGill added 15.
(12-05-00)

GAMES OF MONDAY, DEC. 4

Monte Vista 70, San Pasqual 57 - The Monte Vista Monarchs evened their record at 2-2, as Lisa Roper scored 24 points. The junior guard did most of her
damage from long-distance, as she hit 6-of-9 shots from 3-point range. Roper also dished out nine assists for the Monarchs.

Rachel Johansen tallied 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The 6-2 senior center also collected a team-high eight rebounds, while senior guard Lisa Alexander contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

Christian 55, Mar Vista 44 - Jenny Ray and Maggie McGill led the undefeated Patriots to their fourth straight victory, scoring 22 and 19 points
respectively.

El Cajon Valley 54, Hilltop 26 - Shannon Schiele scored a season-high 30 points to propel the Braves past the Lancers. El Cajon Valley outscored the visitors from South Bay 33-8 in the second half.

In other Granite Hills Classic games, USDHS clipped El Capitan 60-46; Granite Hills edged Escondido 42-36; and Mount Miguel lost to Mission Bay 49-42.

Helix wins Grossmont High Tournament

ECS.com staff report

LA MESA - Tournament MVP Shannon Hawes scored a career-high 35 points as the Highlanders won the Grossmont Tournament championship.
Yasmin Eaddy added a dozen points for the Highlanders, who are 3-0. Stacey Ostrander and Nicole Widmer had 11 points apiece for West Hills. Eaddy and Widmer also earned All-Tournament honors.

Monte Vista 41, Carlsbad 33 - Lisa Roper rang up 13 points and Lisa Alexander added six points and a game-high eight rebounds as the Monarchs won their first game in three starts. Rachel Johansen chipped in with six points and seven rebounds for Monte Vista.

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