Sweet 16: Matadors claim Hills banner

By Bill Dickens
Updated: February 20, 2016

2015-16 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

By Bill Dickens

© East CountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY (2-20-16) — Championships have become a Mount Miguel girls’ basketball tradition.

Coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL’s crew came within one game of snapping its string of 16 league titles against Granite Hills, but rebounded for a 51-45 victory over the Eagles in Friday’s (Feb. 19) Grossmont Hills League regular season finale.

Thus the string continues for Sandoval’s squad, which has won 16 straight league titles, suffering only 3 losses in the process.

“We’ve played a lot better defense this go-round,” said Sandoval, whose Matadors suffered a first round loss to Granite Hills.

By winning the rematch of a 43-40 loss at Granite Hills on January 29, the Matadors (7-1) won the Grossmont Hills League championship outright. The Eagles (6-2) could have earned a share with the Matadors if not for a 40-37 loss at West Hills on Jan. 26.

“I knew we had to win this game to have any chance at the playoffs, not to mention gaining a share of the championship,” said SATERA BATES, who rolled in 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

“We managed every possession, every rebound to win this game. We knew they could beat us a second time but we were determined not to let that happen,” she added. “We came into our own in the second half, but our man-to-man defense kept us ahead of the game.”

CAMARA DOUGLAS led the Matador with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while AMBER HARD punched in 13 points and collected 7 caroms.

The Matadors played a solid game, hitting 19 of 42 shots (45 percent). They were fierce on the boards, garnering 33 rebounds against the Eagles.

Granite Hills’ EMMA KUBARI had a late steal and basket, closing the Matadors’ lead to 12-8 at end of one. DESTINY ANDERSON, of Mount Miguel, had four first-period points.

Mount Miguel led 23-14 at halftime, limiting the Eagles to 5-of-25 shooting before intermission.

Granite Hills opened second half with 9-0 run eventually tying the score at 23-23, but Mount Miguel stormed back and led 30-23.

The Matadors surged back to lead in 4th 41-33, as Bates hit her third of three three-pointers in the contest. All three of the triples seemed to spur the Matadors. Her deep ball with under two minutes to play in the first half gave Mount Miguel a 19=12 advantage.

Mt. Miguel led Granite Hills, 49-45, with 1:13 left in the game.

Mount Miguel: Camara Douglas 14 (8 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Satera Bates 11 (9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Amber Hard 13 (7 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Destini Anderson 9 (2 reb), Rozlyn Pierce 4 (6 reb, 2 ast), Michelle Corley (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Zaria Arline (1 stl).

Granite Hills: Raelleah Moore 21 (6 reb, 2 ast, 6 stl), Micayela Hernandez 15 (7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Emma Kubari 6 (5 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Diamond Hollis 3 (2 reb), Kani Kubari (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Delaney Casey (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl).