ROUNDUP: Patriots, Sultans put up challenges

By Ramon Scott
Updated: December 7, 2018

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

SAN MARCOS – The Christian High Patriots, ranked sixth in the county, dropped a road decision at second-ranked Mission Hills, 73-65, in a matchup of highly-ranked teams on Thursday.

Senior YESINIA SMITH scored 20 points for Christian High.

Patriot junior ALLIE CARREON added 14 points, while teammate KRISTIN WILLIAMS added 13 points.

Christian High junior AMAYA HOWARD had an early three-pointer to give her team a 5-3 lead just three minutes into the game.

Not two minutes later, Carreon knocked down a three-pointer and the Pats led 10-4

When Kristin Williams knocked down a three-pointer with over two minutes left in the first quarter, Christian had a 13-7 lead.

However, the Grizzlies put up a flurry of points over the final two minutes of the frame to lead 22-14 at the end of the first quarter

Carreon got Christian right back into the thick of things with two treys to open the second quarter to bring the Patriots back to within a basket.

Smith and Carreon both added another triple before the end of the first half, but the Grizzlies led 46-36 at halftime.

Smith came out determined to get her team back in the game in the third quarter, as she scored seven consecutive points.

Then Williams buried a three-pointer and the Patriots trailed just 48-46.

Christian High would continue to trail into the fourth quarter by just a possession or two each time.

However, Mission Hills (4-3) went on an 11-0 run to lead by 13 midway through the final stanza.

Christian (3-2) got to within six points twice down the stretch.

SAN PASQUAL 57, SANTANA 41 – BRIANNA JERIG, a junior, had 11 points and three steals for Santana, which trailed by single digits early in the second half in search of its first win of the season.

The game, played at Santana, was part of the Tip-Off Classic.

Freshman BELLA TERRY had 10 points and nine boards for the Sultans, while senior teammate AALIYAH STONE had 10 points and 10 boards.

It was a gutsy effort by the hosts, which outscored the Golden Eagles 14-11 in the second quarter to trail just 23-18 at halftime.

However, Santana had some difficulty in the third quarter against the full-court pressure of San Pasqual.

“This was our best game as a team so far and I can really see how we are getting better each game,” Jerig. said. “We have been working hard and I’ve seen all of them play great basketball. Hopefully going into the next game we get an earlier jump to really get our heads in the game.”

“Our hard work has really come to fruition,” Franey said. “Our last three games against top competition, we have seen huge growth in so many areas. That’s due to our kids working their tails off in practice to continue to get better at the little things.

“Turnovers are still an issue for us but if we tighten up some areas I have no doubt we are going to see more success. “

MARANATHA CHRISTIAN 50, VALHALLA 43 – ANGIE ORANGE led Valhalla with 14 points at the Tri-City Christian Varsity Girls Basketball Invitational.

After a slow start which put the Lady Norsemen down 19-9 after one quarter, Valhalla outscored the Eagles by three points the rest of the way, including a 13-9 edge in the fourth quarter.

MORSE 56, WEST HILLS 53 – The Tigers won the tournament contest to improve to 2-3, as the Wolf Pack fell to 0-6

The Wolf Pack play at Point Loma on Friday night at 7.