ROUNDUP:Vaqueros fall, Matadors romp

By Ramon Scott
Updated: November 29, 2018

El Capitan's SHIANA PERES

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

MIRA MESA 70, EL CAPITAN 58

EastCountySports.com staff report

LAKESIDE – The El Capitan Vaqueros girls varsity basketball team looked to take on another Division I opponent on Wednesday afternoon but the squad fell to 1-2 against the top division foes following a 70-58 loss to visiting Mira Mesa.

Sophomore SHIANA PERES had nine first-half points and freshman TIFFANY BICKFORD knocked down a three-pointer in both the first and second quarter, but El Capitan’s 16-12 deficit at the end of the opening quarter ballooned to 35-24 at halftime.

Peres and Bickford both finished with 12 points.

“If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have played as (well as) I did,” Peres said. “They had my back tonight and that means everything to me.

Peres also drew the assignment of senior guard Janelle Hooftallen.

“(Hooftallen) was good at going right handed so once I found that out I made her go with her left to see how she (fared) going that way,” Peres said.

The Marauders would extend the lead after three before El Capitan put together a pretty strong run in the fourth, outscoring the guests, 25-19.

Sophomore MACKENZIE CURTIS scored 19 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Although her free-throw streak ended on her first attempt of the game in the first quarter, she went 9-for-10 at the stripe in the contest.

“We came out with the thought of, ‘we won yesterday,’ ” Curtis said. “That doesn’t win you today’s game. We have beaten them before by 20, but today was an off day, full of dumb plays. We also didn’t match up well with their six-footer (Tautinei Puaina).

“But I’m glad my teammates still played well. Our shooters had a rocky first half, but they couldn’t miss in the second (half), and Shy Peres has some lockdown defense on (Hooftallen).”

Peres and Bickford combined with junior JORDAN GRANDY for five three-pointers in the fourth.

“After the initial nerves of playing against a good team, we relaxed and shot the shot that came to us and with that our shots started falling in,” Bickford said. “Something that we need to correct is that we need to execute our plan.

“We came into the game knowing what we needed to do, but we couldn’t execute until later in the game.

“With that said, we are a good team and we are continuing to get better.”

El Capitan (3-2) will host yet another DI opponent on Thursday afternoon when the 3-1 Poway Titans visit.

“We scrimmaged them right before the season started and we beat them,” Bickford said. “How we’re going to beat them again is to do what we did last time. We are going to show up and play our game the whole game.”

MOUNT MIGUEL 75, MORSE 27 – It’s not nice to steal from your neighbors but on the basketball court, it’s all fair game.

The fifth-ranked Matadors knocked off the visiting Tigers on Wednesday behind four players who finished in double figures in scoring and combined for 26 steals.

Sophomore SYLENA PETERSON had 12 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and eight steals for Mount Miguel (3-0).

Matador senior LALLI GURROLA was hitting from downtown, finishing with four three-pointers on the way to 18 points. She also had four steals.

Senior TIAJA BENNETT added 11 points and seven steals for Mount Miguel

Senior MICHELLE CORLEY had 10 points and seven steals.

The Matadors host Imperial this evening.

POINT LOMA 56, EL CAJON VALLEY 14 – Sadie Heckman scored 20 points to lead the host Pointers over the Braves, who were making their season debut.