Battling on the boards is Steele Canyon's Jazmin Daigle (left) and Valhalla's Nichole Miller. The Cougars took the GSL game, 49-28. (Photo by Bill Kolegraff)

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SANTEE (2-21-09/UPDATED 02-22-09) – Santana senior JAMIE ELIAS, who carried the load as the Sultans scoring ace even though she has been shut out three times, finished her final regular season home game Friday night (Feb. 20) by scoring a career-high 36 points as Santana clipped El Capitan, 58-52, in a Grossmont North League contest.

Santana coach JEFF BICKFORD thought about calling the fire department.

“Jamie was on fire,” he said. “Jamie had the game of her life.”

Elias netted 13 field goals, seven of them 3-pointers. She also converted 3 of 4 free throws and grabbed 9 rebounds.

“Jamie Elias put on a shooting clinic,” said Vaqueros coach FRANK QUINONES. It was her night – she had it going.”

El Capitan (23-5, 5-3 GNL) held a 24-20 halftime lead before Elias and the Sultans (18-9, 4-4 GNL) took over in the 2nd half.

“The girls were pumped up from the get-go,” said Bickford. “I was proud of the way the girls played – we played well on both ends of the floor. One player was not going to beat my team tonight.”

It’s been a bookend season for the San Diego State bound Duffy. She opened the season by scoring 42 points against Mission Hills.

“I’m in playoff mode now,” said Quinones. “We are going to have to step up and play like we did earlier in the season. I thought we played poorly tonight. We weren’t ready to play. It’s tough to go on someone else’s court and beat them.”

El Capitan will host Oceanside (14-14) in Tuesday’s (Feb. 24) opening round of Division II action. Santana also earned a 1st round playoff game, hosting El Centro Central (9-17) on Tuesday in a Division III encounter.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 36 (9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Kaila smith 6 (3 reb, 2 ast), Alyssa Padberg 6 (3 reb, 2 ast), Delia Files 4 (9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Mueller 3 (4 reb), Tawnya Proctor (3 reb), Kim Gross (2 reb).

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 42 (8 reb, 3 ast, 13 stl), Amber Rel-Solia 6 (6 reb, 3 blk), Taylor Autrey 4 (5 reb, 2 ast), Chelsey Kyle (3 reb), Marissa Pitman (3 reb), Emily Sutton (3 reb).

MOUNT MIGUEL 80, MONTE VISTA 29 – DANESIA WILLIAMSON drilled in 27 points Friday night (Feb. 20) as visiting Mount Miguel put the finishing touches to a ninth straight Grossmont South League championship. They’ve gone undefeated in eight of those, posting an overall 85-1 GSL record since ROBBIE SANDOVAL grabbed the coaching reins in the 2000-01 season.

The Matadors (22-5, 10-0 GSL), who led 55-14 at halftime, earned the No. 1 seed in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs. The Matadors host San Ysidro (9-17) on Tuesday (Feb. 24).

“We’re looking forward to the playoffs,” Sandoval said.

Four Matadors reached double-scoring digits against the Monarchs (8-19, 2-8 GSL). DECHAE EVANS led Mount Miguel with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Williamson also had 7 steals and 6 assists.

OPAL ROSS led Monte Vista with 12 points. The Monarchs gained a playoff position, but are obliged to take a road trip to No. 2 seed Our Lady of Peace (24-5).

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 27 (6 ast, 7 stl, 5 reb, 2 blk); Nicole Fountain 15 (5 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl); Dachae Evans 12 (8 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl, 4 blk), Danielle Miller 12 (6 reb, 4 stl), Shay Young 5 (5 reb, 3 stl), Myishia Watkins 8 (4 ast, 5 stl), Shataera Anderson 1 (3 stl, 2 reb).

Monte Vista scoring: Opal Ross 12, LiAiesha Brandon 8, Deanna Bembry 5, Alexandra Ross 2, Ruby Ross 2. No other stats reported.

HELIX 68, GRANITE HILLS 38 – Look out for the Helix Highlanders in the SDCIF Division II playoffs.

Coach TRINA HANSEN’s squad is on a little bit of a roll, having concluded the Grossmont South League season with five wins in their last six starts to finish second.

The Highlanders travel to National City to take on Sweetwater (18-9) in Tuesday’s (Feb. 24) in the post-season opener.

The victory over Granite Hills on Friday night (Feb. 20) came as sweet revenge. Granite Hills stomped on Helix 65-46 when the teams met last month in La Mesa .

“We came into the game tonight wanting respect,” said Hansen. “I believe we earned it tonight. Our goal was to run on Granite Hills – we accomplished our goals.”

Four Highlanders reached double scoring digits, led by SINOI LEASAU’s 19 points and 9 rebounds. The bulk of her scoring came on four 3-pointers.

The SCOTT sisters – KIM and KRISTINA combined for 29 points. The twins hit 9 of 10 free throws between them.

JACQUELINE SMITH was a force on the boards with 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points for Helix (16-12, 7-3 GSL).

“We’ll head into the playoffs on a good roll,” Hansen said. “It feels great to finish our league in second place. That shows a lot about how the girls have played this year. We didn’t back down from anybody.”

LAUREN BENDER created a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds for Granite Hills (16-11, 6-4 GSL).

“We played terrible defense,” said Eagles coach JERRY PARKER. “Helix completely out-hustled us. They got every loose ball and every rebound. I thought we would play much better than we did. We were flat from the outset. The 3rd quarter was our undoing – we were outscored 23-7.”

Granite Hills entertains Grossmont in the first round of the Division I playoffs Tuesday (Feb. 24).

Helix scoring: Sinoi Leasau 19 (9 reb, 2 stl), Kim Scott 15 (3 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Jacqueline Smith 10 (14 reb), Kristina Scott 14 (4 reb, 3 stl), Mariah Walker 4 (8 reb), Lexi Audley 4, Simone Corder 1, Cierra Coleman 1.

Granite Hills scoring: Lauren Bender 17 (10 reb, 1 blk), Sabrina Jimenez 12 (5 ast), Jessica Harris 3 (2 ast), Hailey Garner 2 (5 reb), Maddy Sheeran 2, Monique Ybarra 2 (2 reb), Keji Kubari 2 (2 reb).

WEST HILLS 46, EL CAJON VALLEY 14 – West Hills wrapped up a perfect Grossmont North League campaign Friday night (Feb. 20) at El Cajon Valley.

The Wolf Pack (23-5, 8-0 GNL), who held the Braves (10-15, 0-8 GNL) to 4 points in the middle two quarters, were awarded the No. 2 seed in the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs. The Pack, thus will host Orange Glen (11-15), in Tuesday’s (Feb. 24) playoff opener.

MARILYN NADERHOFF was the only player in the game to reach double figures, finishing with 10 for the Pack.

“We didn’t play much defense in the 1st half,” said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. “We concentrated in the 2nd half on increasing our defensive pressure and getting the ball down low into the post on offense. We gave a lot of players significant playing time.”

“It was 18-6 at the half,” Braves coach RANDY ROBINSON noted. “We frustrated West Hills’ starters a little bit. We played good defense, we just don’t shoot the ball very well. West Hills is a very strong team – they should do well in playoffs.”

El Cajon Valley also will get a taste of postseason play when the Braves take on Westview (21-7) in Tuesday’s Division II playoffs.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 10 (3 reb, 4 ast), Sherika Miller 7 (3 reb, 3 stl), Shelby Russo 7, Kimmie Clark 6, Mariah Bennett 4 (2 ast), Corryn Kivett 3 (2 reb), Amber Darby 3 (7 reb), Danielle Hays 2, Jillian Brown 2, Taylor Aguirre 2, Connie Hines (4 reb, 2 stl), Brooke Spradlin (2 reb).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Tericka Williams 6 (5 reb), Kaylani Faten 4 (5 reb), Desiree Garcia 2, Hazel Doe 2 (6 reb, 3 stl), Samantha Julien (5 reb, 3 stl).

Although they were never close to challenging for the Grossmont South League championship, the Steele Canyon Cougars celebrated their school-record 19th victory Friday night (Feb. 20) against visiting Valhalla.

None the less, the Cougars find themselves on the road for Tuesday’s (Feb. 24) Division II playoff opener at Ramona (19-8).

CHRISTINA WILLIAMS paced the Cougars (19-6, 5-5 GSL) with 21 points, while JANVIER BARBARIN added 14 points. They each had 6 rebounds, while Williams chalked up 6 steals.

Steele Canyon , which finished fourth in the six-team league, led the Norsemen (6-21, 0-10) only 22-18 at intermission.

“We came out slow and finally got into gear in the 3rd quarter,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH. “We played a good all-around game tonight. I spread the action around tonight – everybody got involved. I believe we’re ready for playoffs.”

Valhalla, which scored only 10 points in the second half, is a longshot to qualify for postseason action.

“Tonight’s game really showed how young we are,” said Valhalla coach CARLOS MOSS. “It showed that we really don’t know how to maintain our composure yet. We did not quit, we scrapped and played hard the whole game. I feel we have a good nucleus coming back for next year.”

Steele Canyon scoring: Christina Williams 21 (6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 6 ast), Janvier Barbarin 14 (6 reb, 1 blk), G’kia Myles 10 (5 reb, 1 blk), Jazmin Daigle 2 (4 reb, 2 ast), Mace Alameri 2 (2 stl), Jessica Domby (2 reb), Yvette Phipps (2 reb).

Valhalla scoring: Nichole Miler 7 (4 reb, 6 stl), MacKenzie Cartmill 6 (2 stl), Danielle Wilson 6 (6 reb, 4 stl), Emily Roberts 4 (9 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Kelsey Cartmill 3 (3 ast), Karissa Ferrell 2.

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-18-09) — Not wasting time waiting for the final day of the regular season to roll around, Mount Miguel and West Hills high schools each clinched league championships Tuesday (Feb. 17), making it multiple titles for both programs.

The Matadors secured a record 9th consecutive Grossmont South League crown after downing second-place Granite Hills, 73-35. Head coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL's squad has won a remarkable 84 of 85 GSL contests this decade, their lone league loss coming to Helix 37-34 on Feb. 7, 2006.

In addition, Mount Miguel moved into position to equal Santana's East County record of 10 straight league titles, set from 1985-97. And the Matadors have a strong shot -- the team graduates just a single senior.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack, playing in the shadow of the Sultans ever since the school opened, gained a second title in-a-row after defeating their City of Santee rivals, 55-40.

MOUNT MIGUEL 73, GRANITE HILLS 35 — Unlike many other GSL opponents, the Matadors don't sleepwalk when facing the Eagles, which have finished in the league's first-division (either second or third place) every year during the league title streak.

"I was really looking forward to this game. I felt like Granite Hills is basically our rivals even more than Helix," said NICOLE " Coco " FOUNTAIN. "I was thinking about it all day and I was ready to play."

Fountain's "interest gauge" was set on max. During one stretch, the junior guard drained seven straight outside shots -- including four 3-point goals -- to finish with a game-high 21 points in the wire-to-wire triumph.

Of course, Fountain was referring to reigning East County player of the year DANESIA WILLIAMSON. So while Fountain demonstrated she should develop into the team standout for 2009-10, Senior Night found Mount Miguel honoring the departure of just one individual, Williamson.

Playing in front of her future coaches from USD, Williamson again posted steady numbers of 10 points, 5 boards, 4 steals and 3 assists in her role as point guard.

"The USD coach told me, 'good game' -- I am excited for next year," said Williamson. "I've been here for four of the nine titles. I'm just hoping the young girls will keep the flow going."

"It's amazing how many league titles we have here. We just wish we had that many CIF titles, but it's okay -- we'll get there."

Participating in a high-intensity game against Granite Hills, which included solid defensive stretches along the way, should prepare the Matadors well for next week's playoff opener. However, Williamson notes the one ingredient which could carry Mount Miguel over the top.

"Unity," she dead-panned. "Our chemistry is much, much better, so if we do the little things on the court and in practice, we're going to win."

"We do good things sharing the ball and passing the ball. That's what it will take."

MYISHIA WATKINS (11 points, 4 assists) and SHAY YOUNG (10 points, 5 steals) aided in the team concept, while DANIELLE MILLER (9 points) was solid defensively with 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and a pair of steals.

The contest was the first between the schools since Eagles standout SABRINA JIMENEZ broke her nose in the first round of GSL play. And she stuck her nose, literally, back in the action by twice taking-the-charge on drives to the basket by Mount Miguel.

Jimenez was the lone Granite Hills player to score in double figures with 14 points. The Eagles, which own the best record behind Mount Miguel among GSL teams this decade, are tied with Steele Canyon for second place heading into Friday's regular season finales.

Also, Granite Hills senior center LAURA BENDER, an honors student, announced she wants to attend Colorado next school year.

Mount Miguel scoring: Nicole Fountain 21 (9 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl), Myishia Watkins 11 (4 ast, 3 stl), Shay Young 10 (5 stl, 2 ast), Danesia Williamson 10 (5 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl), Danielle Miller 9 (8 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl), Shataera Anderson 6 (6 reb, 4 ast), Dechae Evans 4 (8 reb, 3 blk).

Granite Hills scoring: Sabrina Jimenez 14 (5 reb, 3 ast, took 2 charges), Alyssa Canoff 5, Keji Kubari 5, Lauren Koblischke 3, Lauren Bender 2 (6 reb, 3 blk), Monique Ybarra 2 (2 ast), Jessica Harris 2 (2 ast, 2 stl), Hailey Garner 2 (3 reb).

EL CAPITAN 57, GROSSMONT 39 – Never count out the El Capitan Vaqueros. At least not when ASHLEY DUFFY is at the top of her game.

Duffy, a 5-foot-10 senior headed for San Diego State rolled a triple-double of 27 points, 16 rebounds and 13 steals.

El Capitan (23-5, 4-2 GNL) took an 18-10 first quarter lead and the visiting Foothillers (16-9, 3-5 GNL) could never recover.

TAYLOR AUTRY, who has been sick for the last few days, showed up to score 10 points for the Vaqueros. AMBER REL-SOLIA pitched in with 8 points and 10 rebounds.

HEATHER SPRINGE led Grossmont with 16 points, including a pair of threes.

“Grossmont’s a good team,” said El Capitan coach FRANK QUINONES. “Our goal tonight was to stop Springe and TERRA MUSGROVE. In our first game with them, Musgrove scored 13 points. Rel-Solia was injured in that game. Amber shut her down tonight, keeping her off the boards. We played straight up. I thought the effort was good from everybody.”

“CHELSEY KYLE is coming around offensively and defensively, and Rel-Solia can be such a dominating player inside the post,” Quinones added. “I think MEGAN DRENNEN, who hasn’t played since Christmas with a back injury, will be the dark horse in the playoffs.”

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 27 (16 reb, 3 ast, 13 stl), Taylor Autry 10 (3 ast), Amber Rel-Solia 8 (10 reb, 2 ast), Marissa Pitman 5 (3 reb, 3 ast), Chelsey Kyle 4 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Lauryn Dominicak 2, Emily Sutton 1 (3 reb).

Grossmont scoring: Heather Springe 16, Danielle Balderas 9, Terra Musgrove 6, Chanel Putras 6, Frankie Treadwell 2. No stats reported by Grossmont.

WEST HILLS 55, SANTANA 40 – Junior guard MARILYN NADERHOFF led a balanced attack with 14 points and 4 assists as West Hills smacked Santana to clinch the Wolf Pack’s second straight Grossmont North League championship Tuesday (Feb. 17) at Santana.

The Wolf Pack (22-5, 7-0 GNL) bustled to a 23-9 first quarter lead and never looked back.

“We wanted to maintain our playoff position and win our league,” said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. “We gave all our girls a lot of playing time tonight. Our defense was outstanding. We wanted to take (JAMIE) ELIAS away from them and we did just that. We stuck to our game plan the whole way.”

It was the third time this season that Elias, Santana’s leading scorer, was shut out.

MARIAH BENNETT scored 12 points for West Hills, and SHERIKA MILLER contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

ALYSSA PADBERG tried to fill the void for Santana (17-9, 3-4 GNL), scoring a career-high 18 points. Padberg, a junior guard, did most of her damage from the free throw line where she made 11-of-14 shots.

DELIA FILES added 10 points and 8 rebounds for Santana.

“One of my goals was to shut down KIMMIE CLARK,” said Sultans coach JEFF BICKFORD. “We did that. West Hills is a very deep and strong team. Naderhoff and Miller absolutely killed us. We had more free throws made (16) than we had field goals made (10).”

Clark was held to 5 points.

West Hills scoring: Marilyn Naderhoff 14 (3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Mariah Bennett 12, Sherika Miller 9 (5 reb, 3 ast), Shelby Russo 6 (2 reb), Kimmie Clark 5 (5 reb), Corryn Kivett 5 (3 reb), Danielle Hays 4, Connie Hines (4 reb), Amber Darby (3 reb), Brooke Spradlin (2 reb).

Santana scoring: Alyssa Padberg 18 (4 reb, 3 ast), Delia Files 10 (8 reb, 2 blk), Kaila Smith 7 (6 reb), Lauren Mueller 3, Kim Gross 2 (3 reb), Jamie Elias (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Tawnya Proctor (3 reb), Chelsea Eason (2 stl).

HELIX 52, VALHALLA 34 – The Highlanders put this one away in the 1st quarter as they led visiting Valhalla 17-3 after the first 8 minutes of Tuesday’s (Feb. 17) Grossmont South League contest.

“It was Senior Night tonight and all our seniors played extremely well,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “I liked the way we ran our press. We forced a lot of turnovers. It was nice to give our bench players some significant playing time tonight. We’re going to need them in the playoffs.”

Helix (15-12, 6-3 GSL) is tied with Granite Hills (16-10, 6-3 GSL) for second place.

Ten Highlanders contributed to the Helix scoring total with SINOI LEASAU setting the pace with a dozen points, including the team’s only two 3-pointers. Leasau also had 5 rebounds, one less than team leader MARIAH WALKER.

Valhalla (6-20, 0-9 GSL) received 11 rebounds from EMILY ROBERTS.

“We played pretty well after a rough 1st quarter,” said Valhalla coach CARLOS MOSS. “We had a good balanced effort. CHELSEA HALE shot well, and EMILY ROBERTS was strong in the middle and a demon on the boards.”

“We have to learn patience. Our girls are very smart but they have to stay together and play more basketball in the off-season.

Helix scoring: Sinoi Leasau 12 (4 reb, 4 ast), Callie Fairweather 8, Kim Scott 6 (3 ast, 4 stl), Kristina Scott 6 (2 stl), Cierra Coleman 5 (3 reb), Brittany Hollie 5 (3 reb), Mariah Walker 4 (6 reb, 2 ast), Iesha Murray 2 (2 reb), Jacqueline Smith 2 (5 reb), Lexi Audley 2, Chanelle McNutt (3 reb), Simone Corder (2 reb).

Valhalla scoring: Kelsey Cartmill 7 (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Danielle Wilson 6 (8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Chelsea Hale 6 (4 reb), Nichole Miller 6 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Ashlee Alfonso 6 (2 reb), Emily Roberts 3 (11 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl).

STEELE CANYON 60, MONTE VISTA 53 – Steele Canyon ’s Cougars reeled off their 18th victory in Tuesday’s (Feb. 17) Grossmont South League action at Monte Vista. That is a school record for wins for the Cougars.

Although the final score was close, the Cougars led 47-26 after three quarters.

CHRISTINA WILLIAMS paced the Cougars with 19 points, including 2 treys and 4 steals. JANVIER BARBARIN added 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals for Steele Canyon.

The Cougars clawed their way to a 19-5 first quarter lead and never looked back.

To their credit the Monarchs scored 27 points in the final period to make it a closer game than Steele Canyon expected.

DEANNA BEMBRY was a powerhouse for Monte Vista with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

“We didn’t change our lineup much,” said Monarchs coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. “This game was a good game to take into the playoffs. I’m excited over the way we played tonight. We need to continue to focus on how we play and not how our opponents play. It was a foul-plagued game.”

The two teams were a paltry 25-of-56 from the free throw line.

Steele Canyon scoring: Janvier Barbarin 17 (9 reb, 1 blk, 4 stl), Christina Williams 19 (3 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Gabrielle Beasley 5 (1 blk), Mace Alameri 4, Samantha Vernon 4 (6 reb), Jazmin Daigle 4 (4 reb, 2 stl), Yvette Phipps 3, Janique Cofield 2 (3 reb), Michelle Beasley 2 (2 reb), G’kia Myles (8 reb), Jessica Domby (2 reb).

Monte Vista scoring: Deanna Bembry 15 (15 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Opal Ross 9, Alexandria Conwright 8, LiAiesha Brandon 7, Alexandra Ross 6, Dionna Mercer 5 (10 reb), Kayla Pusey 3 (5 reb).

CRAWFORD 47, CHRISTIAN 15 – The Christian Patriots ended a l-o-n-g season with a Central League loss to Crawford Tuesday (Feb. 17) at the Ryan Athletic Center.

Christian scoring: Kara Cartwright 6, Monique Elliott 4, Joann Park 4, Mia Johnson 1.

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-14-09) — It may not have been shocking, but it had to be surprising when host Steele Canyon bulldozed past Granite Hills 62-42 in Friday’s (Feb. 13) Grossmont South League action.

The Cougars thoroughly dominated the Eagles, building a 52-24 lead after three quarters.

What’s so stunning about that is the Eagles beat Steele Canyon 50-41 earlier this season.

CHRISTINA WILLIAMS poured in a career-high 24 points to spark the Cougars (17-6, 3-5 GSL). The speedy point guard made 8-of-14 shots from the field and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

JAZMIN DAIGLE had one of her best games of the season as she tipped in 10 points and 4 rebounds.

“Overall, it was a great game,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH. “I challenged all the seniors to put their best game forward. The overall energy of tonight’s game was in our favor. Our players have decided to put forth an end of the season drive. We want to make the playoffs and advance past the 1st round this year. No Steele Canyon (girls) team has ever done that.”

Granite Hills (16-9, 6-2 GSL) welcomed back junior point guard SABRINA JIMENEZ from a broken nose suffered against Mount Miguel on Feb. 3. She led the Eagles with 19 points.

“SABRINA JIMENEZ played real well tonight in her first game back,” said Eagles coach JERRY PARKER. “She practiced with the team yesterday. She had trouble with the mask (protecting her nose) – it really bothered her.”

“Steele Canyon is a quality team and you have to be ready to play them. Tonight we were not ready,” Parker added.

Steele Canyon scoring: Christina Williams 24 (3 reb, 4 stl), Jazmin Daigle 10 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Janvier Barbarin 9 (4 reb), Mace Alameri 7 (3 reb), G’kia Myles 4 (9 reb, 3 stl), Samantha Vernon 2 (4 reb), Jessica Domby 2 (8 reb), Yvette Phipps (2 reb), Julianne Kolegraff 2, Gabrielle Beasley 2.

Granite Hills scoring: Sabrina Jimenez 19, Lauren Bender 9, Jessica Harris 5, Hailey Garner 5, Lauren Koblischke 2, Monique Ybarra 2.

Chelsey Kyle (3) of El Capitan (Photo by Leslie Autry)

El Cajon Valley Braves at El Capitan Vaqueros (Slideshow by Leslie Autry & Gil Moe)

Despite another cold-shooting effort by El Capitan (20-55, 36 percent), Duffy carried the hosts by scoring 18 of her points early to claim a 28-10 halftime lead.

However, the real story was the rally by the surging Braves, who moved close enough in the second half to force the Vaqueros to start picking-up defensively at full court to prevent the upset bid. ECVHS won the second half, 24-19, twice cutting the game deficit to single digits in Friday's (Feb. 13) final minutes.

While many teams are playing out the string, El Cajon Valley still wants to prove themselves.

"Everyone thought we'd come here and lose like we have been," said junior guard HAZEL DOE. "But we didn't come here to lose to them."

"Coach (RANDY ROBINSON) again told us at halftime we could beat them and we showed we could play with them."

Although the Lady Braves ballclub is expected to continue its decade-long Grossmont North League losing streak by closing the season next week against West Hills, a team already guaranteed at least a share of the league crown, the team is not willing to fall without a fight.

"We're coming back -- we're just growing and going to keep growing," said senior center SAMANTHA JULIEN, who scored 4 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. "We tried to come back and win the half, so we got some respect when they went full court on us."

"Still, Duffy's hard to play against -- our main goal was to try and stop Duffy, but she's an amazing player -- but we matched up well against the rest of their players."

JEENA ESHO paced the Braves with 12 points -- her second-best effort of the season -- while forward TERICKA WILLIAMS sank 4-of-5 shots to close the second half, scoring 10 points. Included were two straight shots from the paint to expand the Braves' second-half advantage.

Seeking inside position for a rebound are El Capitan's Emily Sutton (left) and El Cajon Valley's Samantha Julien. El Capitan won, 47-34. (Photo by Leslie Autry)

El Cajon Valley scoring: Jeena Esho 12, Tericka Williams 10, Samantha Julien 4 (9 reb), Kaylani Faten 4 (4 reb), Hazel Doe 4 (9 reb, 5 ast).

GROSSMONT 68, SANTANA 43 – With thoughts of a Grossmont North League championship deleted long ago, the Foothillers (16-8, 3-4 GNL) are focused on improving their playoff position. That means winning games, regardless of where they rank in the standings.

Once again junior DANIELLE BALDERAS had the hot hand, dumping in a game-high 17 points while snaring 5 rebounds and chalking up 5 steals in Friday’s (Feb. 13) GNL victory over visiting Santana (17-8, 3-3 GNL).

HEATHER SPRINGE contributed a smooth double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Foothillers, who outscored the Sultans in all four quarters.

“It was the first complete game that we’ve put together in a long time,” said Grossmont coach MEGAN LONG. “We made things difficult for Santana. I’m pleased with the contributions tonight. Our bench really played well.”

Nobody reached double scoring digits for Santana, but KAILA SMITH collected a season-high 18 rebounds to go along with 9 points for the Sultans.

“Yesterday’s practice was nonproductive and it just carried over into today’s game,” lamented Santana coach JEFF BICKFORD. “They took JAMIE ELIAS (8 points) completely out of the game. We shot poorly once again from the free throw line (8-for-18) and had too many turnovers (21). Grossmont is a superb team – they are not easy to play against.”

Grossmont scoring: Danielle Balderas 17 (5 reb, 5 stl), Heather Springe 10 (10 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Terra Musgrove 6 (6 reb, 2 stl), Frankie Treadwell 7 (2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Carly Applegate 5 (3 reb), Chanel Putras 4 (4 reb, 3 ast), Jessie Edgil (4 reb, 2 ast).

Santana scoring: Kaila Smith 9 (18 reb, 1 blk), Jamie Elias 8 (3 reb), Alyssa Padberg 7 (2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Samantha White 5 (3 reb, 2 stl), Amanda Grable 2 (2 reb), Kim Gross 2, Delia Files 0 (2 reb).

MOUNT MIGUEL 63, HELIX 45 – Behind the 24 points and 7 steals of DANESIA WILLIAMSON, Mount Miguel locked up no less than a piece of a 9th straight Grossmont South League title by toppling host Helix on Friday (Feb. 13).

It must have seemed fitting to the Matadors that the title clincher came at the expense of Helix – the only GSL team to beat Mount Miguel since coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL took the helm nearly a decade ago.

The Matadors are 83-1 against GSL foes under Sandoval’s tutelage.

Mount Miguel (20-5, 8-0) led only 13-11 after one quarter and broke the game open with a 22-6 outburst in the 2nd quarter.

“We wanted to take their momentum away, and it worked, early,” Helix coach TRINA HANSEN said. “We got into foul trouble in the 2nd quarter and it really hurt us – 3 starters fouled out (KIM SCOTT, JACKIE SMITH, SINOI LEASAU). We made some poor passing decisions against their press. We played well in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters. The 2nd quarter hurt us.”

JACQUELINE SMITH paced the Highlanders with 11 boards.

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 24 (5 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl), Nicole Fountain 10 (3 reb), Myishia Watkins 7, Dechae Evans 6 (7 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk), Shay Young 6 (5 reb), Shataera Anderson 4 (2 reb, 5 ast), Danielle Miller 4 (3 ast).

Helix scoring: Sinoi Leasau 13 (2 reb), Kim Scott 11 (5 reb, 2 stl), Mariah Walker 9 (10 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Kristina Scott 4 (4 reb, 2 stl), Jacqueline Smith 5 (11 reb, 1 blk), Simone Corder 3, Iesha Murray (3 reb).

MONTE VISTA 49, VALHALLA 42 – The Monarchs won a seesaw battle in Friday’s (Feb. 13) Grossmont South League game at Valhalla.

Monte Vista (8-17, 2-6 GSL) raced in front 15-4 only to see the Norsemen scramble back to create a 21-21 halftime tie. Monte Vista regained command in the 3rd quarter, burying the Norsemen 22-5 over that 8 minute stretch.

Valhalla rebounded to outscore the Monarchs 16-6 in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough as Monte Vista completed a 2-game series sweep.

DEANNA BEMBRY paced Monte Vista with a powerful double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds.

LiAIESHA BRANDON also chipped in a double-double of 10 points and 13 boards, while OPAL ROSS was an all-purpose ace for the Monarchs with 8 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

“We played good basketball at both ends,” said Monarchs coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. “We started senior twins OPAL and RUBY ROSS together for the first time and they played well together.”

Ruby Ross finished with 6 points and 3 steals.

EMILY ROBERTS paced Valhalla with 17 points, 8 steals and 5 rebounds. She made 9-of-11 free throws.

KELSEY CARTMILL added 13 points and 7 steals, while DANIELLE WILSON had an odd double-double of 12 rebounds and 10 steals.

Overall Valhalla recorded 35 steals. Putting the ball in the basket was the Norsemen’s problem as they netted only 16 percent of 62 field goals.

“We were hyped tonight – it was Senior Night, said Valhalla coach CARLOS MOSS. “The girls played hard but it was just one of those nights. They would get a lead and we would jump back into the game. They would run out again and we would make another run on them. They got ahead in the 4th quarter and we just could not make enough baskets to catch them.”

Valhalla scoring: Emily Roberts 17 (5 reb, 8 stl), Kelsey Cartmill 13 (4 reb, 4 ast, 7 stl), MacKenzie Cartmill 7 (2 ast, 5 stl), Karissa Ferrell 4 (2 stl), Danielle Wilson 1 (12 reb, 10 stl, 6 blk, 2 ast), Chelsea Hale (3 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl).

KEARNY 66, CHRISTIAN 28 – Host Christian scored its season high in Friday’s (Feb. 13) Central League game against visiting Kearny.

The problem for the Patriots? They surrendered a season-high scoring output to the Komets.

Junior RICKI GENTRY paced the Pats with 10 points.

Christian scoring: Ricki Gentry 10, Ashley Floyd 7, Monique Elliott 5, Kara Cartwright 4, Joann Park 2.

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-11-09) — Call it a budding rivalry.

Steele Canyon’s girls basketball team and their coach PENNY SMITH want so much to make perennial Grossmont South League powerhouse Mount Miguel to respect them as a worthy challenger.

At the moment, the Matadors, 82-1 against GSL foes over the past nine seasons, do not have any true rivals as they close in on their 9th straight circuit crown.

Only Helix has caused Mount Miguel to stub its toe in a league encounter the last nine years, and that was a 37-34 setback in 2006. Other than that, it’s been all about the Matadors (19-5, 7-0 GSL).

Coaches Smith and the Matadors’ ROBBIE SANDOVAL exchanged friendly jibes when the two teams collided in the first round and the Matadors won by an unexpectedly close margin of 10 points.

There was nothing close about the rematch. The Matadors used their vaunted pressure defense to build a 29-5 lead in the opening quarter, and then proceeded to outscore the Cougars (16-6, 2-5 GSL) in the remaining three quarters.

“We played a much better game this time than we did the first time,” Sandoval said. “Probably the biggest thing is we played with passion. Our effort was much better.”

DANESIA WILLIAMSON was the guiding light for the Matadors with 15 points and 8 steals. SHAY YOUNG chipped in 14 points and 4 assists.

CHRISTINA WILLIAMS led the Cougars with 6 points and JANVIER BARBARIN was held scores by the tenacious Matadors.

“It really wasn’t much of a game,” said coach Smith. “We weren’t prepared tonight – we didn’t play very well. For some reason we didn’t turn our light switch on. We made Mount Miguel look good tonight. This was our worst game in my two years at Steele Canyon.”

Mount Miguel scoring: Danesia Williamson 15 (3 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 8 stl), Shay Young 14 (3 reb, 4 ast), Nicole Fountain 10 (3 ast, 3 stl), Dechae Evans 8 (9 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Danielle Miller 8 (5 reb), Myishia Watkins 6 (2 stl), Shataera Anderson 4 ( 4 reb, 4 stl).

Steele Canyon scoring: Christina Willliams 6, Mace Alameri 3, Gabrielle Beasley 1, Samantha Vernon 4, Julianne Kolegraff 2, G’kia Myles 4, Jazmin Daigle 1.

WEST HILLS 60, GROSSMONT 45 – The Wolf Pack guaranteed itself no less than a co-championship by downing the visiting Foothillers in Tuesday’s (Feb. 10) Grossmont North League action.

West Hills (21-5, 6-0 GNL) needs only one more win – the Pack has GNL games remaining against Santana and El Cajon Valley – to secure exclusive rights to the league laurels.

SHERIKA MILLER led a balanced West Hills attack against the Foothillers, finishing with 15 points – on a trio of treys – and 5 steals. CONNIE HINES rolled a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. AMBER DARBY also corralled 10 rebounds, while MARIAH BENNETT led the team with 6 assists.

Things did not start off so smoothly for the Pack, which trailed Grossmont 11-6 after the opening quarter. A 23-13 second quarter run hoisted West Hills back in front. For that point on, the Pack maintained control.

“Grossmont played us tough again,” West Hills coach RYAN KINSER said. “They have been our toughest competition in league this year. We got off to another poor start offensively tonight. It took us awhile to settle down. I felt we were very consistent with our offense most of the evening.”

CHANEL PUTRAS led Grossmont (15-8, 2-4 GNL) with 15 points – her season high.

“We didn’t shoot very well the whole night,” Grossmont coach MEGAN LONG said. “They were very aggressive on defense against us. They shut down Terra and Heather. We couldn’t get the ball to them at all. West Hills really put the clamps on us in the third quarter (for a 20-11 scoring advantage).”

Defensively, West Hills put a choke hold on Grossmont’s top two offensive weapons – HEATHER SPRINGE (6 points) and TERRA MUSGROVE (4 points).

West Hills scoring: Sherika Miller 15 (3 ast, 5 stl), Connie Hines 13 (10 reb), Marilyn Naderhoff 11 (3 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Kimmie Clark 6 (3 ast, 2 stl), Amber Darby 4 (10 reb), Corryn Kivett 4 (2 stl), Shelby Russo 4, Mariah Bennett 3 (2 reb, 6 ast).

Grossmont scoring: Chanel Putras 15 (2 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl), Danielle Balderas 8 (6 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl), Heather Springe 6 (reb 2), Carly Applegate 5 (2 reb), Terra Musgrove 4 (7 reb, 2 ast), 5 ast, 4 stl).

SANTANA 45, EL CAJON VALLEY 27 – It was a reunion of sorts Tuesday night (Feb. 10) at Santana when El Cajon Valley came calling for a Grossmont North League game.

“Tonight was special for me going against (Braves coach) RANDY ROBINSON,” said Sultans coach JEFF BICKFORD. “He actually gave me my first coaching job at the high school level as his assistant at Santana in 2001-2002 when he was the boys’ coach.”

The Sultans (17-7, 3-2 GNL) sprinted to a 17-2 first quarter lead and then cruised to the finish line.

JAMIE ELIAS scored 9 of her team-best 11 points in the opening quarter, including hitting a pair of treys.

“We started off hot in a full court press,” Bickford said. “Our pressure definitely bothered the visiting Braves in the first quarter, but Randy quickly made adjustments.”

The Sultans buried the Braves on the boards as Santana senior KAILA SMITH collected 15 caroms.

“Kaila was an animal inside, grabbing tough rebounds,” Bickford said, noting that Smith was also 4-for-5 shooting inside the paint. “We didn’t get the ball inside to her enough.”

LAUREN MUELLER also had 8 points for the Sultans. She hit 3 of 8 shots from the field and 2 of 2 free throws.

“I was very happy to see Lauren shoot the ball with confidence tonight,” said Bickford. “She’s been tentative but she’s shooting the open looks now.”

Since losing their leading scorer to eligibility problems, the Braves (10-13, 0-6 GNL) have struggled offensively.

TERICKA WILLIAMS led the Braves with 9 points.

“I was very, very pleased that we are starting to contest things,” said Robinson. “We caused a lot of turnovers with our 23 deflections. I came back (to coaching) to give these girls the experience of knowing how the game is played, and I think we have done so. I want them to know what you have to do to be competitive. This lasts longer than the game in their lives – how to be part of a team. Every game they are learning it. ”

Three times in the second half El Cajon Valley closed to within 10 points of the Sultans.

“We missed seven layups in the first quarter – we’re getting our shots,” Robinson noted. “We were 12-for-56 from the floor and 3-for-18 from the foul line.”

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 11 (4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Kaila Smith 8 (15 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 defl), Lauren Mueller 8 (3 reb), Alyssa Padberg 6 (6 reb, 4 ast), Samantha White 4 (2 reb), Kim Gross 3 (2 stl), Delia Files 2 (4 reb), Tawnya Proctor 2 (2 reb), Chelsea Eason 1.

El Cajon Valley scoring: Tericka Williams 9 (3 reb, 2 stl, 5 defl), Samantha Julien 8 (4 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 4 defl), Desiree Garcia 6 (5 reb), Hazel Doe 2 (4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 5 defl), Kaylani Faten 2 (4 reb, 2 ast), Jeena Esho (4 reb, 2 stl, 4 defl),

HELIX 64, MONTE VISTA 30 – SINOI LEASAU scored 22 points and KRISTINA SCOTT added 17 as the Highlanders steamrollered visiting Monte Vista in Tuesday’s (Feb. 10) Grossmont South League action.

For all intents and purposes the game was over by halftime as Helix (14-11, 5-2 GSL) led 36-12.

“We attacked with our press early,” said Highlanders’ coach TRINA HANSEN. “It created many turnovers and easy baskets for us. The first unit set the pace early. We were able to get good contributions from each of our 12 players. I was pleased with our defensive intensity.”

Leasau netted 8 of 19 shots from the field, including 6 treys. She also made 4 steals and snagged 5 rebounds.

Kristina Scott’s shooting numbers weren’t as impressive but she did lead the team with 4 assists.

Monte Vista ’s best effort came from LiAIESHA BRANDON, who tallied 6 points and grabbed a game-high 7 rebounds.

KAYLA PUSEY also had 7 boards for the Monarchs (7-17, 1-6 GSL).

“We came out in a zone – they forced us to go man-to-man,” said Monte Vista coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. “By the time we dropped back into the zone it was too late. Helix got just about anything they wanted against us. We still need to learn how to close out games.”

Helix scoring: Sinoi Leasau 22 (5 reb, 2 ast, 4 ast), Kristina Scott 17 (4 ast, 2 stl), Kim Scott 7 (2 ast, 2 stl), Mariah Walker 4 (2 reb, 2 stl), Iesha Murray 4 (3 reb), Callie Fairweather 3, Britney Jenkins 2, Chanelle McNutt 2, Simone Corder 2, Cierra Coleman 1 (3 reb), Jacqueline Smith (5 reb, 5 stl), Brittany Hollie (2 reb).

Monte Vista scoring: LiAiesha Brandon 6 (7 reb), Alexandra Ross 6, Alexandria Conwright 6, Dionna Mercer 4, Kayla Pusey 2 (7 reb), Deanna Bembry 2 (3 reb), Opal Ross 2, Christina Kooyman 2, Jessica Garcia (5 reb).

Jimenez broke her nose in two places against Mount Miguel hopes to be back in the Eagles’ lineup next week.

Although Jimenez is essential to Granite Hills’ postseason success, they didn’t miss her at Valhalla.

That’s because 6-foot-1 senior LAUREN BENDER put together a career game of 27 points and 20 rebounds. Despite going 1-for-10 at the free throw line, Bender connected on 13-of-18 shots from the field.

“Lauren Bender was spectacular from the field tonight,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER.

The Eagles held the Monarchs to 14 points over the final three quarters.

“We played much better defense than we did Friday night against Monte Vista,” Parker added.

Sophomore MONIQUE YBARRA was also a force for the Eagles, garnering 9 points and 13 rebounds, while freshman guard MADDY SHEERAN landed a trio of treys on her way to a 10-point finish.

Valhalla had a horrible shooting night, hitting just 9 of 58 shots from the field (16 percent) and 3-of-28 free throws (11 percent).

Granite Hills scoring: Lauren Bender 27 (20 reb, 2 blk), Maddy Sheeran 10 (3 reb, 3 ast), Monique Ybarra 9 (13 reb), Jessica Harris 7 (5 ast), Keji Kubari 4 (7 reb, 2 blk), Hailey Garner 3 (5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Alyssa Canoff 3 (3 reb).

Valhalla scoring: MacKenzie Cartmill 9 (2 ast), Kelsey Cartmill 4 (3 reb), Ashlee Alfonso 4, Danielle Wilson 3 (7 reb), Chelsea Hale 2 (2 reb), Emily Roberts 2 (8 reb, 3 ast), Karissa Ferrell 1.

CLAIREMONT 27, CHRISTIAN 19 – No other information was made available for this Central League game on Tuesday (Feb. 10).

© East County Sports.com
CORONADO (2-8-09) – In one of her best outside shooting efforts of the season, Santana High guard JAMIE ELIAS nailed three consecutive bombs from 3-point range in the first period, finishing with a game-high 22 points in powering the Sultans past San Marcos, 47-37, in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held at Coronado High's Blumenthal Athletics Complex.

Elias' point total was her best in nearly a month since posting a season-best 26 points on Jan. 7. And with four regular season contests and at least one playoff game remaining, Elias needs 92 points (a reasonable 15.3 over 6 ballgames) to reach 1,000 for her Sultans career.

"After going through three coaches in a week, we've been adjusting," said Elias. "But today was special because it was a landmark – it's coach's first win."

The milestone she was speaking of was Saturday's (Feb. 7) victory was the first career victory for interim head coach JEFF BICKFORD, who took over 10 days ago, but had gone winless in a difficult stretch against Grossmont North League frontrunners West Hills and El Capitan.

"There have been a lot of different changes, but they've all been positive – and he's a really good guy," added Elias. "If anything, it's brought the team closer together. Because of all the coaching changes, we didn't know who we could count on. So we're all really close – it's like a sisterhood kind of thing."

Leading 6-5 out of the gate, Elias stretched the lead into double-digits by first taking a kickout pass from KAILA SMITH for a triple, then she nailed another trey from nearly the exact location on the following possession.

And by the time Elias hit a baseline jumper and then another 3-point shot, she finished the quarter with 11 points for a 17-8 Sultans advantage.

"This was definitely a good win and a chance for us to come over here and try some new stuff," noted Bickford. "The girls aren't used to pressing, but we ran some pressure to get some steals and force some turnovers."

San Marcos rallied to grab a 23-22 lead moments into the second half, but it was short-lived when Santana answered immediately with a 9-0 run. The majority of the streak came on foul shots from the front line of Smith, KIM GROSS and LAUREN MUELLER, as the Knights were unable to match-up inside.

"We started off hot, then they put on a 1-2-2 zone that slowed us down a little," added Bickford. "So once I put them in the proper position, we were fine."

"We focused on running our plays effectively and boxing out."

Bickford also announced that Smith has accepted a full-ride scholarship to Simpson University, an NAIA school in Redding.

Mueller finished with 8 points – two short of her season best – while Smith finished with 6 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 22, Lauren Mueller 8, Kaila Smith 6 (13 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Alyssa Padberg 5 (3 reb, 2 ast), Marjie Panknin 2 (4 stl), Samantha White 2 (5 reb), Kim Gross 2 (8 reb).

SAN DIEGO 71, EL CAPITAN 42 – With ASHLEY DUFFY on the bench for undisclosed reasons for the first half, Cavers point guard Tia Dixon gained free reign of the court. The freshman sensation, who already has scholarship offers from Cal and Virginia, scored 16 of her 27 points in the first half, pacing San Diego to a huge 42-13 lead at the intermission.

Included was 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range while also doing the ball-handling when San Diego went on the fast break.

"Duffy is really good -- it was really competitive and good to see her play in person," noted Dixon. "But for us, we're looking ahead to the playoffs. Poway is the best team we'll face, but with our team and our coaches, we'll beat them and go far."

Duffy's second-half statistics, if projected over an entire contest, would've produced a triple-double against the talented Cavers. Duffy finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while a few more steals might have produced a rare quadruple-double. In Duffy’s case, she’s already had two this season.

With Duffy and Dixon on the court, the teams played the second half to a 29-29 deadlock, although there was quite a bit of substitution in the later stages of a 30-point ballgame.

TAYLOR AUTRY finished with 9 points for El Cap, while AMBER REL-SOLIA produced 8 points and 10 rebounds, hanging tough with the San Diego frontline of Amie Callaway (7 pts, 13 reb) and Andrea Bird (4 pts, 9 reb).

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 12 (7 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl), Taylor Autry 9 (2 ast), Amber Rel-solia 8 (10 reb, 2 ast), Marissa Pitman 4 (4 reb), Chelsey Kyle 3 (5 reb), Darian Borras 2, Vanessa Carrillo 2 (3 reb), Lauren Dominicak 2 (6 reb).

© East County Sports.com
LAKESIDE (2-7-09) — Seeking to prove that the teams' initial meeting was anything but a fluke, West Hills High utilized another superior defensive effort to subdue host El Capitan, 49-33, taking a commanding lead in the race for the Grossmont North League title.

The Vaqueros believed they simply had an off night after falling by 21 points to open the GNL schedule on Jan. 16. However, Wolf Pack defenders forced 27 turnovers on Friday (Feb. 6), while holding the hosts without a field goal over an 11:51 span – including the entire second quarter when the Pack outscored the hosts by an 18-1 margin to snap an even contest tied at 10-all through the first period.

ASHLEY DUFFY, who paced both teams with a game-high 18 points, hit a 10-foot jumper with 1:26 left in the opening quarter to knot the score. Little did anyone know, the Vaqueros would only score a pair of foul shots before Duffy drilled a 3-point goal 2:25 into the second half. By then, West Hills had mounted a 32-11 lead, giving them a 2-game lead in the standings.

"Duffy did not score in the second quarter,” noted West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. “We limited her looks the whole game. We executed our game plan to perfection. Our zone defense was really special.”

Unlike the teams' first meeting, when West Hills attempted to double-team Duffy, this time they allowed a variety of players to guard her one-on-one, but with assistance while allowing anyone else to score. But for the Vaqueros, only TAYLOR AUTRY could muster more than a single basket among the teammates, scoring 7 points, while grabbing 10 boards and taking a charge on defense.

West Hills senior CONNIE HINES came off the bench to key the second-quarter defensive effort. She grabbed 6 of her 10 rebounds during the period, many leading to transition baskets. In addition, starting center AMBER DARBY hauled in a game-high 12 boards, as the Pack held a 48-42 advantage on the boards.

The Vaqueros played their share of defense, too, as the Pack's top two scorers combined to shoot 9-for-28 from the floor, including 2-for-13 from the 3-point line. The leader was KIMMIE CLARK with 13 points, while SHERIKA MILLER posted 10.

West Hils scoring: Kimmie Clark 13 (5 reb, 2 ast), Sherika Miller 10 (6 reb, 2 ast), Mariah Bennett 8 (5 ast, 3 stl), Marilyn Naderhoff 6 (4 ast), Corryn Kivett 6 (3 stl), Amber Darby 4 (12 reb), Connie Hines 2 (10 reb, 2 stl).

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 18 (8 reb, 5 stl, 2 ast), Taylor Autry 7 (10 reb, 2 ast), Lauren Dominicak 2, Marissa Pitman 2 (6 reb), Chelsey Kyle 2, Darian Borras 2 (3 reb, 2 ast).

Just call her Puddin’ Face. Not by a choice of her own, however.

“I thought it was really cool, sitting there eating my cupcake,” said Balderas, who scored 20 points, hitting 8 of 13 shots from the field – including 6 three-pointers.

In a matter of seconds her teammates wiped that smile – actually covered that smile – off her face with a generous helping of chocolate cupcakes.

“Somebody tapped my on my shoulder. I turned around and I was smothered in cupcakes,” she laughed.

Balderas, hardly angry by the incident, groped for napkins – getting some help from an assistant coach.

“Good thing I like chocolate,” said Balderas, who had the gooey stuff all over her face, arms and jersey. She was a good sport though.

The 20 points equals Balderas’ all-time high and she could have easily broken that mark had not Grossmont coach MEGAN LONG sat her on the bench due to the lopsided manner of the game.

“I’m a 3-point shooter and I had the hot hand tonight,” Balderas said. “I don’t care that Coach Long took me out of the game because it’s all about winning and we had this one in the bag.”

HEATHER SPRINGE added 10 points and 5 assists, while FRANKIE TREADWELL corralled a team-high 9 rebounds for the Foothillers.

Grossmont was holding a 25-22 lead early in the third quarter when Balderas hit a 3-pointer with 4:22 left. Springe added two free throws and Balderas hit another trey, extending Grossmont’s advantage to 33-22.

A steal and layup by El Cajon Valley ’s HAZEL DOE (10 rebounds, 5 steals), followed by a bucket by JEENA ESHO cut the Grossmont lead to 7.

A putback by CARLY APPLEGATE and another 3 by Balderas staked Grossmont to a 38-26 lead with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

Grossmont outscored El Cajon Valley 13-2 in the final period.

Grossmont scoring: Danielle Balderas 20 (3 reb, 2 stl), Heather Springe 10 (2 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl), Terra Musgrove 8 (6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Chanel Putras 5 (5 stl), Frankie Treadwell 2 (9 reb, 2 ast), Carly Applegate 2 (2 ast, 2 stl), Chloe Cook 2 (3 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Christa Sawyers 2 (2 reb).

El Cajon Valley scoring: Kaylani Faten 9 (7 reb), Jeena Esho 6 (6 reb, 4 stl), Tericka Williams 5, Hazel Doe 4 (10 reb, 5 stl), Samantha Julien 4 (11 reb, 2 stl), Sophia Yeargain (2 reb).

Scott scored a career-high 22 points and Leasau added 21 as Helix (13-11, 4-2 GSL) maintained 3rd place in the Grossmont South League.

“It was a great win – all five starters played phenomenal in all phases of the game,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “Our post play was spectacular tonight. We had a great week of practice, we were ready to play tonight. We controlled the momentum the whole game and our pressure defense really set the tempo. I feel we started to maintain complete control of the game in the middle of the third quarter.”

Helix outscored the Cougars (16-5, 2-4 GSL) in all four quarters.

“Turnovers killed us,” said Steele Canyon coach PENNY SMITH. “They will do it every time. Ten of our 20 turnovers were in the first quarter. Helix made their layups, Steele Canyon didn’t; Helix rebounded and Steele Canyon didn’t; Helix got good ball possessions and Steele Canyon didn’t. It was a tough loss.”

CHRISTINA WILLIAMS scored a team-high 15 points for the Cougars.

JACQUELINE SMITH had a game-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 points for the Highlanders.

Helix scoring: Kim Scott 22 (2 reb, 4 stl), Sinoi Leasau 21 (6 reb), Kristina Scott 6 (5 reb, 2 stl), Jacqueline Smith 6 (10 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Mariah Walker (6 reb), Iesha Murray (4 reb).

Steele Canyon scoring: Christina Williams 15 (1 blk, 4 stl), Janvier Barbarin 7 (5 reb, 2 stl), Samantha Vernon 4 (7 reb, 2 stl), Gabrielle Beasley 2 (2 reb), Michelle Beasley 2, Mace Alameri 2 (2 reb), Janique Cofield 2, Jazmin Daigle 2.

GRANITE HILLS 51, MONTE VISTA 43 – The first time these Grossmont South League teams met, Granite Hills won by 28 points. The rematch was obviously closer. But Friday’s (Feb. 6) second battle must include an asterisk.

Granite Hills played without team leader SABRINA JIMENEZ, who suffered a broken nose against Mount Miguel on Tuesday (Feb. 3).

Credit the remainder of the Granite Hills crew for keeping the Eagles (15-8, 5-1 GSL) on the winning trail. The pivotal period was the second quarter when Granite Hills claimed a 19-8 scoring edge.

“Offensively we played a good second quarter – that was the difference in the game,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER.

LAUREN BENDER muscled in 16 points, snagged 7 rebounds, blocked 3 shots and made 4 steals for the Eagles. Freshman JESSICA HARRIS added 13 points and 5 assists.

LiAIESHA BRANDON had 12 points and 5 rebounds to pace Monte Vista (7-16, 1-5 GSL). DEANNA BEMBRY had 11 points and 4 assists, while KAYLA PUSEY had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

“It was tight in the first quarter – they jumped out on us by 11 points in the second half,” Monte Vista coach MIKE SKIBBE said. “We made several runs on them to get back in the game in the second half. Each time we did, they repelled us.”

Granite Hills scoring: Lauren Bender 16 (7 reb, 3 blk, 4 stl), Jessica Harris 13 (2 reb, 5 ast), Maddy Sheeran 8 (3 ast, 3 stl), Monique Ybarra 6 (5 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Hailey Garner 5 (3 reb), Alyssa Canoff 3, Keji Kubari (3 reb, 7 blk).

Monte Vista scoring: LiAiesha Brandon 12 (5 reb), Deanna Bembry 11 (4 ast), Kayla Pusey 9 (5 reb), Opal Ross 7 (5 reb), Alexandria Conwright 4, Alexandra Ross (2 ast, 3 stl).

MOUNT MIGUEL 76, VALHALLA 15 – Mount Miguel massacred visiting Valhalla 31-2 with full court pressure in Friday’s (Feb. 6) Grossmont South League game in Spring Valley.

“We kept the press on for only that first quarter,” Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL.

Teams such as No. 3 ranked Mount Miguel have to play full speed for at least part of the game or they will be dead meat come time for the playoffs.

NICOLE FOUNTAIN scored 9 of her 20 points in the opening period. SHAY YOUNG scored 8 of her 12 points in the first eight minutes.

DANESIA WILLIAMSON, who played a little more than half the game, chalked up 17 points, 10 assists, 7 steals and 6 rebounds.

Mount Miguel scoring: Nicole Fountain 20 (2 reb, 3 stl), Danesia Williamson 17 (6 reb, 10 ast, 7 stl), Shay Young 12 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Myishia Watkins 10 (7 ast, 3 stl), Shataera Anderson 8 (4 reb), Dechae Evans 6 (7 reb), Danielle Miller 3 (6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl).

Valhalla scoring: MacKenzie Cartmill 5, Danielle Wilson 3 (6 reb, 3 stl), Karissa Ferrell 3 (2 reb), Kelsey Cartmill 2 (2 reb), Emily Roberts 2 (3 reb).

CORONADO 42, CHRISTIAN 23 – Coronado outscored Christian 12-0 in the fourth quarter of Friday’s (Feb. 6) Central League game at the Ryan Athletic Center to deny the Patriots a shot at an upset victory.

“We played well for 3 quarters,” said Christian High coach SKIP GERLEK. “It was a close game up until then. It was a 7-point game until the fourth quarter. We could not stop Ashley Strobeck at all. She is the second leading scorer in the league and she scored 15 points tonight.”

Christian scoring: Monique Elliott 13, Kara Cartwright 5, Ashley Floyd 3, Mary Grabowski 2.

The Mount Miguel Matadors break huddle following a timeout during Tuesday's 54-46 win over Granite Hills to break a first-place tie between the ballclubs. (Photo by Jeanne Royce)

CIF-SDS RANKINGS (By Major Media Outlets) Thru Feb. 2

North County Times Record  Last 1. The Bishop's 2. Poway 3. Mount Miguel 4. Mater Dei 5. El Capitan 6. Eastlake 7. Mt. Carmel 8. La Costa Canyon 9. Cathedral Catholic 10. La Jolla Country Day 19-2 20-2 15-5 18-2 20-2 14-5 17-5 14-5 14-7 13-8 1 2 3 6 5 7 4 8 9 10 Others: Our Lady of Peace (18-5), West Hills (18-5), Westview (17-6), Montgomery (16-5), Ramona (16-7), Steele Canyon (15-3), San Pasqual (15-6).

SD Union Tribune Record  Last 1. The Bishop's 2. Mater Dei 3. La Jolla Country Day 4. Poway 5. Mount Miguel 6. Mt. Carmel 7. Cathedral Catholic 8. Eastlake 9. West Hills 10. El Capitan 19-2 18-2 13-8 20-2 14-5 18-5 14-7 13-6 18-5 20-2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 — Others (alphabetically): Grossmont (14-6), La Costa Canyon (14-5), Our Lady of Peace (19-5), Ramona (15-7), Santana (15-5), Westview (16-6).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-4-09) — The engine which drives the Mount Miguel girls basketball team might need its timing slightly adjusted, yet the Matadors still own the most elegant vehicle in the Grossmont Conference.

Rolling down the road in cruise control upon gaining a 10-point lead, the Matadors never needed to change gears in Tuesday's (Feb. 3) misleadingly close count of 54-46 at Granite Hills. The victory snaps the deadlock between the teams and moves Mount Miguel into undisputed possession of the South League lead, as head coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL's troops seek an unprecedented 9th consecutive crown.

Mount Miguel (17-5, 5-0 GSL) won for the 80th time in 81 league outings since the 2000-01 season. But a close call in the remarkable stretch came on the team's previous visit to Granite Hills last season.

"We were down by 5 when we came here last year," recalled junior forward NICOLE FOUNTAIN, who paced the Matadors with 19 points. "My mentality was to keep pushing the ball so we wouldn't be down and they couldn't come back."

Fountain's best series came near the conclusion of the third period to make the point.

Off an Eagles miss, Fountain was able to twice tap the basketball out to senior guard DANESIA WILLIAMSON to start the break, then she ran the court to accept a return pass for a hustle layin. Moments later, Fountain stole the ball in the backcourt for another layin, with her two quick baskets lifting the Matadors to a 46-32 lead entering the final quarter.

It's one of the reasons Mount Miguel will be the favorite when the SDCIF Division II playoffs start later this month, despite not finding much success in intersectional competition.

"We're doing fine, but we have some things to work on," noted Williamson, the team leader and lone senior on the Matadors. "We've been up-and-down the whole season."

Williamson, the reigning East County Player of the Year, only scored 10 points. But she was a main factor in all other areas, including running the offense, while posting 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. Although NCAA National Letter of Intent Day is Wednesday, Williamson already inked scholarship papers with USD during the early signing period.

"The coaches, the campus, the players -- it's the best fit for me," noted Williamson, who plans to major in sociology. "I had some choices from USD, Pepperdine -- most of the WCC schools -- and Boston College."

Fountain added, "We're disappointed we didn't win the bigger games in L.A., but it just makes us work harder. We just have to do the little things first before we can accomplish anything else."

Upon Williamson's graduation, the league’s other five teams hope to find some daylight to end the Matadors' long streak of success.

"They're top dog in league with Danesia, who's been the best player in league for the last 2-to-3 years," said Eagles coach JERRY PARKER. "She's always going to keep her team above water, even though we went box-and-one on her."

"She a tough ballplayer. She's seen every junk defense out there, and I look forward to watching her play at USD."

Once the Matadors pulled in front by more than 10 points, Granite Hills chopped the deficit to single digits on six occasions. And each time, Mount Miguel scored on the team's next touch of the basketball, effectively telling the Eagles that they never really had a chance.

The only time the score stayed under double digits came in the final minutes, when Mount Miguel took time off the clock by holding the ball after Eagles standout SABRINA JIMENEZ was forced from the ballgame after possibly breaking her nose with 5:06 remaining.

"We pressed a little bit, but the only thing we were worried about was stopping Sabrina," Williamson added.

Jimenez, who paced Granite Hills with 23 points and 6 rebounds got tangled with Fountain for possession of the ball under the basket. It was unclear if an elbow or the floor did most of the damage, although the two combatants did shake hands afterward.

For the Matadors, DECHAE EVANS posted a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, Likewise, Eagles center LAUREN BENDER accomplished the feat with 13 points and 16 rebounds, while also rejecting 5 shots.

Mount Miguel scoring: Nicole Fountain 18 (10 reb, 2 ast), Dechae Evans 10 (15 reb, 4 stl, 2 blk), Danasia Williamson 10 (9 reb, 4 stl, 3 ast), Myishia Watkins 6, Shay Young 5 (3 reb), Shataera Anderson 4 (2 stl), Danielle Miller 2 (3 ast).

Granite Hills scoring: Sabrina Jimenez 23 (6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Lauren Bender 13 (16 reb, 5 blk, 2 ast, 2 stl), Jessica Harris 5, Lauren Koblischke 2 (5 reb), Maddy Sheeran 2, Keji Kubari 1 (4 reb, 3 blk), Hailey Garner (2 reb, 2 stl).

Although El Capitan did not reveal how many shots they took, the Vaqueros netted only 11 buckets.

Once again the bottom line was the play of El Capitan ’s ASHLEY DUFFY. The San Diego State bound senior scored a game-high 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, made 6 steals and dished 4 assists as the Vaqueros (21-3, 3-1 GNL) won their fourth straight.

“We played the right defense – we held El Capitan to 40 points today and that was our goal,” said Grossmont coach MEGAN LONG. “I think we played a solid defense that they weren’t used to. On the offensive side I think our girls were nervous playing against Duffy.”

El Capitan leaped out to a 14-5 first quarter lead, but the Foothillers refused to go away. The Vaqueros led only 29-22 after three periods.

“In the third quarter we took the lead by one point (22-21),” said Long, “but in the fourth quarter we were back down by 7 and that was something that I think deflated our girls. El Capitan went on a run with 8 unanswered points.”

With 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter and El Capitan leading 32-28, Autry hit a field goal at the free throw line.

“It was a big momentum swing,” Long noted.

HEATHER SPRINGE led Grossmont with 14 points, including a pair of 3s. TERRA MUSGROVE added 13 points, and FRANKIE TREADWELL led the Foothillers with 13 rebounds.

“I thought we could have done better defensively,” said El Capitan coach FRANK QUINONES. “We did a good job in keeping Springe from getting too many 3s. We’re playing young due to injuries.”

“Both teams struggled a little bit,” said Long. “ El Capitan had to play without their post for a full quarter. I give a lot of credit to TAYLOR AUTRY. She had to play our post girl and she doesn’t normally do that.”

Autry had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Vaqueros.

Quinones is more concerned with the future. Foremost on his list is the availability of AMBER REL-SOLIA.

“It’s going to be a tough week, playing West Hills on Friday and San Diego on Saturday,” he said. “We’re pretty banged up – EMILY SUTTON did not play due to an ankle injury. Then in the third quarter tonight Amber Rel-Solia hit the floor pretty hard and suffered a possible broken wrist or elbow. She went to the E.R.

Grossmont was pretty physical.”

El Capitan scoring: Ashley Duffy 18 (13 reb, 4 ast, 6 ast), Taylor Autry 13 (12 reb), Dorian Borras 5 (6 reb, 2 stl), Marissa Pitman 3 (4 reb, 2 stl), Chelsey Kyle 1 (5 reb), Amber Rel-Solia (5 reb).

Grossmont scoring: Heather Springe 14 (7 reb, 2 stl), Terra Musgrove 13 (13 reb), Frankie Treadwell 4 (3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Chanel Putras 3 (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Danielle Balderas (4 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl).

HELIX 61, VALHALLA 42 – Although the score doesn’t really indicate it, Helix played runaway from the start in Tuesday’s (Feb. 3) Grossmont South League game. The Highlanders led 21-6 after one quarter and 35-15 at halftime.

SINOI LEASAU buried 5 three-pointers on her way to a 21-point finish to pace Helix.

KRISTINA SCOTT chipped in 12 points and made a game-high 7 steals for the Highlanders (12-11, 3-2 GSL).

One of the high points for Helix was making 15 of 18 free throws. The Highlanders, who nailed 44 percent of 45 shots from the field, led 35-15 at halftime.

JACQUELINE SMITH grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Highlanders, while IESHA MURRAY contributed 7 points and 7 boards.

“We got to play everyone in the game tonight,” said Helix coach TRINA HANSEN. “We want to continue to compete each game. We played good defense tonight. Our press bothered them and really created turnovers.”

“Sinoi, Kristina and JACKIE SMITH all played well tonight,” Hansen added. “They were effective on both ends of the floor.”

“Once we got down tonight it was hard to play catch-up,” said Valhalla coach CARLOS MOSS. “We do not have that kind of team. I thought we played them fairly even in the second half.”

Valhalla’s NICHOLE MILLER rolled a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, which included hitting 6 of 9 shots from the field.

MacKENZIE CARTMILL topped the Norsemen with 13 points.

Helix scoring: Sinoi Leasau 21 (5 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Kristina Scott 12 (4 reb, 2 ast, 7 stl), Kim Scott 8 (3 reb, 4 stl), Jacqueline Smith 6 (10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Iesha Murray 7 (7 reb), Simone Corder 5, Cierra Coleman 2.

Valhalla scoring: Nichole Miller 12 (11 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), MacKenzie Cartmill 13 (2 reb), Emily Roberts 7 (5 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Danielle Wilson 4 (8 reb, 2 blk), Kelsey Cartmill 3 (2 reb, 3 ast), Ashlee Alfonso 3 (2 stl), Karissa Ferrell (3 reb, 4 stl), Chelsea Hale (2 ast).

WEST HILLS 53, SANTANA 37 – Santana, led by third head coach this season JEFF BICKFORD, was totally overmatched by host West Hills Tuesday night (Feb. 3) as the Wolf Pack sprinted out to a 22-4 first quarter lead and then cruised to its 19th victory in 24 games.

KIMMIE CLARK led a balanced West Hills attack with 17 points, including 4 treys.

“That’s 52 three-pointers for Kimmie,” said her coach, RYAN KINSER.

Santana closed to within 45-35 early in the fourth quarter after West Hills led by 22 midway through the second quarter.

“We got off to a real good start,” said Kinser. “We played good defense – our press hurt them and created many turnovers. We ran our offense well and took some good shots.”

The ever-improving SHERIKA MILLER pitched in 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals for West Hills, which won its fourth straight game.

JAMIE ELIAS led Santana with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

“The first quarter really killed us,” said Bickford. “Our free throw shooting must improve. They (the Sultans) were shooting 57 percent when I took over (as coach of) the team, and for girls, 57 percent is way too low.”

On this particular night Santana shot a paltry 5 of 13 at the charity stripe compared with 10 of 14 for West Hills.

West Hills scoring: Kimmie Clark 17 (3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Sherika Miller 14 (5 reb, 4 stl), Amber Darby 8 (3 reb), Marilyn Naderhoff 4 (2 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl), Corryn Kivett 4 (5 reb), Mariah Bennett 3 (2 reb, 4 ast), Connie Hines 2 (7 reb, 3 stl), Shelby Russo 1.

Santana scoring: Jamie Elias 11 (8 reb), Alyssa Padberg 7 (2 reb), Kaila Smith 6 (9 reb), Kim Gross 5, Samantha White 4, Delia Files 2 (2 reb, 1 blk), Marjie Panknin 2, Lauren Mueller (2 reb).

STEELE CANYON 71, MONTE VISTA 29 – Even if Steele Canyon doesn’t win the Grossmont South League, the Cougars’ victory total will certainly qualify them for the Division II San Diego CIF playoffs.

Led by senior CHRISTINA WILLIAMS’ career-high 21 points, the Cougars breezed past visiting Monte Vista in Tuesday’s (Feb. 3) GSL game. Williams hit 9 of 14 shots from the floor and recorded 8 steals for the Cougars (16-4, 2-3 GSL).

The Cougars led 32-16 at the half and never looked back.

“We played a real great game tonight,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH. “Christina Williams and JULIANNE KOLEGRAFF really carried the team. SAMANTHA VERNON’s 4 steals were crucial to our efforts. JV (BARBARIN) had the flu and we had to be careful with her.”

G’KIA MYLES pitched in with 12 points while Vernon added 10 points and 7 rebounds to her totals.

DEANNA BEMBRY was once again the standout for the Monarchs with 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 7 points.

“We were in the middle of the game in the first quarter,” said Monarchs coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. “We committed six consecutive turnovers in the second quarter. Steele Canyon converted all six into layups. They pretty much decided the game.”

Steele Canyon scoring: Christina Williams 21 (4 reb, 2 ast, 8 stl), G’kia Myles 12 (3 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Samantha Vernon 10 (7 reb, 4 stl), Julianne Kolegraff 7 (2 stl), Michelle Beasley 6 (2 reb, 1 blk), Gabrielle Beasley 6 (2 ast), Janvier Barbarin 5 (5 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Mace Alameri 2 (1 blk), Jessica Domby 1 (2 reb), Yvette Phipps 1.

Monte Vista scoring: Deanna Bembry 7 (16 reb, 4 stl), Ruby Ross 5, Kayla Pusey 4 (3 reb), Alexandria Conwright 4, Alexandra Ross 3, Dionna Mercer 2, Opal Ross 2, LiAiesha Brandon 2 (5 reb).

CHRISTIAN at POINT LOMA – No report on this Central League game.