West Hills' Kylie Cristini, who replaced the injured Taylor Aguirre at point guard, registered 4 assists to help the Wolf Pack clinch the GHL crown. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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EL CAJON (2-19-11) — Any discussions which took place off the court since the Helix-Grossmont fiasco from Jan. 21 were quickly discarded by the West Hills Wolf Pack.

On Friday (Feb. 18), the Pack stormed from the blocks to secure a dominating 20-5 lead, waltzing to a 52-34 triumph over host Grossmont to complete their run to a second consecutive Grossmont Hills League championship. It was also the school's fourth straight title in any league.

Junior forward TAYLOR INGRAHAM took advantage of early Grossmont foul trouble, pouring home a career-high 22 points while grabbing 15 rebounds, allowing West Hills to dominate in the paint.

"Our goal is always just to play hard and work our butts off," said Ingraham, who converted 7 of her first 8 shots, mostly on putbacks. "And when (Grossmont's DANIELLE DAHLE) went out, we had a chance to go inside and put the pressure on them."

Controlling the ball is Grossmont's Chloe Cook in front of teammate Teyshonnia Bealer-West. (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

The triumph gave West Hills (17-9 overall, 9-1 GHL) the league title by a clear 2 1/2 games. Had Grossmont prevailed, the argument about whether a forfeit should have resulted from the Jan. 21 snafu meant a potential co-championship.

"Yes, that point is now moot, but my feelings about the entire situation are not moot," noted Hillers coach MEGAN LONG. "My girls still lost an opportunity to experience a home game against their biggest rivals, especially for my seniors."

According to Long, Grossmont Conference officials have enacted new regulations to deal with late-arriving teams and what to do in those circumstances.

"Still, I have to congratulate West Hills," she added. "They played a great game and deserved to win tonight."

Along with Ingraham, HALEY FORSBERG fueled the offense with 11 points and 7 rebounds, while, the Wolf Pack effort on defense was equally impressive.

"Our defense is the reason we're league champions," added Ingraham.

The Pack yielded just a single basket in the first period on a mere seven shots allowed. When Dahle returned, she registered a team-best 13 points, but Grossmont only once could trim the deficit to 10 points as the Pack remained in control by out-scoring the Hillers over all four quarters.

"We were very disciplined on defense," said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. "We just wanted to win to put everything else to rest."

West Hills: Taylor Ingraham 22 (15 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl), Haley Forsberg 11 (7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Arielle Bowers 7 (2 reb), Jillian Brown 4 (3 stl, 1 ast, 1 reb), Emily Cole 3 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Kaitlin McLucas 3 (2 ast, 2 reb, 1 stl), Kylie Cristini 2 (4 ast, 3 reb), Ja'Ana Diamond (2 reb, 2 ast), Alexa Evans (1 eb), Daniana Ghondour (1 reb).

Grossmont: Danielle Dahle 13 (4 stl, 3 reb, 2 blk, 1 ast), Tey Bealer-West 9 (4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Chloe Cook 7 (4 stl, 2 ast, 1 reb, 1 blk), Christa Sawyers 5 (2 stl, 1 ast, 1 reb), Katarina Schweitzer (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Carly Lopez (2 ast, 1 stl, 1 reb), Nancy Chavez (1 reb).

GRANITE HILLS 68, HELIX 63 – Granite Hills concluded the season with a 4-game winning streak that allowed the Eagles (15-12, 6-4 GHL) to finish in third place in the Grossmont Hills League in Friday’s (Feb. 18) regular season finale over host Helix.

JESSICA HARRIS scored a game high and season best 22 points for the Eagles, nailing a trio of 3-pointers along the way. She also led Granite Hills with 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while SKYLAR WILLIAMS pumped in 19 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, dished 4 assists and made 5 steals.

HAILEY GARNER added 11 points for the Eagles. She also nailed a trio of triples.

The first quarter was a 24-21 scoring fest in favor of Granite Hills. The Eagles led 43-29 at halftime.

The Highlanders made a ferocious comeback in the second half only to fall short.

“The score was played a little bit higher than I liked,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. “We had 24 points at the end of the first quarter and that’s usually what we have at halftime. We did a better job of defense in the second quarter. We really clicked well on offense in the second half. We’re playing our best basketball down the stretch.”

Helix won the first round match 54-39 on Jan. 28.

“We played three games in four days this week and our players’ legs seemed to be a little heavy,” Helix coach DEAN BRUNSON said. “They were a little bit concerned about Jessica Harris and Skylar Williams so I developed a combination defense and we jumped out to a 12-5 lead early. We were outscored 19-8 in the second quarter. The players came into the huddle at the end of the first quarter and told me they all wanted to play man defense, so they did.”

“The 3-ball killed us. We gave up six threes – the most we have given up all year,” Brunson said.

“The SCOTT girls – KIMBERLY and KRISTINA – led us tonight. They really got us going.”

Kristina had a season-best 24 points to go with 8 rebounds, while Kimberly chipped in 16 points and 4 rebounds.

“I’m really impressed with the job Coach Parker did at Granite Hills this year,” Brunson said. “He really has regrouped his team – they were a different team than the one we played the first time through.”

Just how well Parker has done and where the Highlanders stand will be realized in the San Diego CIF playoffs.

Granite Hills: Jessica Harris 22 (9 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl), Skylar Williams 19 (8 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl), Hailey Garner 11 (4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Rae Luckett 7 (8 reb), Cora Leonard 3 (4 reb), Maddy Sheeran 3 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Keji Kubari 2 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Dayna Dunn (2 reb, 1 stl).

Helix: Kristina Scott 24 (8 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk), Kimberly Scott 16 (4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Iesha Murray 8 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Chanelle Ward 7 (1 reb, 2 blk), Jacqueline Smith 4 (9 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Sarah Meredith 2 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Kai Penn 2 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jasmine Hunn (4 reb, 1 stl), Rudy Leasau (3 reb).

Steele Canyon's Samantha Vernon (32) and Valhalla's Danielle Wilson (24) endure a tough one-on-one battle in Friday's regular season finale. (Photos by Ruth Mims) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

STEELE CANYON 50, VALHALLA 35 – Visiting Steele Canyon snapped a five game losing streak as GABRIELLE BEASLEY scored 17 points in Friday’s (Feb. 18) Grossmont Hills League finale.

“We played great in all phases of the game tonight,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH. “I was really pleased with the way we played defense – our rebounding was exceptional.”

“I thanked all the girls after the game,” Smith continued. “I wanted to make sure that they know it’s not their fault (that I am leaving coaching at Steele Canyon ), that I was happy with every player’s effort this year.”

Smith mentioned that he would like to play basketball for one of the local community colleges or continue on towards a career in kinesiology.

It was a tough year for Valhalla first-year coach AL SILVA, whose team finished 12-16 overall. His team did not win a league game but was clearly more competitive than they’ve been in the past.

“I was kinda at a loss for words tonight,” Silva said. “We had too many turnovers in the fourth quarter (12).”

DANIELLE WILSON rolled a double-double for Valhalla of 11 points, 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 4 steals.

Steele Canyon: Gabrielle Beasley 17 (3 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Samantha Vernon 12 (5 reb, 3 ast, 6 blk, 2 stl), Monique Van 6 (10 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl), Sierra Florez 6 (2 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Alyssa Mascari 5 (5 reb, 2 stl), Michelle Beasley 4 (1 ast, 2 stl), Jessica Thompson (2 reb, 2 stl).

Valhalla: Danielle Wilson 11 (16 reb, 2 ast, 6 blk, 4 stl), Kandice Kalasho 11 (2 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Karissa Ferrell 7 (1 reb), Carli Gilstrap 4 (8 reb, 3 stl), Shyla Criger-Philipp 2 (2 reb, 1 blk), Chelsea Hale (1 reb, 1 ast).

SANTANA 56, EL CAPITAN 21 – No surprise here as the Sultans marched to a 37-10 halftime lead and never looked back in Friday’s (Feb. 18) Grossmont Valley League finale.

Santana led 21-4 after the first quarter.

Santana senior SAMMY WHITE was the only player in the game to reach double scoring digits with 14 points.

Santana: Sammy White 14 (1 reb, 1 blk, 1 ast, 2 stl), Amanda Grable 9 (2 reb, 1 ast), Haley Burton 9 (7 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl), Marjie Panknin 6 (2 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl 1 blk), Sydney Blackburn 5 (2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Emily Kloss 5 (1 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Emerald Branson 2 (2 reb, 1 ast), Kelsey Conley 2 (6 reb, 1 ast), Bekka Martinez 2 (1 stl), Kim Gross 2 (6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Lena Moss 1, Ariel Rasmusson (3 reb).

El Capitan: Amber Rel-Solia 6 (5 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk), Vanessa Carrillo 5 (3 reb, 3 stl), Megan Drennen 4 (6 reb, 5 stl, 3 blk), Deanna Reed 3 (3 reb, 2 stl), Ali Parsons 2 (1 stl), Vanessa Sierra 1 (3 reb, 2 blk), Robyn Logel (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Bekah Leonard (2 reb).

Mount Miguel: Myisha Watkins 19 (2 reb, 11 ast, 8 stl), Danielle Miller 19 (1 reb, 4 stl), Shay Young 16 (8 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Dejia Blanks 3 (6 reb, 2 stl), Chantel Yell 2 (3 reb, 2 stl), Breahna Jones 2 (3 stl), Dejanay Pope (2 reb, 3 stl), Demetria Anderson (1 reb).

El Cajon Valley: Chelsea Ball 8 (11 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast), Natasha Fernandez 2 (7 reb), Brittany Swecker (1 stl, 2 ast), Danielle Santana (1 reb), Miranda Mullens (1 reb), Joanna de la Cruz (1 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast), Elizabeth Aguilar 1 ast).

CORONADO 48, CHRISTIAN 26 – The visiting Patriots were no match for Central League champion Coronado in the regular season finale on the4 Silvr Strand Friday (Feb. 18) night.

“I knew Coronado was going to pressure us in this game, and they did,” said Christian coach THOMAS LOWERY. “My goal was to keep the score as low as possible.”

CHAYAN LOWERY hit her first 3-pointer of this season.

Christian: Chayan Lowery 11 (7 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Mia Johnson 6 (3 reb, 1 stl), Lily Rodriguez 3, Alesia Lowery 2 (6 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Jillian Sexton 2 (4 reb, 1 lk, 1 stl), Monique Elliott 2 (1 ast, 1 stl).

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RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-18-11) — On a night when Steele Canyon’s PENNY SMITH announced his resignation as the Cougars girls basketball coach, visiting Helix held on to claim a 53-52 Grossmont Hills League victory in a makeup game played on Thursday (Feb. 17).

The game was originally slated for Feb. 2, but was postponed due to a power outage. Thus, Helix (12-9, 5-4 GHL) completed a two-game series sweep over the Cougars (10-19, 2-7).

Smith, who guided the Cougars to a 54-56 record the past four seasons, said he will leave the team upon the conclusion of the season. He said he will be at the reins for Friday’s (Feb. 18) GHL finale at Valhalla and for any subsequent playoff contests next week.

“I’ve already turned in my resignation,” Smith said. “Friday will be my last game unless we make the playoffs.”

Helix, meanwhile, used a 25-13 second quarter run to erase a 9-4 first quarter deficit for a 29-22 edge at the break. The Highlanders expanded their advantage to 44-33 by the close of the 3rd period.

“We had trouble playing with the lead,” said Helix coach DEAN BRUNSON. “We haven’t been involved in too many games like this, so we didn’t know how to react when it came down to the wire.”

One thing the Highlanders did to damage their cause was make only 3 of 9 free throws in the fourth quarter.

And that nearly cost the Highlanders the game as the Cougars rode a 19-9 run in the 4th to shave the edge to a single point.

“We had the ball with three seconds under their basket and all we had to do is inbound the ball and not turn it over,” Brunson said. “Fortunately we were able to do that.”

Helix: Iesha Murray 12, Kimberly Scott 11, Jasmine Hunn 9, Chanelle Ward 8, Kristina Scott 4, Jacqueline Smith 4, Rudy Leasau 3, Sarah Meredith 2.

Steele Canyon : Samantha Vernon 17, Gabrielle Beasley 13 (2 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Michelle Beasley 9 (2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Monique Van 9 (5 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl), Sierra Florez 4 (3 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Alyssa Mascari (2 reb).

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EL CAJON (2-16-11) — The Grossmont Foothillers saw their chances of winning a Grossmont Hills League championship all but vanish Tuesday (Feb. 15) night as they lost to visiting Granite Hills 53-42 in overtime.

It was a convincing victory for Granite Hills as the Eagles (14-12, 5-4 GHL) outscored the Foothillers 13-2 in the extra session.

That setback left Grossmont with a 19-7 overall, 6-2 GHL record with one game remaining. The Foothiller will face front-running West Hills trailing by one and a half games.

The Foothillers could conceivably beat West Hills for a second time in Friday’s (Feb. 18) regular season finale on the Grossmont court, yet still fall a half-game short of creating a co-championship. That is due to the Jan. 21 Helix-Grossmont game being declared a “no contest.”

“I think my feelings about the situation are exacerbated by our losing to Granite Hills today,” said Grossmont coach MEGAN LONG. “Had we won this game, the “no contest” wouldn’t have mattered – it would have come down to the game this Friday against West Hills.”

Long said she admits to being frustrated over the whole situation.

“It would be hard for me to accept if we go 2-0 against West Hills and don’t win the league championship,” she said. “If we do sweep West Hills I plan to appeal to the ( Grossmont High School ) District and to the CIF, looking for a forfeit from Helix since they are the ones who did not want to play that game.

“But the first thing is we have to take care of business by beating West Hills. If we do that, then I’ll look at my options. I don’t care if it takes until next year to make things right. If they beat us, so be it – they will deserve to be the champions.”

JESSICA HARRIS led Granite Hills (14-12, 5-4 GHL) with 19 points – the majority coming on 5 triples.

“In the overtime Harris hit a 3-pointer that was a momentum-shifter,” Long said.

RAE LUCKETT scored 6 of her 11 points for Granite Hills in the extra session. Point guard SKYLAR WILLIAMS punched in 4 points, dished 2 assists and made 2 steals for the Eagles in the overtime.

“This is the first time our defense has fallen apart in the last seven games,” said Long, who saw the Foothillers’ 6-game winning streak end. “We lost track of their scorers. They just blitzed us in the overtime.”

DANIELLE DAHLE paced the Foothillers with 17 points and 8 rebounds. TEY BEALER-WEST contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for Grossmont.

“This was a huge win for us,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. “We have a bunch of kids who are sick and I saw no energy when we were warming up. I thought we were in trouble.”

Parker noted that one of the keys to stopping the Foothillers was when he shifted his defense to a box-and-one on CHLOE COOK in the second half.

“She had most of her points in the first half but we were able to pretty much take her out of the game after that,” he said.

Another move Parker made at intermission was to use two post players in the overtime – Luckett and KEJI KUBARI.

“We play better when we have two posts,” Parker said.

The results will prove that to be true.

Granite Hills: Jessica Harris 19 (3 ast, 3 stl, 7 reb, 1 blk), Rae Luckett 11 (9 reb, 2 astl, 1 ast), Skylar Williams 11 (5 reb, 3 stl, 4 ast), Maddy Sheeran 10 (4 reb, 2 stl, 3 ast), Dayna Dunn 2 (1 reb), Keji Kubari (8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk), Megan Dunn (1 ast, 1 reb).

Grossmont: Danielle Dahle 17 (8 reb, 3 stl, 4 ast, 4 blk), Teyshonnia Bealer-West 10 (10 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk), Chloe Cook 10 (2 reb, 3 stl, 2 ast), Christa Sawyers 3 (4 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Katarina Schweitzer 2 (1 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast), Carly Lopez (1 reb, 3 ast).

WEST HILLS 45, VALHALLA 28 – Mathematically speaking, West Hills has won a Grossmont League championship for a fourth straight year by virtue of knocking off Valhalla in Tuesday’s (Feb. 15) Grossmont Hills League action.

The Wolf Pack, which was guided by the 13 points and 5 rebounds of TAYLOR INGRAHAM, outscored the Norsemen across the board to hoist their record to 16-9 overall and 8-1 against GHL competition.

West Hills’ only loss was to Grossmont and the Pack will get a chance to avenge that 49-47 setback on Friday (Feb. 18) on the Foothillers’ court.

Even if West Hills should lose to the Foothillers for the second time the Wolf Pack will still win the GHL championship by a half game, given the situation as it stands now. The half-game margin is due to a Grossmont-Helix game not being played.

“It’s been difficult playing without a point guard – either TAYLOR AGUIRRE or KYLIE CRISTINI,” said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. “Tonight was the first time back for Cristini (who missed four games with a concussion). KAITLIN McLUCAS stepped in at point guard. She’s had a lot of responsibility and did well.”

“We played pretty good defense tonight,” noted Kinser.

Cristini collected a game-best 6 steals. JILLIAN BROWN chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds for West Hills.

Nobody scored more than 5 points for the Norsemen although DANIELLE WILSON collected game highs of 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

“I told the girls the last time (we played West Hills) we got burned by (EMILY) COLE when she hit a career high 19 points against us,” said Valhalla coach AL SILVA.

“Tonight we held her to 2 points and we held (HALEY) FORSBERG to 9. We shot well from the free throw line. I think we focused on their top scorers and let the others make plays. We didn’t box out very well.”

West Hills: Taylor Ingraham 13 (5 reb, 1 ast), Jillian Brown 10 (6 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Haley Forsberg 9 (5 reb, 4 blk, 2 stl), Kaitlin McLucas 7 (4 reb, 3 stl), Kylie Cristini 3 (2 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 6 stl), Emily Cole 2 (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Arielle Bowers 1 (3 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Alexa Evans (1 stl), Daniana Ghandour (1 stl).

Valhalla: Danielle Wilson 5 (12 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 2 stl), Cheslea Hale 5 (2 reb, 1 ast), Kandice Kalasho 4 (3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl), Shyla Criger-Philipp 4 (7 reb), Carli Gilstrap 4 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jordan DeLucchi 3 (1 reb), Karissa Ferrell 1 (3 reb, 2 stl), MacKenzie Cartmill 2 (1 reb).

MONTE VISTA 55, SANTANA 39 – Eleven was the number for Monte Vista in Tuesday’s (Feb. 15) Grossmont Valley League encounter at Santana.

That is, DEANNA BEMBRY, DIONNA MERCER, ALEXANDRA ROSS and SHAMONIQUE BOYD scored 11 points apiece as the Monarchs concluded the regular season with an East County high 24 wins (against only 4 losses).

The Monarchs zipped in front of the Sultans 19-8 after one quarter and led 33-17 by intermission.

“It was a hard fought game,” said Monarchs assistant coach AL BIRD. “Deanna Bembry was back in the lineup tonight and she and Mo (Boyd) led us on the boards.”

“Shamonique was the high shooter (5 of 7 from the floor) and Alex Ross dropped in three 3s,” Bird said. “The tempo on the floor was under control and we had some good transition baskets.”

Bembry’s impact could be measured more by her game high 10 assists.

Santana’s SAMMY WHITE scored a game-high 14 points and teammate HALEY BURTON collected 10 rebounds.

“Sammy White comes out and works hard – she’s a coach’s dream,” said Bird.

Monte Vista: Deanna Bembry 11 (8 reb, 3 blk, 7 stl, 10 ast), Dionna Mercer 11 (1 reb, 1 stl, 4 ast), Shamonique Boyd 11 (7 reb, 3 stl), Alexandra Ross 11 (2 reb), Shantee Woods 5 (3 reb, 2 stl, 4 ast), Tasha Brown 3 (5 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast), Felicia Porter 3 (4 reb), Stefanie Banks (5 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast).

Santana: Sammy White 14 (6 reb, 3 blk, 1 ast), Kim Gross 9 (5 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Haley Burton 8 (10 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), Amanda Grable 6 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Marjie Panknin 1 (1 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Lena Moss 1, Emily Kloss (1 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Alex Breidt (1 reb, 1 ast), Sydney Blackburn (2 stl, 2 blk), Taylor Barry (2 ast), Emerald Branson (1 reb), Kelsey Conley (2 reb).

HELIX 60, STEELE CANYON 47 – KIMBERLY SCOTT scored 17 points to help direct Helix to a come-from-behind Grossmont Hills League victory over visiting Steele Canyon Tuesday (Feb. 15) in La Mesa.

The Highlanders (11-9, 4-3 GHL) used a 25-6 scoring dash in the fourth quarter to secure the victory over the Cougars (10-18, 2-6 GHL).

“I was real proud of the way my kids hung in after a slow start,” said Helix coach DEAN BRUNSON. “We had a couple of kids out sick. We tried a couple of things that weren’t all that successful but they stayed with it. I thought it was one of the more intelligent games we’ve played all year. Tonight we played very hard and very poised.”

These same two teams will play on Thursday (Feb. 17) at Steele Canyon at 6 p.m. in a makeup game.

JACQUELINE SMITH added 13 points and JASMINE HUNN had 10 for the Highlanders.

SAMANTHA VERNON was the anchor for Steele Canyon with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals.

“Our lack of depth really kills us,” said Cougars assistant coach RODNEY VAN. “We have just got some tired girls – some were just coming off being sick. We start strong and have a strong middle.”

Helix: Kimberly Scott 17, Jacqueline Smith 13, Jasmine Hunn 10, Kristina Scott 6, Iesha Murray 5, Sarah Meredith 5, Kai Penn 2, Rudy Leasau 2.

Steele Canyon: Samantha Vernon 15 (9 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl), Gabrielle Beasley 11 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Michelle Beasley 10 (3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Alyssa Mascari 5 (2 reb, 1 stl), Sierra Florez 4 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Monique Van 2 (6 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl).

CHRISTIAN 50, CRAWFORD 26 – CHAYAN LOWERY did not have her best free throw shooting night but managed to produce 24 points to go along with a dozen rebounds as Christian (8-8, 6-5 CL) clobbered host Crawford in Tuesday’s (Feb. 15) Central League activity.

The Patriots were clearly dominant as they outscored the Colts in all four quarters.

“It was a really physical game,” said Patriots coach THOMAS LOWERY. “It just seems like from a coach’s perspective that we could do certain things better, like rebounding, going to the basket strong – the little things.”

Christian: Chayan Lowery 24 (12 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk), Alesia Lowery 13 (6 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl), Monique Elliott 6 (1 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Jillian Sexton 5 (4 reb, 1 blk, 3 stl), Mia Johnson 1 (3 reb, 2 stl).

EL CAJON VALLEY 45, EL CAPITAN 30 – CHELSEA BALL banged in 16 points and corralled 15 caroms as El Cajon Valley streaked past visiting El Capitan to post its first Grossmont Valley League victory of the season on Tuesday night (Feb. 15).

For one of the few times this season the Braves (6-18, 1-6 GVL) had three players in double figures, including BRITTANY SWECKER with 12 and NATASHA FERNANDEZ with 11.

El Capitan (4-20, 1-6 GVL) was aggressive on the boards. AMBER REL-SOLIA had 11 rebounds and VANESSA SIERRA had 9, but once again the Vaqueros had trouble generating offense as they were outscored in each of the first three quarters by the Braves.

“We knew Chelsea Ball would be a force,” said El Capitan assistant coach JEFF BICKFORD. “Our post players had better rebounding numbers tonight.”

El Cajon Valley: Chelsea Ball 16 (15 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl, 1 ast), Brittany Swecker 12 (4 reb, 3 ast), Natasha Fernandez 11 (6 reb, 2 blk, 4 stl, 2 ast), Miranda Mullens 3 (4 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast), Elizabeth Aguilar 3 (1 reb), Danielle Santana (3 reb), Joanna de la Cruz (1 ast).

El Capitan: Amber Rel-Solia 7 (11 reb, 1 ast), Robyn Logel 7 (4 reb, 1 stl), Megan Drennen 4 (4 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Vanessa Carrillo 4 (7 reb, 1 stl), Vanessa Sierra 3 (9 reb, 1 blk, 4 stl), Bekah Leonard 3 (5 reb, 1 stl), Deanna Reed 2 (6 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl).

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EL CAJON (2-12-11) — Whether the players or coach would actually admit what was at stake, Mount Miguel rolled over Santana 71-42 in Friday’s (Feb. 11) contest to clinch the Grossmont Valley League championship for the Matadors.

It was the 11th straight league title for coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL, who has been the Matadors mentor during that stretch. More impressive than just winning championships during his dynasty is Mount Miguel has posted 100 league wins against a single loss during his reign.

“I don’t think Coach Robbie even focused on that kind of stuff,” said Mount Miguel senior DANIELLE MILLER, who scored a game-high 28 points in the victory over the Sultans. “He’s real humble about stuff like that – never talks about it.”

Miller clicked on 10 of 21 shots from the field, including a trio of triples and 5 of 7 free throws.

“To be a part of all this makes me feel like I’m something special,” she said. “This is a great program and I’m so happy to be part of it.”

In spite of the hefty numbers Sandoval did little more than take a bow.

“Right now we’re just trying to get better each game and make a run for the playoffs,” he said.

Yet Mount Miguel ’s dominance is hardly a coincidence.

“The big thing is I think we’ve had a lot of good kids here, they’ve done a great job of reacting to what we’ve been teaching them,” Sandoval said.

His current players agree. The girls talked about making a cake.

“I’ll make one for him,” joked Miller, but on a serious note continued, “Being part of the program, nobody wants to lose. We just want to keep it going.”

Mount Miguel built a 41-16 lead at Santana and never looked back.

“It’s really neat to follow the great girls who have played in this program,” said point guard MYISHIA WATKINS, who is headed to Grand Canyon College. “Every time we put on the jersey that says ‘ Mount Miguel ’ we represent the alumni and we just want to keep it going.”

SHAY YOUNG scored 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds. Young, like her teammates was aware of Sandoval’s milestone victory.

“That was never my focus,” said Sandoval. “I didn’t even know that until you just told me. That’s cool, but right now we’re just trying to work toward the playoffs. Those numbers are a good accomplishment for our program.

“I think it says more about the kids who have come through our program than it does about me.”

Santana was paced by SAMMY WHITE’s 18 points and HALEY BURTON’s 11 points and 5 rebounds.

Mount Miguel: Danielle Miller 28 (4 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Shay Young 20 (7 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk), Myishia Watkins 13 (14 ast, 4 stl, 1 reb), Dejia Blanks 6 (2 reb, 1 blk), Dejanay Pope 2 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Breahna Jones 2 (2 reb), Chantel Yell (1 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Demetria Anderson (1 reb).

Santana: Sammy White 18 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Haley Burton 11 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Alex Breidt 5 (2 reb, 1 stl), Kim Gross 3 (3 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Emerald Branson 3 (1 reb, 1 blk), Marjie Panknin (5 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl), Taylor Barry (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Sydney Blackburn (2 ast, 1 blk), Bekka Martinez (1 reb).

GRANITE HILLS 54, VALHALLA 36 – The Eagles celebrated their Senior Night by racing to a 19-3 advantage to take out the archrival Norsemen in Friday's (Feb. 11) Grossmont Hills League game.

Granite Hills saw four different players grab at least 10 rebounds -- for stat-freaks, an amazing total -- while SKYLAR WILLIAMS collected 7 of her game-high 18 points to jump-start the Eagles.

"We rocked to defeat them," noted CORA LEONARD, one of two seniors honored in pregame ceremonies. "The team played hard for me and DAYNA (DUNN) with a ton of teamwork."

Leonard hauled in 12 rebounds, a total bettered only by Williams' 14. Meanwhile, RAE LUCKETT and KEJI KUBARI also grabbed 10 boards in an up-and-down contest where both teams found open shots, although fewer than desired went in.

"Our rebounding won the game for us," added Leonard. "The rock is ours and we went and got it."

The ballgame was special for Dunn on two fronts.

"This game was won for the seniors," said Dunn. "But it was important to me because it was my last home game and I got to play it in front of (Valhalla) coach ( AL ) SILVA. He was my coach for three years and was the first one to teach me the game."

The Eagles’ fast start was also fueled by JESSICA HARRIS. She registered 15 points, yet it was her four assists in the first 10 minutes which propelled the team to a 13-point lead.

For Valhalla, CARLI GILSTRAP poured in a team-best 10 points. Meanwhile, DANIELLE WILSON recorded 9 points and 9 boards, and was again strong on defense with 6 steals and 4 blocked shots.

The Norsemen also received 9 points from KANDICE KALASHO, helping the team's strong play in the second half, outscoring the hosts in the second half after making just 1 of their first 18 shots from the floor.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 18 (14 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Jessica Harris 15 (6 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Keji Kubari 8 (10 reb, 4 blk), Rae Luckett 4 (10 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk), Dayna Dunn 4 (3 reb), Hailey Garner 3 (3 reb, 1 ast), Cora Leonard 2 (12 reb, 2 blk, 1 ast, 1 stl), Maddy Sheeran 0 (2 reb, 1 ast).

Valhalla: Carli Gilstrap 10 (7 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl), Danielle Wilson 9 (9 reb, 6 stl, 4 blk), Kandice Kalasho 9 (5 reb, 2 blk, 2 ast, 1 stl), Shyla Craiger-Philipp 4 (6 reb, 1 blk), Karissa Ferrell 2 (7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Jordan DeLucchi 2 (7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Chelsea Hale 0 (2 reb), Frenda Garcia 0 (2 reb).

Helix' Kristina Scott (center) goes up for the shot, challenged by Grossmont's Katarina Schweitzer. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

GROSSMONT 44, HELIX 33 – TEY BEALER-WEST scored 15 points and DANIELLE DAHLE scored 14 and pulled down 14 rebounds for Grossmont Friday (Feb. 11) to keep the Foothillers’ hopes for a Grossmont Hills League championship alive.

The biggest mark against the Foothillers is a “no contest” against Helix, which could either give them the league title by a half game or cost them the league title by a half game.

Grossmont (19-6, 6-1 GHL) used a 19-8 run over the final 12 minutes to deny the Highlanders (10-9, 3-3 GHL) an upset victory.

The Foothillers cannot be counted out of garnering a piece of the GHL championship as they enter the final week of the season. The fact is, Grossmont has three games in the final week of the season and needs a clean sweep and hope that West Hills stumbles.

The sad part about this scenario is the league title could be decided by a half game because the first-round match between Grossmont and Helix was never played.

Grossmont used a smothering defense to handle the Highlanders.

“I think our 1-1-3 zone gave them problems,” said Foothillers coach MEGAN LONG. “Given our situation as it is now, all I can focus on is winning.”

Grossmont: Teyshonnia Bealer-West 15 (7 reb, 2 ast), Danielle Dahle 14 (14 reb, 3 ast, 7 blk), Christa Sawyers 5 (8 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Carly Lopez 5 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Chloe Cook 3 (1 reb), Katarina Schweitzer 2 (4 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl).

Helix: Kimberly Scott 9 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Kristina Scott 8 (5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Jasmine Hunn 7 (6 reb, 3 stl), Chanelle Ward 3 (2 reb, 1 stl), Iesha Murray 2 (4 reb), Sarah Meredith 2 (1 stl), Jacqueline Smith 2 (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Kai Penn (1 reb), Rudy Leasau (1 stl, 1 blk), Hayley Singer (2 reb).

MONTE VISTA 64, EL CAPITAN 19 – Monte Vista sophomore FELICIA PORTER rang up a career-best of 15 points and 14 rebounds to go along with 4 steals and 3 assists as the host Monarchs blew out El Capitan in Friday’s (Feb. 11) Grossmont Valley League action.

The Monarchs (23-6, 5-2 GVL) led 40-7 at halftime.

STEPHANIE BOYD was also a Monte Vista force with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 5 steals.

“What do you do in a game like this,” Monte Vista coach MICHAEL SKIBBE asked. “We didn’t play well. This is not the game we want to take into the playoffs.”

Not to be overlooked was the performance of ALEX ROSS (12 points, 6 rebounds) and DIONNE MERCER (10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals).

Crashing the boards for Monte Vista was TASHA BROWN, who led the Monarchs in rebounds with 14 to go along with 5 steals and 3 assists.

Monte Vista: Felicia Porter 15 (14 reb, 4 stl, 3 ast), Shamonique Boyd 13 (14 reb, 5 stl), Alex Ross 12 (6 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast), Dionna Mercer 10 (5 reb, 5 stl, 3 ast), Shantee Woods 8 (5 reb, 3 stl, 2 ast), Tasha Brown 6 (14 reb, 5 stl, 3 ast), Stefanie Banks (5 reb, 1 stl).

El Capitan: Robyn Logel 4 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Vanessa Sierra 4 (2 reb), Deanna Reed 3 (5 reb, 1 stl), Bekah Leonard 2 (1 reb, 2 stl), Vanessa Carrillo (2 (9 reb), Amber Rel-Solia 2 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Ali Parsons 2, Megan Drennen (1 ast), Kim Galvan (1 reb).

WEST HILLS 58, STEELE CANYON 41 – West Hills (15-9, 7-1 GHL) knocked off the Cougars (10-17, 2-5 GHL) Friday night (Feb. 11) to maintain their lead of the Grossmont Hills League.

GABRIELLE BEASLEY scored 18 points to lead Steele Canyon in the losing effort.

West Hills: Haley Forsberg 14 (16 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Emily Cole 11 (4 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk), Jillian Brown 9 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Taylor Ingraham 9 (3 reb, 1 blk), Ja’Ana Diamond 5 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Arielle Bowers 3 (3 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Alexa Evans 3 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Kaitlin McLucas 2 (2 ast, 2 stl), Daniana Ghandour 2 (1 ast).

Steele Canyon: Gabrielle Beasley 18 (3 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Michelle Beasley 8 (3 reb, 2 stl), Sierra Florez 6 (4 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Monique Van 5 (4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Samantha Vernon 2 (7 reb, 1 blk), Alyssa Mascari 2 (3 reb, 2 stl), Sonceri Cofield (1 reb).

“Clearly, we are the better team,” said Christian coach THOMAS LOWERY. "And I warned the girls before this game that we’re not good enough to overlook anybody. We definitely took this team too lightly.”

The Clairemont Chieftains (7-11, 5-5 CL) buzzed the Patriots 32-16 in the middle two quarters and then held off a belated fourth-quarter charge to post a 57-47 victory.

“It was one of those nights where they just outplayed us,” said coach Lowery. “It seemed like everything they shot, they made. I knew we were in trouble when one of their players hit a banked-3 and we fouled her and she made it a 4-point play.”

Freshman CHAYAN LOWERY turned in another powerful double-double for Christian with 27 points, and 14 rebounds.

The loss dropped the Patriots (7-8, 5-5 CL) into a third-place tie with the Chieftains.

Christian closes the campaign next week with road games against Crawford on Tuesday (Feb. 15) and Coronado Friday (Feb. 18)

Christian: Chayan Lowery 27 (14 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl), Alesia Lowery 7 (5 reb, 3 stl), Jillian Sexton 5 (5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Mo Elliot 4 (6 reb, 2 stl), Mia Johnson 2 (4 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Hayley Cruz 2 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl).

Granite Hills' Maddy Sheeran with a first-quarter basket to kick-start the Eagles past Steele Canyon. (Photo by Nathan Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

CIFSDS Playoff Schedule First Round – Tue., Feb. 22 (7 p.m.) Quarterfinals – Fri., Feb. 25 (7 p.m.) Semifinals – Tue., Mar. 1 (7 p.m.) Championships (at USD) Fri., Mar. 4 Division V – 2 p.m. Division II – 6:05 p.m. Sat., Mar. 5 Division IV – 9:30 a.m. Division III – 1 p.m. Division I – 6:05 p.m.

GHL leading Wolf Pack tags contender Andrew Smith © Special to East County Sports.com SANTEE (2-9-11) — In a match-up of a pair of one-loss teams in Grossmont Hills League play, Helix and West Hills played a very close and entertaining game with the Wolf Pack coming out top dog, beating the Scotties, 57-51, Tuesday (Feb. 8) night. West Hills (14-9, 6-1) applied good defense in the first quarter while recording 6 steals and jumping out to a 16-9 lead. Sophomore guard HALEY FORSBERG scored 6 of the Wolf Pack's first 8 points in the second half with some nice inside play, pushing their lead to 24-11 with 5:53 left in the first half. Helix went back to the drawing boards and compensated by switching up their game-plan to full court man-to-man pressure and it got them back into the game, causing 10 second quarter turnovers and closing the half on a 12-3 run. It turned out to be a great call as they cut the lead to 27-23 at the break. The switch in tactics almost proved to be too much. "We've struggled against man pressure all year long,” West Hills head coach RYAN KINSER said. “Once he (Helix coach DEAN BRUNSON) switched to that, we tried to run some things with our guards that worked a little bit, but it was a definite struggle.” The Highlanders came out with that same pressure early in the third and took the lead at 30-29 with 5:20 left in the period, capped off with a steal by senior forward JASMINE HUNN, who then dished it to a less-than-100-percent KRISTINA SCOTT, who is suffering from a foot injury, for an easy fast-break layup. "It still hurts so much. I'm in so much pain right now," Scott stated. Twin KIMBERLY SCOTT played brilliantly, scoring 23 points. The sisters combined for a noteworthy 11 steals. Following a West Hills timeout, sophomore EMILY COLE came right out to hit a 3-pointer to put the Wolf Pack back on top, 32-30. Wolf Pack forward TAYLOR INGRAHAM then scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the second half, to maintain the Pack's lead for the balance of the contest. Kimberly Scott scored the Scotties first 9 points in the fourth. Off a nice dish-off from West Hills' JILLIAN BROWN to a wide-open KAITLIN McLUCAS for a trey, the lead stretched to 53-44 with 2:00 remaining. McLucas played out of position, filling in at the point since the Wolf Pack’s two playmakers sat on the bench with injuries. "It's just hard to handle the pressure sometimes," said McLucas. Noted Kinser, "She's not a point guard, but she's done a great job for us stepping in. Facing pressure with no point guards was tough. It was a definite struggle, but in the end we just made enough plays to win." Regarding the team's halftime adjustments, Forsberg noted, "We started to play better as a team. We got more confident and comfortable out there passing the ball around." West Hills: Taylor Ingraham 12 (6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jillian Brown 9 (9 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Haley Forsberg 9 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk), Emily Cole 8 (4 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Kaitlin McLucas 7 (1 stl), Arielle Bowers 4 (3 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Ja'Ana Diamond 4 (2 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Alexa Evans 2 (1 reb), Daniana Ghandour 2 (1 reb). Helix: Kimberly Scott 23 (3 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Jacqueline Smith 11 (4 reb, 2 stl), Jasmine Hunn 5 (7 reb), Kristina Scott 5 (5 reb, 2 ast, 6 stl), Iesha Murray 4, Chanelle Ward 3 (1 ast), Sarah Meredith (1 reb).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-9-11) — "Be careful what you wish for."

The proverb dates back more than a century from the classic W.W. Jacobs horror story "The Monkey's Paw," published in Harpers Monthly in 1902.

For the visiting Cougars, a switch was – proverb coming – a recipe for disaster, with the Eagles crushing the Cougars, 74-41.

"Steele Canyon's the one that wanted to switch basketballs, not us" said Eagles junior JESSICA HARRIS. "They said the ball was too flat."

So the second quarter opened with a new ball in play, and – much to the chagrin of the requisitioning Cougars – Steele Canyon shot a mere 2-for-13 to close the first half following the switch, allowing the Eagles to expand a small lead into a 38-20 halftime cushion.

Meanwhile, Harris posted big numbers, nearly registering a triple-double in just three quarters of play with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists to give Granite Hills a season-series sweep.

"We were motivated to go all out," noted Harris. "We just played off the first time we played them."

Motivated? Try a season-best 50 percent shooting percentage (28 for 56) from the floor, as the Eagles, who averaged just 39.2 points in six previous Grossmont Hills League contests, nearly doubled that total in scoring their highest total against Steele Canyon since scoring 73 against them more than seven years ago (Jan. 16, 2004).

Conversely, the Cougars' shooting woes continue despite numerous chances in the paint.

The interior defense for Granite Hills did contribute.

"We didn't let any distractions bother us – we played our own game," noted sophomore forward RAE LUCKETT, who collected 9 points and 9 rebounds. "It was just really good defense.

Tied at 13-all, the Eagles closed the opening quarter on a 3-ball by HAILEY GARNER, then SKYLAR WILLIAMS stole the ball, feeding Harris for a layin while being fouled for a traditional 3-point play.

GABRIELLE BEASLEY, who paced Steele Canyon with 17 points, opened the second quarter with a deep triple, but Granite Hills answered with a 16-2 scoring run – including six points each by Harris and Williams – to put away the victory early.

Williams recorded one of her most productive outings of the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

MADDY SHEERAN added 10 points for the Eagles, as the team's press-break offense saw high shooting percentages out of Luckett (3-4), CORA LEONARD (3-4), KEJI KUBARI (2-2) and MEGAN DUNN (2-2).

For the Cougars, center SAMANTHA VERNON posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.

Granite Hills: Jessica Harris 17 (10 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), Skylar Williams 14 (10 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl), Maddy Sheeran 10 (2 stl, 1 ast, 1 reb), Rae Luckett 9 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Cora Leonard 6 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 charge), Megan Dunn 6 (1 ast, 1 reb, 1 stl), Hailey Garner 5 (3 reb, 2 ast), Keji Kubari 4 (5 reb, 4 blk), Dayna Dunn 3 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl).

Steele Canyon: Gabrielle Beasley 17 (6 stl, 1 ast, 1 reb), Samantha Vernon 11 (12 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast), Monique Van 6 (5 reb, 2 ast), Michelle Beasley 4 (6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl), Sierra Florez 2 (5 reb, 2 stl), Alyssa Mascari 1 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl).

GROSSMONT 40, VALHALLA 32 – One thing that’s great about coaching is it usually becomes a chess game. Sometimes it gets more complex than that.

In the eyes of Valhalla coach AL SILVA the key player for the Norsemen was DANIELLE WILSON, who finished with 9 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks in Tuesday’s (Feb. 8) Grossmont Hills League game against visiting Grossmont.

“(Grossmont coach) MEGAN (LONG) double- and triple-teamed Danielle all night,” Silva said. “We didn’t react well to their defensive pressure. “

Long refuted the notion that the Foothillers double- and triple-teamed Wilson.

“Defensively we were very solid,” she said. “We just played our regular 1-1-3 zone until the last quarter, then we played man defense. When the ball goes into the corner and the wing comes over to put pressure, it’s the responsibility of the weak side wing to front the post. Maybe that looks like a double team.”

For the record Valhalla’s KANDICE KALASHO scored a game high 14 points – the majority coming on 4 treys.

The Foothillers relied on the double-doubles of TEY BEALER-WEST (12 points, 11 rebounds) while DANIELLE DAHLE pitched in with 10 points and 14 boards as Grossmont improved to 18-6, 5-1 GHL.

Grossmont, which trails front-running West Hills by half a game, has rescheduled a contest at Steele Canyon for Thursday (Feb. 17). The Foothillers elected to not play a scheduled game against Helix due to transportation miscues, which could either help them or hurt them when the final standings are recorded.

The Steele Canyon game was postponed due to a power outage.

Grossmont: Teyshonnia Bealer-West 12 (11 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk, 3 stl), Danielle Dahle 10 (14 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 6 stl), Chloe Cook 7 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl), Christa Sawyers 5 (9 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Carly Lopez 3 (2 reb), Katarina Schweitzer 2 (8 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Bria Miller 1, Nancy Chavez (2 reb).

Valhalla: Kandice Kalasho 14 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Danielle Wilson 9 (13 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 3 stl), Carli Gilstrap 5 (5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Shyla Criger-Philipp 3 (1 reb), Cheslea Hale (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Karissa Ferrell (3 reb).

CHRISTIAN 52, MADISON 31 – Christian (7-7, 5-4 CL) used a balanced attack to knock off visiting Madison in Tuesday’s (Feb. 8) Central League action.

The Patriots took a 17-4 first quarter lead and never looked back, closing with a 16-4 spread in the final period.

CHAYAN LOWERY led the Patriots with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Her sister ALESIA LOWERY chipped in with 12 points.

“Our man-to-man pressure forced a lot of turnovers and allowed us to play the game at our tempo,” said Patriots coach THOMAS LOWERY. “We did a good job of denying their best player the ball.”

Christian: Chayan Lowery 16 (9 reb, 1 ast, 7 blk, 3 stl), Alesia Lowery 12 (1 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl), Jillian Sexton 9 (4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Monique Elliott 7 (1 reb, 3 stl), Mia Johnson 4 (1 reb, 3 stl), Hayley Cruz 4 (1 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Savanna Sterkowitz (1 reb).

MONTE VISTA 66, EL CAJON VALLEY 27 – Missing two starters and one key reserve, Monte Vista rode a career-high 22 points by SHANTEE WOODS to Tuesday’s (Feb. 8) Grossmont Valley League victory over El Cajon Valley.

The Monarchs (22-6, 4-2 GVL) trail front-running Mount Miguel by two games with three to play.

CHELSEA BALL continues to be a stalwart for El Cajon Valley (5-18, 0-6 GVL) with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Monte Vista: Shantee Woods 22, Dionna Mercer 15, Alex Ross 12, Felicia Porter 9, Tasha Brown 6, Stefanie Banks 2. (No stats reported.)

El Cajon Valley: Chelsea Ball 13 (15 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl), Natasha Fernandez 6 (6 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl), Brittany Swecker 4 (4 reb, 3 ast), Miranda Mullens 2 (1 ast, 1 stl), Danielle Santana 2 (3 reb), Joanna de la Cruz (1 ast).

MOUNT MIGUEL 71, EL CAPITAN 8 – Grossmont Valley League-leading Mount Miguel spun two shutout quarters at host El Capitan in Tuesday’s (Feb. 8) blowout victory in Lakeside.

The Matadors (17-7, 6-0 GVL) need only one more win to secure their 11th straight league title. That is all but sure to come in Friday’s (Feb. 11) visit to Santana.

Mount Miguel: Danielle Miller 22 (3 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl), Shay Young 20 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl), Myishia Watkins 14 (1 reb, 11 ast, 5 stl), Chantel Yell 7 (1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Breahna Jones 4 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Dejia Blanks 2 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl), Dejanay Pope 2 (2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Demetria Anderson (4 reb).

El Capitan: Deanna Reed 3, Amber Rel-Solia 2, Robyn Logel 2, Vanessa Carrillo 1. (No stats reported.)

© East County Sports.com
LA JOLLA (2-6-11) — Mount Miguel’s Matadors put together a nifty come-from-behind effort Saturday (Feb. 5) to edge Mater Dei, 51-50, in the Coaches vs. Cancer Invitational at The Bishop’s School's Fleet Center.

Trailing 38-33 after three quarters, the Matadors (16-7) went on an 18-11 run over the final eight minutes to post their fifth straight win.

SHAY YOUNG led the charge, scoring 9 of her 13 points in the last period. MYISHIA WATKINS rang up 7 of her 15 points during that span, including a game-winning free throw with nine seconds left.

“Myishia did a good job of penetrating and dishing to Shay in the 4th quarter,” Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL said.

DANIELLE MILLER tallied 17 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, including all 11 of the Mount Miguel markers in the opening stanza. She also chalked up a victory-clinching steal with one second remaining. It was Miller’s sixth theft of the game and 15th in her last two outings.

“Mater Dei was sending three people at Miller, so she had to trust her teammates rather than trying force things,” Sandoval said.

“It feels good to finally win a close one,” the coach concluded.

Mount Miguel Danielle Miller 21 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl), Myishia Watkins 15 (3 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl), Shay Young 13 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk), Breahna Jones 2 (2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Chantel Yell (4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Dejanay Pope (3 reb).

Mat-adorable

Top: Mount Miguel's Danielle Miller on the dribble drive. Middle/Bottom: A nice screen from freshman Dejanay Pope (14) allows a free lane to the basket for Myishia Watkins. (Photos by Daniel Salinas, MMHS student)

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-5-11) — When it comes time to award Grossmont league championships, Mount Miguel’s ROBBIE SANDOVAL is at the front of the line. It’s not like Sandoval sits there and counts up victories, but he knows his teams are better than the rest.

Thus, following Friday’s (Feb. 4) 61-54 Grossmont Valley League victory over hard-charging Monte Vista, Sandoval has all but claimed his 11th straight league title in as many years as he has coached the Matadors.

One thing Sandoval can count on when games are important is the performance of seniors DANIELLE MILLER and MYISHIA WATKINS. He wasn’t disappointed Friday night as Watkins hit 7 of 16 shots from the floor – including a pair of treys – and all 4 free throws for a 20 point output to go along with 6 assists.

Miller also scored 20 points, many of which came off her 9 steals.

But the unsung hero of this victory was CHANTEL YELL, who tallied a career-high 10 points – 7 of which came in the pivotal fourth quarter.

“We had to keep our cool,” said Yell, who hit 3 of 6 shots from the floor – including a pair of treys – and both free throws.

Yell was referring to the first quarter which ended in a 12-12 deadlock. Not known for her scoring contributions, Yell came up big when the game was one the line.

“It’s hard to gear up for a big game like this when we’ve played teams that we know we’re just going to mow over,” she said.

Yell pointed out the new philosophy devised by Sandoval of PEE – Pride, Effort and Energy.

“We heard the Monte Vista coach and players were talking about how they’re going to beat us and make us share the league championship,” said Yell. “Once we heard that we knew we had to work harder.”

As a rule, Yell doesn’t draw much defensive attention.

“They were playing off me so that left me open to shoot,” she said. “I had a lot of confidence shooting today because my teammates have been pumping me up in practice.”

Sandoval heaped accolades on Yell.

“Those 10 points she got for us this game were really big – probably the biggest she’s had in her whole career,” he said.

The turning point in this game was in the second quarter when Watkins scored 11 points and Miller tallied 10 to stake the Matadors to a 33-23 halftime advantage.

But the save definitely went to Yell.

Monte Vista (21-6, 3-2 GVL), which figures to gain a prominent seed in the SDCIF pairings, received 10 points apiece from SHANTEE WOODS and SHAMONIQUE BOYD.

Probably the most impressive statistic was on the boards where the Monarchs claimed a 47-31 edge.

DEANNA BEMBRY was Monte Vista’s kingpin with 17 boards.

“It felt like a relief, beating these guys,” said Watkins, who also had 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

“I’m 3-for-3 in terms of winning league titles,” added Watkins, who spent her freshman year at Lincoln.

UNLV-bound Miller was proud to proclaim “What we want to do is make the legacy continue.”

She was talking about Mount Miguel winning its 11th straight league title.

“Give Monte Vista credit, they’ve gotten a lot better since I’ve been here,” Miller added.

Sandoval agreed.

“Monte Vista played us tough,” he said. “All their kids played hard. They are a physical team. Coach (MICHAEL) SKIBBE does a good job over there and he’s turning that program around.”

Mount Miguel: Danielle Miller 20 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 9 stl), Myishia Watkins 20 (5 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), Chantel Yell 10 (3 reb, 1 stl), Shay Young 4 (8 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Dejanay Pope 3 (7 reb, 1 stl), Breahna Jones 2 (3 reb, 2 ast), Dejia Blanks 2 (1 blk).

Monte Vista: Shantee Woods 10 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Shamonique Boyd 10 (6 reb), Deanna Bembry 8 (17 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Abigail Vargas 7 (5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Tasha Brown 7 (4 reb), Alex Ross 7 (2 reb, 3 stl), Stefanie Banks 4 (6 reb, 1 ast), Dionna Mercer 1 (2 reb, 1 stl), Felicia Porter (2 reb).

Grossmont's Ashley Hargrove gets blocked from behind by Samantha Vernon of Steele Canyon. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

It was a nifty steal by the Foothillers (17-6, 4-1 GHL), who overcame a 40-36 deficit in the extra period.

A basket and two free throws by DANIELLE DAHLE knotted the contest at 40-all. After Steele Canyon missed a shot under the basket, TEY BEALER-WEST got the rebound and passed it CHLOE COOK who was fouled with 28 seconds remaining.

Cook nailed both free throws, staking the Hillers to a 42-40 lead.

Steele Canyon ’s bid to tie it went awry and Grossmont’s ASHLEY HARGROVE grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Hargrove, who collected 7 rebounds and blocked 4 shots, made one of two free throws to give the Hillers a 3-point edge with 15 seconds left in the extra stanza.

Steele Canyon, which was led by MONIQUE VAN’s 15 points and 10 rebounds, missed a desperation shot, leaving Grossmont with the victory.

Credit Steele Canyon for forcing overtime.

With Grossmont sitting on a comfortable 36-30 lead with one minute left in regulation, the BEASLEY sisters – MICHELLE and GABRIELLE – each hit a field goal to close the deficit.

A steal by Van allowed her to run the length of the court to tie the game 36-36 with 3 seconds left to create the overtime.

“It was a tough loss for us tonight,” said Cougars coach PENNY SMITH. “We had many chances to win but we couldn’t put enough together – either on offense or defense. SAMANTHA VERNON (13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 steals) had a big game for us on defense tonight.”

Grossmont: Danielle Dahle 15 (6 reb, 3 ast, 8 blk, 4 stl), Teyshonnia Bealer-West 11 (11 reb, 1 ast), Chloe Cook 7 (2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Christa Sawyers 6 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Ashley Hargrove 3 (7 reb, 4 blk, 3 stl), Katarina Schweitzer 1 (3 reb), Carly Lopez (1 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl).

Steele Canyon: Monique Van 15 (10 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl), Samantha Vernon 13 (5 reb, 1 ast, 4 blk, 5 stl), Gabrielle Beasley 8 (5 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl), Michelle Beasley 2 (3 reb, 3 stl), Alyssa Mascari (1 reb, 2 stl), Jessica Thompson (1 reb, 1 stl), Sonceri Cofield (2 reb, 1 stl).

HELIX 40, VALHALLA 34 – The visiting Highlanders kept their Grossmont Hills League title aspirations alive by knocking off the Norsemen Friday (Feb. 4) night.

JACQUELINE SMITH scored 8 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to help the Highlanders deny Valhalla (12-12, 0-6 GHL) the upset.

The season has been a virtual mess for Helix, with people canceling games and “no contest” calls, leaving the Highlanders with a 10-7, 3-1 GVL mark.

Helix will make up a game (cancelled due to power outage) on Thursday (Feb. 10) at Steele Canyon at 6 p.m. The Highlanders will definitely need to win that game if they are to have any hope of winning the GHL title.

Highlanders coach DEAN BRUNSON was pleased that his squad limited Valhalla to 18 points over the first three quarters.

“I felt our defensive effort was superb,” said Brunson. “ Valhalla played excellent defense. They made us take shots we didn’t want to take. Our passing was not patient and therefore our offensive execution and crispness was not where it has been.”

KIMBERLY SCOTT led the Highlanders with 15 points, all of which came in the second half.

DANIELLE WILSON was the scoring anchor for Valhalla with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks.

“When we shoot 28 free throws and only make 13... that’s the story of the game right there,” said Valhalla coach AL SILVA.

“SHYLA CRIGER-PHILIPP was strong and she sure is not playing like she’s a freshman,” he added. “My JV player (FRIENDA GARCIA) played well – she gave us good minutes tonight.”

MacKENZIE CARTMILL did not play as she was in Spain with the Valhalla choir.

Helix: Kimberly Scott 15, Jacqueline Smith 12, Iesha Murray 4, Jasmine Hunn 3, Kai Penn 3, Sarah Meredith 2, Chanelle Ward 1.

Valhalla: Danielle Wilson 12 (16 reb, 1 ast, 6 blk, 2 stl), Shyla Criger-Philipp 9 (5 reb), Kandice Kalasho 6 (4 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl), Jordan DeLucchi 4 (4 reb, 2 stl), Frienda Garcia 2 (2 reb, 1 stl), Karissa Ferrell 1 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Chelsea Hale (3 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Carli Gilstrap (3 reb, 1 stl).

WEST HILLS 40, GRANITE HILLS 28 – West Hills maintained its lead in the Grossmont Hills League by thwarting the Eagles in Friday’s (Feb. 4) GHL action.

Like all games there’s usually a pivotal quarter. In this one that would be the third quarter when the Pack blanked Granite Hills 10-0.

“We played great defense on them,” said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER. “We executed our game plan to perfection. We struggled on offense tonight. We shot too poorly and had too many turnovers. We pretty much led the whole game. Holding them scoreless in the third quarter was huge.”

EMILY COLE was the only player on either team to reach double scoring digits as she finished with 10 – the majority coming on a pair of 3-pointers.

West Hills: Emily Cole 10 (6 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl), Taylor Ingraham 7 (7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Haley Forsberg 6 (8 reb, 1 at, 1 stl), Jillian Brown 6 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk), Ja’Ana Diamond 5 (3 reb, 1 ast), Kaitlin McLucas 4 (3 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Arielle Bowers 2 (3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl).

Granite Hills: Kayla Kemp 7, Skylar Williams 7, Hailey Garner 4, Jessica Harris 4, Rae Luckett 4, Keji Kubari 2.

SANTANA 38, EL CAJON VALLEY 34 – Santana coach MARK TIPTON was pleased that his Sultans were able to dodge an upset bid by host El Cajon Valley with a strong finish in Friday’s (Feb. 4) Grossmont Valley League battle.

The Sultans used a16-3 fourth quarter run to improve their league record to 3-2 (10-11 overall), which leaves them in a second place tie with Monte Vista.

“We took our first lead in the game with 2:40 to play in the fourth quarter,” said Tipton. “It was a very sloppy game.”

Santana’s scoring balance, which featured 10 points apiece by KIM GROSS and SAMMY WHITE, set the pace for the Sultans.

El Cajon Valley’s NATASHA FERNANDEZ scored a career-high 20 points, which including 6 treys. It wasn’t enough to deny Santana the victory.

CHELSEA BALL banged the boards for 18 rebounds for the Braves (5-17, 0-5 GVL).

“It’s inexperience – we got rattled going into the game,” said El Cajon Valley coach CARLOS MOSS. “We had a helluva effort. We did everything due tonight but win. We have to learn how to win but we are closer to getting there.

Santana: Kim Gross 10 (9 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Sammy White 10 (6 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl), Amanda Grable 5 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Marjie Panknin 4 (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl), Sydney Blackburn 4 (1 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl), Haley Burton 3 (7 reb, 2 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl), Kelsey Conley 2 (3 reb).

El Cajon Valley: Natasha Fernandez 20 (8 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl), Chelsea Ball 6 (18 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Joanna de la Cruz 3 (1 reb), Danielle Santana 2 (2 reb), Miya Harris 2 (8 reb, 2 stl).

Monte Vista forward Shamonique 'Mo' Boyd (left) powers up for the shot while surrounded by Santana's Sammy White (51) and Kim Gross. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Grossmont elects to call Helix cancellation as a'no contest,' then defeats Granite Hills © East County Sports.com EL CAJON (2-3-11) — There was plenty of news out of the Grossmont front on Wednesday (Feb. 2). Even before the Foothillers would go out and knock off Granite Hills, 46-40, in a Grossmont Hills League contest, Foothillers coach MEGAN LONG announced to her team that the Jan. 21st game scheduled to be played against Helix will be officially designated a “no contest.” This means the standings will not be affected – it’s as if the game was never scheduled. But for Long to make any kind of announcement was tough, considering she has been suffering a week-long bout with laryngitis. The Foothillers pinned the host Eagles to the mat in the first half, taking a 27-17 lead. Granite Hills scrambled back in the third quarter to make it a 2-point deficit. But the Foothillers, probably because they were able to read Long’s sign language, regained their poise and pulled out the road victory. “Granite Hills is a fun team to play and JERRY PARKER is a very good coach,” said the Foothillers’ 5-foot-3 senior captain, CHLOE COOK. “They pressed us the whole game and made it difficult to run our offense. We were able to get some good baskets out of our transition game tonight.” Cook finished with 8 points, including a pair of 3s. But not surprisingly teammate DANIELLE DAHLE rolled a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. High point honors went to TEY BEALER-WEST with 16. Grossmont registered 14 steals against Granite Hills, with Bealer-West leading the way with 5. JESSICA HARRIS netted 11 points for the Eagles – the majority coming on 3 triples. She also led Granite Hills with 8 rebounds and had 4 assists, as did SKYLAR WILLIAMS. “We have to do a better job defensively and not foul,” said Eagles coach JERRY PARKER. “We did a good job getting the ball in the paint and driving the ball to the rim. We shot 8 free throws the whole game (making 4).” Parker was alluding to the fact that Grossmont netted 14 of 26 from the charity stripe. Grossmont: Teyshonnia Bealer-West 16 (8 reb, 5 stl), Danielle Dahle 13 (11 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl), Chloe Cook 8 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Ashley Hargrove 6 (7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Katarina Schweitzer 3 (1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Carly Lopez (1 ast), Nancy Chavez (1 reb). Granite Hills: Jessica Harris 11 (8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Hailey Garner 7 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Cora Leonard 7 (1 reb), Rae Luckett 5 (4 reb, 1 stl), Kayla Kemp 3 (2 reb, 1 ast), Keji Kubari 3 (2 reb, 1 stl), Skylar Williams 2 (4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Maddy Sheeran 2 (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl).

Valhalla's Danielle Wilson (24) looks to drive past defender Ja'Ana Diamond of West Hills. (Photo by Karen Silva) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-3-11) — Consider the Monte Vista Monarchs poised for Friday’s (Feb. 4) Grossmont Valley League title bout against perennial champion Mount Miguel on the Matadors’ court at 5:30 p.m.

Granted, Monte Vista – despite its East County best 21 wins (21-5, 3-1 GVL) – is a decisive underdog. Thus the Monarchs have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Playing without senior kingpin DEANNA BEMBRY (ankle injury), the Monarchs exhibited their depth as they staved off a potential Santana upset in Wednesday’s (Feb. 2) GVL action.

Led by SHAMONIQUE BOYD’s 12 points and 10 rebounds, the Monarchs overcame a 20-17 first quarter deficit to squeeze out a 58-50 victory over the visiting Sultans.

“Although Deanna was unable to play tonight, a bright spot for us was STEPHANIE BANKS,” said Monarchs assistant coach AL BIRD. “She stepped up her role tonight. She did a lot of things that Deanna normally does.”

So did DIONNA MERCER, who pitched in with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“SHANTEE WOODS elevated her game tonight – she got a lot of minutes,” said Bird. “All the girls had to step up, playing without Deanna.”

Woods added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals for the Monarchs.

“It was evident the way Santana attacked the ball that it was a big relief for them that Deanna did not play – the court general was missing,” Bird said.

SAMMY WHITE had a huge game for the Sultans with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Her totals included a trio of triples.

“Monte Vista’s girls are so athletic, I thought we did a good job just staying close,” said Sultans coach MARK TIPTON. “We had some girls come up big for us, like Sammy White. It was a physical game and I don’t think we got the best of it in terms of the officiating.”

Monte Vista: Shamonique Boyd 12 (10 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Dionna Mercer 12 (5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl), Shantee Woods 11 (5 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl), Felicia Porter 8 (9 reb, 3 stl), Tasha Brown 6 (3 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Alex Ross 5 (2 reb, 1 stl), Abigail Vargas 4 (1 reb, 1 stl), Stefanie Banks (5 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl).

Santana: Sammy White 17 (10 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk), Amanda Grable 10 (3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Kim Gross 9 (10 reb, 5 ast, 5 stl), Haley Burton 7 (9 reb, 2 blk), Marjie Panknin 3 (4 ast, 3 stl), Sydney Blackburn 2 (4 reb, 1 ast, Kelsey Conley 2 (1 ast).

CHRISTIAN 57, POINT LOMA 30 – The host Christian High Patriots used a 16-2 second quarter scoring run as the springboard to a victory over the Central League Pointers on Wednesday (Feb. 2) at the Ryan Athletic Center.

Once again freshman sensation CHAYAN LOWERY was the ringleader in the win for the Patriots (6-7, 4-4 CL). She nailed 7 of 11 shots from the floor and 7 of 10 free throws for 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 4 blocks.

“Chayan decided to take the ball to the hole in the second quarter,” said Christian coach THOMAS LOWERY. “We finally started getting her the ball in the spots where she wanted it.”

The Patriots got some strong support for their youthful standout as MO ELLIOTT and ALESIA LOWERY punched in 13 points apiece. Elliott also had 7 steals for the Patriots, who outscored the Pointers in all four quarters.

Christian: Chayan Lowery 21 (14 reb, 4 blk, 3 stl), Monique Elliott 13 ( 3 reb, 7 stl), Alesia Lowery 13 (2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Jillian Sexton 6 (3 reb, 2 blk), Hayley Cruz 4 (6 reb, 1 ast), Mia Johnson (1 stl).

HALEY FORSBERG led the inside game for the Wolf Pack (12-9, 4-1 GHL) with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

“We were a little short on our players tonight, considering we are down to nine healthy players,” said West Hills coach RYAN KINSER.

Talk about operating on fumes...

West Hills played without point guard TAYLOR AGUIRRE (dogged by injuries early and now out for the season, scheduled for surgery on her knee in a few days), KYLIE CRISTINI (who suffered a concussion in the Pack’s last game on Monday versus Helix) and ARIELLE BOWERS (illness).

West Hills took a 38-23 lead into the third quarter but appeared to be running out of steam as the Norsemen (12-11, 0-5 GHL) gained a 15-8 scoring edge.

Senior DANIELLE WILSON was a force for Valhalla, generating 14 points and 15 rebounds. She accounted for 2 of the Norsemen’s 7 three-pointers.

Norsemen coach AL SILVA, whose team trailed 23-16 at intermission, admitted that the third quarter was the pivotal period in the outcome.

“In the third quarter we just seem to have a few problems. We had trouble with their man defense, had trouble getting into our sets,” said Silva after the Wolf Pack gained a 15-7 edge in the third stanza.

“We were very strong on defense tonight,” said Kinser. “Offense was a struggle. It was difficult with nine players. I’m thinking of calling someone up from JV.”

West Hills: Emily Cole 19 (16 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk), Haley Forsberg 14 (13 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl 1 blk), Jillian Brown 5 (5 reb, 2 blk), Taylor Ingraham 5 (5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Alexa Evans 2 (2 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk), Ja’Ana Diamond 1 (2 ast, 1 stl), Daniana Ghandour (3 ast), Kaitlin McLucas (3 reb, 3 ast).

Valhalla: Danielle Wilson 14 (15 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl), Karissa Ferrell 9 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Kandice Kalasho 5 (4 ast, 2 stl), Chelsea Hale 4 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl), Shyla Criger-Philipp 3 (2 reb, 1 stl), MacKenzie Cartmill 3 (1 ast), Carli Gilstrap (7 reb, 1 ast).

EL CAPITAN 30, EL CAJON VALLEY 24 – It’s hard to believe a team can score only one point during an 8-minute quarter and still come out a winner.

El Capitan took an 11-6 lead in Wednesday’s (Feb. 2) Grossmont Valley League contest but produced only a single marker in the second period. The Vaqueros could thank their defense for holding the visiting Braves to 3 points in the second quarter to gain a 12-9 halftime lead.

The two teams continued to struggle offensively in the third quarter, but El Capitan (4-17, 1-3 GVL) managed to extend its advantage to 17-12.

“We didn’t shoot very well tonight but we handled the ball well and we played good defense all night,” said El Capitan assistant coach JEFF BICKFORD as the Vaqueros snapped a 9-game losing streak.

Nobody on either team reached double scoring digits but El Capitan ’s 6-foot senior, AMBER REL-SOLIA was a guiding light for the Vaqueros with 8 points and 5 rebounds.

“I liked the way we were playing early,” Bickford said. “Our goal was to put a stop to CHELSEA BALL and I think we did a good job on her. Rel-Solia did a great job on her, one-on-one.

NATASHA FERNANDEZ led the Braves with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals, while Ball led on the boards with 17 caroms.

Not to be overlooked was the Braves’ MIYA HARRIS, who did not score but collected 12 rebounds and made 5 steals.

El Capitan: Amber Rel-Solia 8 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Megan Drennen 7 (3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Vanessa Carrillo 6 (5 reb, 1 stl), Deanna Reed 5 (1 reb, 1 stl), Robyn Logel 3 (6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Bekah Leonard 1 (1 reb, 1 stl), Kim Galvan (1 reb).

El Cajon Valley: Natasha Fernandez 8 (7 reb, 2 ast, 4 blk, 5 stl), Chelsea Ball 7 (17 reb, 1 blk), Brittany Swecker 5 (3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Miranda Mullens 3 (4 reb, 1 stl), Miya Harris (12 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 5 stl).

HELIX at STEELE CANYON – No game/power outage – makeup TBA.