CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS — South Regional   BRACKETS

QUARTERFINALS
Eagles hang tough against state power

© East County Sports.com
MORENO VALLEY (3-10-13) — Visiting Granite Hills High held its own against perennial state power Canyon Springs in Saturday’s (Mar. 9) quarterfinals of the Southern California Regionals.

The Eagles (28-7) took a 16-14 lead in the first quarter and were tied 53-all after three periods.

SKYLAR WILLIAMS led the charge for Granite Hills, as usual, knocking down 28 points including 4 of 9 three-pointers and 10 of 13 free throws. She also led the team with 8 rebounds and made 3 steals and dished 4 assists.

The Eagles shot 61 percent from the field. LEENA ALYASHAA, who came on strong during the playoffs, was 6-for-6 from the field and DEAJANAE HARVEY was 4-for-4 as the Eagles enjoyed one of their better shooting nights as a team.

Granite Hills also knocked down 18 of 29 free throws.

Eagles senior ANNA VIETTRY had 14 points and 6 assists but made only 8 of 16 free throws.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 28 (8 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Anna Viettry 14 (2 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl), Leena Alyashaa 12 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Deajanae Harvey 8 (3 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl), Madison Lumb 4 (3 reb), Raelleah Leceur 2 (3 reb), Micayela Hernandez (2 reb).

No one defended Skylar Willians on this drive to the basket for part of her 31 points in Granite Hills' win over Centennial. (Photos by Jonathan Fudge)

Leena Alyashaa (right) blocks 3 shots and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Eagles/

The mid0range jumper by Anna Viettry.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-7-13) — The line to purchase tickets for Wednesday’s (Mar. 6) first round of the Southern California Regional girls basketball playoff encounter at Granite Hills High stretched down the sidewalk and into the parking lot. This was 30 minutes prior to game time.

“When I heard that I went out the side door and had to see for myself,” said Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER. “That was impressive. I know these girls appreciate a great crowd like we had tonight. It no doubt inspired them.”

Not until the second half, however.

The Eagles fell behind the Huskies of Corona 32-21 one minute into the second half. It was at that point that SKYLAR WILLLIAMS, who scored a game high 31 points, scored 13 points including a buzzer beater that tied it 38-38 at the end of the third quarter.

That’s when the crowd cheers rose to fever pitch.

Bolstered by the favorable din, the Eagles went on to take a 59-54 victory to advance to the second round of the SoCal Regionals at Canyon Springs (20-9) in Moreno Valley .

Granite Hills (28-6) took the lead for keeps 44-42 on a short jumper by ANNA VIETTRY with 5:25 remaining. Viettry hit another clutch basket, stretching the Eagles advantage to 53-46 with 2:54 left.

The Huskies (24-5) fought back with two quick baskets. That’s when Granite Hills’ LEENA ALYASHAA jumped into the picture. Although a starter, she did not take a shot until only 95 seconds remained in the game. She buried a 3-pointer to give Granite Hills a 6 point lead and then countered a Centennial basket with a layup to make it 58-52 with 1:03 remaining.

“Our girls worked hard year-round so to see this kind of support from the student body is special,” said Parker.

The Eagles thought this was the biggest victory of the season, just slightly more rewarding than winning the school’s first San Diego CIF Division I championship over the weekend.

Williams nailed 15 of 22 free throws and 7 of 15 field goal attempts.

“At halftime I told the team that I wasn’t playing very well but that shouldn’t stop them,” Williams said. “I told them once we get the momentum going they won’t be able to stop us.”

And so it was.

“I’m thankful for this moment,” Williams noted.

Viettry finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

“I think patience was the difference for us,” she said. “Things weren’t going well for us for most of the first half, but we didn’t panic.”

Especially Alyashaa, who saved her best for last. She also collected 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

“No doubt I’ve never hit bigger shots than those two,” Alyashaa said. “Even when we were down at halftime we talked about how we didn’t want our season to be over tonight.”

Granite Hills was 23 of 35 from the free throw line.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 31 (7 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk), Anna Viettry 11 (6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl), Deajanae Harvey 9 (11 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl), Leena Alyashaa 5 (8 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl), Raelleah Leceur 3 (4 reb, 2 blk), Madison Lumb (2 reb), Emma Kubari (1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-4-13) — Fresh off capturing the San Diego CIF Division I championship with a 55-44 win over Rancho Buena Vista at San Diego State’s Viejas Arena, the Granite Hills Eagles will host the Corona Centennial Huskies (23-5) in Wednesday’s (Mar. 6) opening round of the Southern California Regionals.

SKYLAR WILLIAMS, ANNA VIETTRY and DEJANAE HARVEY will lead the Eagles.

Jon’nae Vermillion (10.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Ashley Merrill, a 6-foot-1 junior who averages 11.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 3.5 apg will guide the Huskies.

Members of the Granite Hills Eagles celebrate by hoisitng the trophy after they garnered their first-ever CIF girls basketball championship. The top-seeded Eagles went wire-to-wire to down Rancho Buena Vista, 55-44, at Viejas Arena. (Photo by Alexis Silva)

The senior again led the way, scoring 15 points and dishing off for six assists. However, the ballclub's leader was the first to admit it was anything but a one-person effort after the Eagles earned their first-ever CIF San Diego Section championship, downing Rancho Buena Vista, 55-44.

"Sometimes it felt like it was 1-on-4 out there," said Williams. "Both teams were trying to do the same thing. RBV wanted to stop me, while we wanted to stop their big scorer, Jenny Dee."

It was the deeper Eagles which saw another strong defensive effort – their credo throughout the postseason – and balanced scoring to make good on their top seed to down the Longhorns for the crown after falling in the section final to San Diego High a year ago.

"The plan was to put pressure on them, then pick up the pace because they are a much slower team than we are," added Williams. "And everybody did their part because we were determined not to let her beat us."

Shutting down Dee was the combined defensive efforts of LEENA ALYASHAA and RAELLEAH LECEUR, who limited the North County scoring leader to four first-half points Friday (Mar. 1), when the Eagles busted loose for a double-digit lead.

It was particularly noticeable in the second quarter, when the 'Horns (0-for-13 from the floor) were limited to just a single free throw, as Granite Hills (27-6) asserted control by out-scoring them 9-1 to mount a 25-11 halftime cushion.

"We showed a lot of pride by working hard to deny (Dee) the ball," noted Leceur, a sophomore. "We practiced hard to get ready to defend her."

By the time RBV (21-11) hit its next basket from the field in the third quarter, the Eagles limited them without a bucket over an amazing span of 11:14.

The lead eventually reached 33-15 on consecutive baskets in just seconds, when an inbounds pass by ANNA VIETTRY found a wide-open Alyashaa for a layin, then DEJANAE HARVEY stole the ball and fed Williams for another layin.

Dee answered with a scoring run late in the third quarter, hitting five straight shots to post 11 of her 18 points. However, the inside passing of Williams and Viettry (game-high 11 assists) allowed Granite Hills to control the fourth period.

"Rebounding is important for us because it's all about effort," noted Viettry, who also took a charge to force a turnover during the defensive siege in the second quarter. "We did that and played hard on defense."

Granite Hills forced 30 turnovers, with Harvey leading the effort for nine steals. She fell just short of a difficult triple-double, also finishing with 8 points and 10 boards. Meanwhile, Leceur finished with 7 points and 10 rebounds.

For Rancho Buena Vista, Dee (14 rebounds) and Mikaela Shannon (15 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles. However, the Granite Hills bench out-scored RBV, 15-0, with four different players contributing.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 15 (6 ast, 5 reb, 3 stl), Leena Alyashaa 12 (1 stl), Dejanae Harvey 8 (10 reb, 9 stl, 2 blk, 1 ast), Raelleah Leceur 8 (10 reb, 1 stl), Madison Lumb 4 (3 reb, 1 charge), Kaylla Hawkins 4, Mariah Vanlandingham 2, Micayela Hernandez 2, Anna Viettry 1 (11 ast, 4 reb, 3 stl, 1 charge), Emma Kubari (2 reb, 1 stl).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
MIRA MESA (3-1-13) — West Hills High coach RYAN KINSER was worried that his Wolf Pack may have been emotionally spent from Tuesday’s San Diego CIF Division II semifinal loss to Serra.

Count that as a mulligan.

West Hills (24-7) was given a second shot at making the Southern California Regionals on Thursday (Feb. 28) and it looked good for the Wolf Pack, which raced out to a 15-2 lead.

“We started off great, ran great offense, went up 15-2,” Kinser recalled.

But Westview (27-4) unleashed its long game and hit 10 threes, reversing the momentum and taking a 63-51 victory to qualify for next week’s regional.

“In the second half our defense broke down and gave them wide open looksl,” Kinser said. “Our focus was not to let them shoot open 3's, but we did a poor job.”

The ultimate breakdown came in the third quarter when the Wolverines reeled off a 23-8 scoring edge to take a 48-39 advantage.

“The second half was a nightmare,” Kinser said.

ARIELLE BOWERS led West Hills with 19 points, including 5 of 8 shooting from long distance.

HALEY FORSBERG added 15 points and 16 rebounds, while EMILY COLE dropped in 13 points.

“I’m proud of our senior class – 2 semifinals, 1 CIF final, and 2 league championships,” Kinser said. “They worked hard and put a lot of time into this program, all of them will be missed.”

West Hills: Arielle Bowers 19 (4 reb, 1 ast), Haley Forsberg 15 (16 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk), Emily Cole 13 (3 reb, 1 blk), J’Ana Diamond 2 (6 reb), Megan Scott 2 (2 reb, 2 stl), Bailey Albers (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Kylie Cristini (1 stl), Katie Byrd (2 reb).

	Emma Kobari (right) drives baseline. (Photos by Jonathan Fudge)
	Eagles forward Mariah Vanlandingham battles Mission Hills' Alexa Nakhanthop.
	Kaylla Hawkins banks home a deep 3-ball early in the fourth period vs. the Grizzlies.
	Anna Viettry dribbles past a defender.

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-27-13) — Granite Hills High always knew it could count on senior guard SKYLAR WILLIAMS in case things get dicey.

Just when Mission Hills hit a 3-ball to move within striking distance of the top-seeded Eagles, Williams took over the closing moments of the third quarter. Over the final span of 3:03, she poured home 10 of her game-high 30 points, advancing to the SDCIF Division I title game following Tuesday's (Feb. 26) triumph over the Grizzlies, 46-39.

Granite Hills (26-6), which a year ago gained its first trip to a San Diego Section final before falling to San Diego High, now earns the chance to finish the job.

"This year, we have the ability to take it all the way," said Williams, who posted a double-double by also grabbing 10 rebounds. "We just need to keep playing hard, because Rancho Buena Vista is a really smart team."

The Longhorns (21-10) advanced after upsetting second-seeded Poway , 65-55, gaining their first meeting with Granite Hills this century, slated for 8:07 p.m. Friday (Mar. 1) at SDSU's Viejas Arena.

Granite Hills coasted to an early 12-3 first-quarter lead, with the margin dialed in between 5-to-8 points for the next two quarters. But when Mission Hills guard Cheyenne Ertz hit a deep jumper to trim the deficit to 26-21, Williams simply took over the contest.

Her steal led to a breakaway layin, then before Mission Hills could push the ball past half-court, another theft led to a trip to the foul line. The next possession saw Williams drive the lane, then making a backhand dish to a wide-open MARIAH VANLANDINGHAM for an uncontested layin.

The next two trips down the court saw Williams accept give-and-go passes from ANNA VIETTRY and EMMA KUBARI, each resulting in short jumpers from the paint to close the quarter on a 10-3 run for a 37-24 cushion.

The fourth quarter continued to be all Eagles with Williams dominating on both ends of the court. She not only rejected a 3-point shot by the Grizzlies, Williams was able to grab the ball for a fastbreak resulting in a layin while being fouled for a traditional 3-point play.

Then all of the Eagles joined the party.

Kubari held her ground to take a charge to force a turnover, then KAYLLA HAWKINS banked in an unlikely triple from behind the high post, pushing the Granite Hills advantage to 17 points at 43-26 before they coasted to the finish.

"When we talked at halftime, the team thought we should've been up by more," noted Williams. "So we came back and pushed the tempo."

The early advantage came strictly because of the Eagles defense.

DEAJANAE HARVEY stuffed both Mission Hills ball-handlers from advancing the basketball, registering four of her game-best six steals in the first quarter. Williams also scored 10 points during the stretch.

"We knew if we wanted to get back to the final we would have to be strong on defense," said Harvey .

Viettry also shined on both ends, finishing seven points and four assists on offense, while also taking a first-quarter charge in her usual strong defensive effort.

Mission Hills held a slight height advantage, but the Eagles matched them on the boards with 39 rebounds each.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 30 (10 reb, 4 stl, 2 ast, 1 blk), Anna Viettry 7 (4 ast, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 charge), Kaylla Hawkins 3 (1 reb), Mariah Vanlandingham 2 (1 reb), Valerie Renfrow 2 (1 reb), Deajanae Harvey 2 (8 reb, 6 stl, 1 ast), Leena Alyashaa (7 reb, 1 ast), Micayela Hernandez (3 reb), Madison Lumb (3 reb), Raelleah Leceur (1 reb), Emma Kubari (1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 1 charge).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
TIERRASANTA (2-27-13) — For the fifth time in six years, West Hills High dribbled into the playoffs Tuesday night (Feb. 26), having won a Grossmont League championship. That momentum helped carry the Wolf Pack into the San Diego CIF Division II semifinals against top-seeded Serra.

As added motivation for West Hills (24-6) is the fact that the Pack lost to the Conquistadors 50-47 in last year’s SDCIF Division II championship game.

“Our main focus was to win league, and we did that even though we got a co- (with Granite Hills),” said Wolf Pack coach RYAN KINSER.

Against Serra (24-6), however, the Wolf Pack was clearly overmatched.

“I’m certainly not disappointed with our effort – just our execution,” Kinser added. “They got us down early and we were chasing them the rest of the night.”

Sophomore BAILEY ALBERS paced the Pack with 20 points, hitting 7 of 9 shots from the field and 6 of 7 free throws.

Kinser said the key to the game was keeping Serra off the offensive glass.

“That, and not miss so many layups,” he noted wryly.

Serra collected 19 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 14 second chance points for the Conquistadores.

“We never gave ourselves a legitimate chance to win,” Kinser said. “Serra is a solid team, very tough inside the paint.

Tylinn Carter had 19 points 12 rebounds for Serra. Tiarra Griffis added 13 points and 8 rebounds. Alyjah Kennedy came off the bench to chip in with 8 points and 10 rebounds for the Conquistadors.

Cole finished with 14 points for the Pack, while post HALEY FORSBERG pumped in 9 points and 13 rebounds. ARIELLE BOWERS also finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds, with two-thirds of her points coming on 3-pointers.

West Hills: Bailey Albers 20 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Emily Cole 14 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Haley Forsberg 9 (13 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Arielle Bowers 9 (6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Jessica Scott 7 (7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), J’Ana Diamond (2 reb), Kylie Cristini (1 ast, 1 stl), Katie Byrd (1 reb, 1 stl).

Monte Vista marched to a 17-10 first-quarter lead and maintained a 32-26 halftime advantage.

The Pilots (22-8) cut the Monarchs edge to 46-45 after three periods.

The fact that Monte Vista missed 17 free throws eventually cost them the upset bid in the final quarter.

“Our kids work so hard to do things right,” said Monarchs coach MICHAEL SKIBBE. “We had our chances but you just can’t miss that many free throws against a good team like OLP.”

Senior FELICIA PORTER rang up game highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds for Monte Vista (24-7) against OLP. In the three playoff games Porter totaled 66 points and 37 rebounds as Monte Vista reached the semifinals for the second time in three years.

ABIGAIL VARGAS and JAZMINE BRADLEY added 13 and 11 points respectively in the season-ending loss.

Monte Vista : Felicia Porter 24 (10 reb, 1 stl), Abigail Vargas 13 (2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Jazmine Bradley 11 (2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Kayla Harrell 6 (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), Alexis Wittmann 3 (9 reb), Emma Pitoua 2, Heather Bell 1, Kayla Kulhanek (1 reb).

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-23-13) — Granite Hills High overcame a sluggish start to eliminate Eastlake in Friday’s (Feb. 22) San Diego CIF Division I quarterfinals, 55-47.

This was far from a perfect game for the top-seeded Eagles (25-6), who rallied from a 26-21 in the third quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish.

Not surprisingly SKYLAR WILLIAMS paced the Eagles with 28 points, sinking 12 of 18 shots in the second half.

“We didn’t want our season to end tonight,” said Williams. “We were pretty upset at halftime (trailing 21-18), but we knew we could get back into it if we started playing our game.”

Skylar Williams (24) of Granite Hills scoring two of her game-high 28 points in the Eagkes' 55-47 win vs. Eastlake. (Photo by Jonathan Fudge)

Granite Hills coach JERRY PARKER switched defenses, changing from a zone press to a man press.

“That opened up the game for us,” he said.

What he meant to say is it picked up the pace, which gave the edge to the top-seeded Eagles.

“We like to play at that speed,” said Eagles guard DEAJANAE HARVEY. “We like the fast tempo.”

Madison Lumb gains inside position for the layin. (Photo by Jonathan Fudge)

“Defense is my game,” said Harvey. “I was getting in the passing lanes where I got most of my steals.”

Point guard ANNA VIETTRY dished 8 assists, snagged 8 rebounds and scored 8 points for the Eagles, who will host Mission Hills in Tuesday’s (Feb. 26) semifinals at 7 p.m.

Granite Hills: Skylar Williams 28 (7 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl), Deajanae Harvey 13 (6 reb, 2 ast, 9 stl), Anna Viettry 8 (8 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl), Madison Lumb 2 (5 reb, 1 ast), Mariah Vanlandingham 2 (4 reb), Raelleah Leceur 2, (Leena Alyashaa (6 reb, 1 stl), Kaylla Hawkins (3 reb), Emma Kubari (3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl).

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (2-23-13) — When putting together brackets for the San Diego Section CIF playoffs, the seeding committee looks over many factors to determine postseason pairings.

So when Mount Miguel High whipped Mission Bay, 66-40, in late December, members of the panel said the choice was obvious to place the 13-time league champion Matadors over the defending Division III champion Buccaneers.

"I wish they would look at the players on the court and not just a bunch of numbers," noted Mission Bay guard Briajunae Shepard. "It motivated us to prove we were the better team."

There was also one other key difference between the ballclubs. While Mount Miguel teams of the past often place one legitimate Division I major college prospect on the court, it was Mission Bay which fielded the "go to" standout.

San Diego State bound guard Briteesha Solomon scored nine of her game-high 23 point in the first quarter, then the senior made almost every important defensive stop of the second half, leading the Buccaneers to a 57-50 decision in Friday's (Feb. 22) San Diego Section quarterfinals.

Solomon's early scoring eventually pushed Mission Bay's advantage to 11 points. And when the Matadors made a run, closing to within three points on two occasions and four on another, Solomon was there with either an important shot block, steal or rebound to start the fast break.

"We weren't a team when we first played Mount Miguel, so I understand and have no complaints about our seeding," said Bucs coach Norm Guay. "But I now like our chances with a player like Bri."

It's hard to tell which end of the court Solomon was more successful on.

Her strength with the ball was demonstrated by sinking baskets despite heavy contact by the defense. Under the boards, her defensive rebounding – she finished with 12 boards – led to a series of outlet passes for easy baskets. Many went to Shepard, who tallied 13 of her 18 points down the stretch.

"Lots of people judge us and under-estimate how good we are," noted Solomon. "We want to prove them wrong."

Meanwhile, Mount Miguel missed a series of layins and four shots in playing catch-up all night.

KAMREE HARRISON paced the Matadors with 19 points. She also took a charge which led Shepard getting into first-half foul trouble.

DEIJAH BLANKS registered yet another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but most came late after hitting just two of her first 12 shots from the floor.

On defense, DEJANAY POPE secured a Mount Miguel record 26 rebounds. Included were seven boards, two steals and a pair of assists in the fourth quarter to move the Matadors to within 53-49 with 1:10 remaining.

However, Solomon and Shepard combined to hit 4-of-6 fouls shots in the final minute, punching the Bucs' ticket to next week's final four. Mission Bay will meet top-seeded Cathedral Catholic – a 66-47 winner over University City – in Tuesday's (Feb. 26) semifinals, to be held in the Carmel Valley.

Mount Miguel: Kamree Harrison 19 (2 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast, 1 charge), Deijah Blanks 17 (10 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), Brooklyn Miller 7 (8 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Zaria Branch 5 (5 ast, 2 reb, 2 blk, 1 ast), Dejanay Pope 2 (26 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl), Breahna Jones (1 stl).

THE BISHOP’S 93, CHRISTIAN 14 – A state record 55-point scoring spree by The Bishop’s in the second quarter of Friday’s (Feb. 22) San Diego CIF Division IV quarterfinal turned the game into a rout.

The previous state scoring record for a quarter was 54 points in the fourth quarter by Riverside Poly in a 179-15 victory over Riverside Norte Vista in Jan. 1982. It must be noted that in those days there was no running clock; the games lasted a full 32 minutes.

“Bishop’s pressured until the third quarter,” said Christian coach THOMAS LOWERY. “Imani Littleton played a marvelous game, probably had 25 steals from the passing lane.

“They made it a point to cover CHAYAN (LOWERY). We were shooting but we were getting shots blocked.”

Christian: Taylor Miller 5 (1 reb), Chayan Lowery 3 (3 reb), Anaya Tobiason 2 (1 reb), Hayley Cruz 2 (1 reb), Kayla Kruel 2, Lily Rodriguez (1 reb), Jillian Sexton (1 reb).

© East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (2-21-13) — Steele Canyon High guard MONIQUE VAN was hammered all Wednesday (Feb. 20) night by San Marcos, going to the foul line a season-high 16 times en route to leading the Cougars with 18 points.

However, the deeper Knights still were able to slowly pull away, taking a 54-37 decision in the opening round of the CIF Division II playoffs. The ballgame was held at Mission Hills due to renovations at the San Marcos gymnasium.

Neither side could get the offense in gear early on, as all eight Cougars contributed on defense with at least one steal, a shot block, or both. However, San Marcos did a touch better on defense, leading 8-2 and 21-10 after each of the first two quarters.

Van also grabbed 6 rebounds and recorded 4 steals for Steele Canyon (15-18).

RACHEL BEASLEY registered 9 points and 7 rebounds, ISABELLA WELCH poured home 9 points, while ALEXIS RAMOS added 7 points and 11 boards.

Steele Canyon: Monique Van 18 (6 reb, 4 stl, 2 ast), Rachel Beasley 9 (7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Isabella Welch 9 (5 reb, 2 stl), Alexis Ramos 7 (11 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk), Tiana Teo 5 (1 reb, 1 stl), Sydney Williams (2 reb, 1 blk), Sabrina Stocker (2 reb, 1 blk), Shelby Johnson (1 reb, 1 stl).

Selling-out for her team, Granite Hills senior Anna Viettry (left) takes the charge to forge an El Camino turnover. Viettry took three charges for the top-seeded Eagles in a 67-27 triumph (Photo by Jonathan Fudge)

Viettry takes 'charge' in Granite Hills' dominance on defense

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-20-13) — For true basketball aficionados, the opening minutes of Tuesday's (Feb. 19) San Diego CIF opening-round playoff game was just for you, especially if you love defense.

"We defend all over the court from the very start," said Granite Hills senior ANNA VIETTRY. “We try to keep teams from getting the ball over half-court so we can score easy baskets.”

Just as scripted by the top-seeded Eagles in their San Diego Section Division I opener, visiting El Camino didn't know what hit them. The Wildcats committed six turnovers over seven possessions as Granite Hills mounted a 12-0 lead just two minutes into a contest which ended with a running clock in an easy 67-27 decision.

“It's great when we force the other team to call a timeout early,” added Viettry. “It means we're working hard and sticking to our game plan.”

Viettry, who plans to follow the footsteps of former Eagles forward KEJI KUBARI as a nursing major at Point Loma Nazarene, was at the focal point of the defensive effort. The point guard registered four steals and took a charge on three occasions, while DEAJANAE HARVEY registered eight thefts, as Granite Hills sprinted to a 25-8 advantage through the opening quarter.

Meanwhile, SKYLAR WILLIAMS, another senior guard, nearly registered a triple-double in another strong effort. Along with eight steals, Williams collected game-highs of 22 points and nine rebounds, hitting consecutive outside jumpers in the early scoring run.

”We were able to set the tempo at a level we like to play at,” noted Williams. “We just try to get pumped up and go all-out like that.”

Skylar Williams (24) of Granite Hills accounted for game-highs in scoring (22), rebounds (9) and steals (8) in Tuesday's CIF win against El Camino. (Photo by Jonathan Fudge)

“In a way, we were fortunate to play El Camino in the first round,” added Williams. “They have a young point guard who can score, just like Eastlake does. Hopefully, it will help prepare us for our next game.”

The youthful Wildcats (10-15), which pulled off a first-round upset on the road at Sweetwater last season, saw quick, sophomore Celeste Butler lead her side with 12 points and eight boards.

Granite Hills: Skylar Willams 22 (9 reb, 8 stl, 2 ast), Anna Viettry 15 (8 ast, 6 reb, 4 stl, 3 charges), Deajanae Harvey 12 (8 reb, 8 stl, 3 ast), Leena Alyashaa 6 (3 reb, 1 blk), Raelleah Leceur 4 (6 reb, 2 stl), Mariah Vanlandingham 2 (5 reb, 5 blk, 1 ast), Emma Kubari 2 (1 reb, 1 blk), Kaylla Hawkins 2 (1 reb), Micayela Hernandez 2 (1 reb), Valerie Renfrow (1 reb, 1 stl), Madison Lumb (1 reb).

Monte Vista point guard Abigail Vargas finished with 15 points and seven steals, helping the Monarchs open the CIF playoffs with a 65-45 decision over Castle Park. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Felicia Porter (33) with the two-handed stuff block. (Photo by Don DeMars Photography)

Depth is one of Monte Vista’s strongest suits. Senior FELICIA PORTER scored 17 points and bagged 15 rebounds despite being hampered with second half foul trouble.

“It’s had to sit there on the bench and watch in the second half when I got that 4th foul,” said Porter, “but I knew we could pull it out.”

Perhaps that was because Monte Vista clubbed Castle Park 65-36 during one of the Christmas tournaments.

Senior KAYLA KULHANEK, a first year basketball player for the Monarchs, pulled off a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Kulhanek spent the majority of her high school career as a cheerleader and participated in track and volleyball.

“Not that I want to sit on the bench, but it’s nice to know that when I get in foul trouble that we have (6-foot-3) Kayla available to fill in,” Porter said. “We had to talk her into playing but I’m sure glad she is.”

Monte Vista: Felicia Porter 17 (15 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Abigail Vargas 15 (8 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl), Kayla Kulhanek 12 (11 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Jazmine Bradley 8 (8 reb, 5 ast, 5 stl), Kayla Harrell 6 (6 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Monica Williams 6 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Emma Pitoua 1, Heather Bell (2 reb, 4 ast), Alexis Wittmann (4 reb, 1 stl).

WEST HILLS 66, MORSE 47 – EMILY COLE (25 points) and JESSICA SCOTT (21 points) registered season highs as the No. 4 seeded Wolf Pack tamed the Tigers in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.

Cole nailed 10 of 18 field goal shots, including 5 of 7 treys. Scott was 7-for-15 from the floor and 7-for-12 from the free throw line and also nabbed 9 rebounds, one less than HALEY FORSBERG.

“Jessica Scott played a great game down low and Emily shot the ball well overall,” said Wolf Pack coach RYAN KINSER.

“We got off to good starts in both the 1st (15-8) and 3rd (16-11) quarters, but gave up too many easy baskets in the 2nd and 4th,” Kinser added. “Morse has two big girls and we struggled stopping them at times.

“I’m proud of the girls’ efforts, we need to work hard the next two days in preparation for hosting No. 5 seed San Marcos (on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.)”

West Hills: Emily Cole 25 (4 reb, 3 stl), Jessica Scott 21 (9 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Bailey Albers 13 (1 reb, 2 stl), Arielle Bowers 3 (3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Katie Byrd 3 (3 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Haley Forsberg 2 (10 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), J’ana Diamond 2 (1 reb, 1 stl), Kylie Cristini (1 reb), Megan Scott (2 stl), Brandi McCrystal (1 blk), Justine Fordyce (1 ast).

CHRISTIAN 75, HEALTH SCIENCES 19 – The Patriots are healthy and ready to go as they proved in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division IV playoffs.

Six-foot-2 junior CHAYAN LOWERY dominated the paint, hitting 16 of 19 shots from the field, grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking 5 shots for the Patriots (13-10). She finished with a season high 34 points.

Speaking of highs, the Patriots had their finest production of the season by topping their previous best by 15 points.

Christian: Chayan Lowery 34 (17 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 5 blk), Taylor Miller 7 (9 reb, 6 stl), Jillian Sexton 7 (1 reb), Hayley Cruz 6 (2 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Kayla Kruel 6, Anaya Tobiason 2 (4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl), Melina Jones 2 (2 stl), Diana Vargas 2 (2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl).

MOUNT MIGUEL 60, KEARNY 26 – No. 4 seeded Mount Miguel made it look easy in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division III playoffs by crushing visiting Kearny.

DEIJAH BLANKS put together one of her double-doubles with 16 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Matadors (17-9).

ZARIA BRANCH added 16 points, BROOKLYN MILLER chipped in 12 markers and KAMREE HARRISON dished 10 assists for Mount Miguel, which has won five games in a row.

“I have a lot of kids that felt disrespected that we were only seeded No. 4,” said Mount Miguel coach ROBBIE SANDOVAL. “But I told them it doesn’t matter because you have to beat everybody that’s in front of you anyway.”

Mount Miguel: Deijah Blanks 16 (17 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Zaria Branch 16 (1 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl), Brooklyn Miller 12 (4 reb, 3 stl), Dejanay Pope 9 (6 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl), Kamree Harrison 5 (3 reb, 10 ast, 3 stl), Rozlyn Pierce 2 (1 reb), Cierra Conwright (2 reb, 2 stl), Breahna Jones (1 reb).

Santana High's Kayti Grabel drains one of her four 3-point shots, totaling a team-best 16 points in a first-round playoff setback at Mission Bay, (Photo by SHS parent)

But it was not nearly enough as Mission Bay used a 33-10 first half start to extend its season.

Grable included 4 three-pointers in her totals and finished with 30 for the season.

Senior guard SYDNEY BLACKBURN concluded her highs school career with 7 points and 8 assists for Santana, which ended the campaign 11-16.

Senior ARIEL RASMUSSON also had 11 rebounds as Santana finished with one of its best board games by collecting 48 caroms.

Santana: Kayti Grable 16 (14 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl), Sydney Blackburn 7 (4 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), Ariel Rasmusson 6 (11 reb, 3 stl), Emily Kloss 4 (1 reb), Savanah Fenn 2 (7 reb, 1 ast), Kylie Brase 2 (5 reb), Taylor Estes (1 reb), Veronica Martinez (1 stl), Bridgette Fries (4 reb), Dominique Morrison (1 reb).

LA COSTA CANYON 86, VALHALLA 29 – The No. 3 seeded Mavericks took a 36-10 first quarter lead over visiting Valhalla in Tuesday’s (Feb. 19) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs, and the rout was on.

The Mavericks (27-2) never looked up after that as they padded their lead over the remaining three quarters.

KANDICE KALASHO nailed four 3-pointers and finished with a game high 14 points for the Norsemen (9-16) in her final high school game.

Valhalla: Kandice Kalasho 14, Shyla Criger-Philipp 9 (5 reb), Mary Charles 4, Molly Lindsay 2, Tiana Silver (5 reb).