Freshman Katrina Kurtchi (right) hits the floor to
scramble for a loose ball in the second quarter.
(Photos by Ed Piper)
La Jolla's girls basketball team garnered its first win in the Coach Darice Carnaje era, as all hands went aboard in a 72-8 swamping of visiting Monarch Tues., Dec. 8, in the Matador Basketball Classic.
Junior Ava Verbrugghen, who had never played basketball before this season, scored her first pair of baskets ever, and fellow classman Sara Tyrus, likewise, scored her first varsity points on a three in an active second quarter as the Vikings led 16-4 after one period and 38-7 at halftime against a team having only five players eligible.
Asked about the reason for her shooting success, Tyrus responded with a smile, "I don't know." Senior Stephany Garcia was inserted early by Carnaje, who said she is trying different rotations early in the season. Freshman Si Young Kim was the last sub before Tyrus with a minute left in the first half.
The other freshman, Katrina Kurtchi, went on a shooting rampage once she entered the game near the end of the first period. She hit a three to start the second stanza, two free throws, later a basket on a steal and another bucket beyond the arc as Carnaje began subbing freely.
Starting point guard Rebecca Saul displayed her usual hard-work ethic, yielding results in the opening quarter as the Vikings scored the first seven points. The 5'5" sophomore led a fast break and was fouled as she made the basket, making the free throw to complete an old-fashioned three-point play to put La Jolla in the lead 12-2 with 1:45 left in the period.
After the game, Saul admitted she likes playing defense. "My favorite thing is turnovers," she said. "I don't care who causes the turnover, just so we get the ball."
Bringing the ball across the half-court line to set up the offense in sharing one-guard duties with teammate Abby Ward, Saul said, "I look for someone who's open. If there isn't, we run a play."
Center Satori Roberson continued to show growth as she performed the simpler parts of the game correctly, like going off the right foot on a layup. Early in the Vikings' first win of the season, the 6'1" senior, with her back to the basket at the left block, turned into the lane and hit a hook shot. That made it 5-0.
Kate Miller takes off with the ball in front of the
Vikings' bench toward La Jolla's goal.
To close the first quarter, Satori made a steal, then dribbled the ball smoothly up half the court before laying the ball up on a fluid move.
Asked how she got the senior to start stepping off the opposite foot on layups, Carnaje said, "I didn't do it."
To show her versatility, Roberson scored a bucket from the right block early in the second period before the coach began subbing heavily in the blowout.
First-year Viking Imani Trinidad-Gallagher, a 5'8" swing person, saw substantial playing time.
Carnaje agreed she changed from more of a cheerleader mode in La Jolla's narrow loss to Patrick Henry Sat., Dec. 5, to a more serious teaching mode once the victory over Monarch wasn't in doubt. "I have to get them ready for the next two games," she said, which come back-to-back Thursday and Friday.
With everyone playing, "It makes us a better team," she said. "It'd be great to go 10 to 12 deep in our rotation."
Commenting on the team's development over its first three games, Carnaje said, "The girls are getting better. They're spending two hours in the gym everyday, they're going to learn a lot."
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
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