Satori Roberson (left) shows
her defensive prowess
against Daeshya Battle.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
A curious thing happened when host Bonita Vista broke out to a commanding 17-4 lead early in the second quarter in the Barons' CIF Division 2 playoff opener against La Jolla.
The Vikings didn't give up.
In a season in which new coach Darice Carnaje has preached getting better every game and playing for the joy of basketball, the inexperienced Vikings used a high-low offense Carnaje switched to after a 13-4 first quarter deficit to relax a little and to open the floor for more scoring opportunities.
Center Satori Roberson, herself emblematic of La Jolla's improvement over the course of the year, stood at the free throw line and found teammate Sina Anae at the low post for cuts behind the defense.
Trouble continued at the mid-court line, where point guard Rebecca Saul was under assault bringing the ball up court against the wicked pressure of Bonita's hard-working guards, tiny Alexis Lopez and Shyla LaTone.
That didn't get much better quickly, as the Vikings fell back to trailing 28-15 at halftime. But Saul started finding fellow guard Abby Ward and others nearby to pass to. La Jolla had closed the gap to eight points midway through the second quarter.
Unfortunately, the Vikings, though spirited, experienced a third quarter dropout, going from a nine-point deficit at 37-28 to losing 46-28 within a couple of minutes. The damage was done, but once again, Carnaje's crew didn't fold.
The red and black kept their pride and lost by a respectable 12 points in the final result.
LaTone, a stellar outside shooter, scorched the Vikings for 30 points. Included in her long-range arsenal were four three-pointers. Repeatedly, she put daggers in the Vikes' hearts with jumpers to slow down or reverse rallies.
Roberson, enjoying her best season as a senior by far, had a big impact in bringing her team back within eight points in the second period. She scored three straight baskets late in the quarter. First, Satori took a rebound and put it back up with 4:20 left in the half.
Then, after failing to finish on a drive, she had another putback for a bucket with 1:43 on the clock.
The third of her trio of scores came on an assist from Saul, who found her with 55 seconds left.
After the game, Carnaje complimented her players and applauded their steady improvement during the season in a closing circle outside the gym. No one had their head down, despite the season-ending loss.
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