Boys Varsity Basketball

Eagles clobber Jags, set scoring mark

The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team, vying to establish itself as the the most powerful in League history, administered a punishing 78-23 defeat on Cooperative Thursday afternoon in the Jaguars' gym.

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FLYING HIGH -- Eagle Caleb Hoover goes up for a rebound.

Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

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While the League does not formally keep such statistics, the Eagles 78 points are widely believed to be the highest ever scored by any basketball team in the six-year history of the League. The previous high of 76 points was recorded by the Cooperative girls junior varsity team in a game against International on February 18, 2008.

The Eagles record will bear an asterisk to the effect that by the end of the game Cooperative only had two players on the floor, the rest of the team having fouled out. However, the Eagles more points in the first half (41) when they were playing against a full Cooperative team, than they did in the second half.

The Eagles finish the season undefeated. The Jaguars by finishing third with a 2-4 record are spared the necessity of playing Cooperative again in the first round of the playoffs on April 13, a dubious honor that now falls to International, which finished the season with an 0-6 record. Cooperative faces the marginally more appealing prospect of facing Cambridge (4-2). The finals will be April 15.

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GETTING HIS SHOT -- Eagle Jared Friesen, normally a substitute, got plenty of playing time in this game, in which the Eagles used every player they had.

Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

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The game was never close. Christian Learning led 19-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 41-7 at the half. The third quarter was Cooperative's best in that they were only outscored 11-4.

Christian Learning had four players who scored in double figures, and several others who came close. Danny Canaviri led the scoring with 14 points, Jesse Hallock had 12; Andre Larsen and Andrew Burgin each had 10; Josh Hoover and Caleb Hoover each had nine; Tim Zimmerman had seven; and Nicolas Smith four. Mark Salinas and Richard Ling each had two points.

For Cooperative, Jose Moza, recently returned after a bout of dengue fever, scored eight points. Andres Shin had five. Seventh grader Luis Peredo had six points on two fourth quarter three-pointers. Oliver Lederman and Junior Kaipur had two points each.

Aubrey Olson of Christian Learning contributed to this report.

Knights easily defeat Griffins, 30-8

By Daniel Roempler

International School

The Cambridge boys varsity basketball team ended the season with a clear display of their strong team play in overpowering an International team that showed heart and enthusiasm all throughout the match Thursday in the International gym.

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SLASHING THROUGH -- Knight Jose Luis Rivera drives to the hoop. He was the game's leading scorer. Juan Carlos Coronel, Cambridge

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The game began with a nice triple by Cambridge’s Alvaro Lopez just after the opening tip-off. This was followed by a nice exhibition of coordinated teamwork by both teams, but at the end of the quarter the Knights had a 7-2 lead for the knights.

In the second quarter they were able to stretch their lead to 17-4 , with an offense dominated by Knight Jose Luis Rivera's slashing runs tearing apart the Griffin defense, as he would do throughout the match. Rivera was the key figure as he was able to organize and coordinate his team’s movements to slowly overcome International's efforts to hold the Knights back.

The third and fourth quarters seemed to be a replica of the first two, displaying an Cambridge team that could be explosive on offense and subtle in defense, orchestrating a well-developed formula that proved to be stronger than that of the Griffins.

The Griffins fought hard, and maintained a disciplined and energetic defense that held Cambridge below its usual point total. It also could be said that Cambridge has had days when it was shooting better from the outside.

The game ended 32-8 in favor of the Knights. It was an entertaining encounter that nevertheless left International spectators with a sour taste. It has been a rough season for the winless Griffins who are clearly in a "rebuilding" phase.

For Cambridge, Rivera was high man with 13 points. Alvaro Lopez was right behind him with 11, Tae Han Kook four; Carlos Ferrufino and Fabricio Subirana had two points each.

Francisco Gonzales had four points for International, and Felipe Molina and Gary Suarez had two points each.

Varsity Girls Basketball

LOOSE BALL SMACKDOWN -- Knight Maira Lino (10) and Griffin Matilde Gamarra (11) go for the ball while Isabel Barrenechea (1) appears ready to take further action. Julia Boldt, Cooperative

Knights snatch victory over Griffins

By Daniel Roempler

International School

The Cambridge varsity girls basketball team managed to wrench a 19-18 victory from the International team on an unbelievable final minute play Thursday afternoon in the International gym.

It was a in a nail-biting encounter that leaves the Knights with boosted confidence just before tackling the semifinal phase of the tournament. Cambridge, which finished with a 1-5 record, will face undefeated Cooperative in the semifinals April 13. Internation, which finished in third place with a 2-4 record, will play Christian Learning. The championships will be April 15.

The opening minutes of the game showed a tight match where both teams seemed to be timidly testing the strength of their opponent, with neither scoring until Cambridge’s Mariana Escaño decided to break open the scoring with a field goal. Teammmate Maira Lino hit a foul shot and the first quarter ended with a 3-0 lead for Cambridge.

However this first glimpse was nothing but a preview of what was about to become a fierce battle between Knights and Griffins . The second quarter started of with a real exhibition of skill and leadership by Escano, the only senior on the Cambridge team. She undertook a series of brave runs that sliced the Griffin defense repeatedly, pacing her team to a five-point lead 7-2.

However, with ten seconds remaining in the second quarter she twisted her knee attempting to shake of her defender and had to sit out the rest of the game. Her absence left a noticeable gap in the Cambridge formation.

The International girls took advantage of this, and put together a great comeback in the third quarter to take the lead 12 to 11 that included six points by Maria Isabel Barrenechea and a beautiful shot by Matilde Gamarra after avoiding two Cambridge players.

This great teamwork continued during the last quarter, but the Knights reacted to the pressure and ratcheted up their game as well.

In the seventh minute of the fourth quarter the Griffin girls had expanded their lead to 16-13, but in one of those moments in basketball where a breath of inspiration strikes a team, the Cambridge girls donned their armor and struck back, closing the gap to a single point, 18-17.

Then with 36 second on the clock, there was a heart-stopping moment. Cambridge seventh grader Nicole Fermin grabbed a rebound and dashed the length of the court, outracing the defense, to score the winning basket on a flawless lay-up.

For Cambridge, Maira Lino led the scoring with seven points, followed by Melanie Andia with six. Escaño had four, and Fermin 2.

For International, Irene Barrenechea had eight points, Gamarra had six. Laura Margaño and Fabiana Zelada each had two.

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TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY -- Knight Mariana Escaño executes a daring steal (right),

but was forced to the sidelines just before halftime with a twisted knee (below).

Juan Carlos Coronel, Cambridge

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UP FOR GRABS? -- Jaguar center Carla Limpias (11) waits for a high, floating pass. While the play looked chancy, it often worked. Julia Boldt, Cooperative School

Undefeated Jaguars beat Eagles

The Cooperative girls varsity basketball completed its undefeated season with a 41-19 win over Christian Learning on their home court Thursday afternoon.

The Jaguars will now play fourth place Cambridge in the opening round of the playoffs April 13, which could be a closer match-up than would seem the case based on the teams differing records. Although Cambridge is only 1-5, the Knights are the only team to a play a close game against the Jaguars this year, losing 13-9 last week. It was the only game in which Cooperative was held to less than 28 points.

Christian Learning will play International in its semifinal. The two teams each won a game in their regular season meetings.

Cooperative had clearly recovered from its offensive malaise against Cambridge, and scored steadily, about ten points a quarter, throughout the game, while keeping the Eagle offense in check. The Jaguars were ahead 11-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 20-8 at the half.

The Eagles had actually appeared to be reviving toward the end of the first half, but the Jaguars squelched any hopes of an Eagle comeback by outscoring the visitors 11-2 again in the third quarter, bringing the score to 31-10.

The twin towers of the Cooperative offense -- Ana Paula Peredo and Carla Limpias -- each had 13 points. Cecelia Aponte contributed nine, Tania Landivar had four, and Sofia Sotelo two.

For Christian Learning, Kaylynn Lampen had eight points, Ruth Nyquist four; Abby Phillips three; and Jessica Smith two.

Aubrey Olson and Jenny Zimmerman of Christian Learning contributed to this report.

JV Boys Basketball

Knight JV easily outpaces Griffins 43-12

The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team completed its second consecutive undefeated season with an overpowering 43-12 win over International in the International gym Tuesday afternoon.

The game confirmed a first-place finish for the Knights and a fourth-place finish for the Knights. The same two teams will meet again in the semifinals of the JV playoffs April 6.

The Knights zoomed ahead 18-2 in the opening quarter, and more or less cruised from there. Its two main players -- Jose Luis Rivera and Gabriel Alonso -- had been taken out of the game and sent to change clothes before halftime, when the Cambridge lead was 21-6.

Even without those two the Knight attack remained formidable, and Cambridge led 31-7 at the end of the third quarter. Both teams gave their younger players plenty of game time in the second half.

Cambridge's leading scorer was Andres Hurtado with 15 points. Alonso and Gustavo Roca each had eight, Jose Paniagua had six; Rivera, Percy Vidal and Santiago Hurtado each had two points.

Danny Hanley led the Griffin scorers with eight points. Jakob Holdversson and German Ferrario each had two points.

Eagle JV starts slowly, but comes on strong

The Christian Learning boys junior varsity basketball team took awhile to get itself on track, but ultimately emerged with a resounding 49-24 victory over Cooperative in the Jaguar gym Tuesday afternoon.

The game was closely contested at the beginning, and the Jaguars led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter, and were still ahead 12-10 well into the second quarter. However, by the middle of the second quarter the sparkplug of the Cooperative team, Josue Abuawad, had picked up his fourth personal foul, and was unable to be aggressive on defense. He had blocked several Eagle shots before getting into foul trouble.

Abuawad didn't pick up his fifth (and final) foul until there were only 30 seconds left in the game. He continued to score, but ceased to be a factor on defense.

The Eagles surged ahead, and led 25-16 at the half. They then broke things open in the third period, scoring 21 points to Cooperative's six, and taking a 47-22 lead. The two teams each added two points in the final quarter, in which Christian Learning rested its star, Cesar Flores.

Haziel Martinez was the leading scorer for Christian Learning with 23 points. Flores finished with 16. Josiah Canaviri had eight; Richard Enns and Regan Janzen had one each.

For Coorperative, Abuawad had 16 points, Giorgio Rodrigano had four; Rodrigo Adriazola and Jose Salvatierra had two points each.

JV Girls Basketball

Little Eagles victorious over Jaguars 20-12

The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team completed its undefeated season with a decisive 20-12 victory over fourth place Cooperative in the Cooperative gym Tuesday afternoon.

The Eagles finished first in the regular season, and the Jaguars fourth.

The same two teams will be paired in the junior varsity playoff semifinals April 6.

The two teams were deadlocked at the end of the first quarter 4-4, but the Eagles scored four unanswered points in the second period to lead 8-4 at the half, and then exploded for 12 points in the third quarter, during which the Jaguars scored only two.

The Jaguars closed the gap considerably by scoring six points in the final quarter, while holding the Eagles scoreless, with both teams giving younger players game experience.

For Christian Learning, Rebekah Kienzle had ten points. Emily Ordoñez and HaEun Lee each had four. Isabela Diaz add two.

For Cooperative, Giuliana Varalta had four points. Sofia Vallet, Marcella Netzlaff, Jessica Maureira, and Susana Zankis each had two points.

SWISH -- Knight Patricia Zhou Zeng sinks a second half free throw. Teammate Nicole Fermin (16) helps with some "body English."

Julia Boldt, Cooperative

Griffinettes' late scores defeat Knights 12-6

The International girls junior varsity basketball team broke open what had been a close game with two quick baskets late in the fourth quarter, defeating Cambridge 12-6 in their home gym Tuesday afternoon.

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BREAKTHROUGH -- This late basket by Griffin Pamela Suarez (7) helped break the game open for International.

Julia Boldt, Cooperative

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The victory secured second place in the now completed regular season for the Griffins, who posted a 4-2 record. Cambridge was third at 2-4. The same two teams clash again in the playoff semifinals April 6.

The two teams battled through a scoreless opening quarter, and each scored one basket in the second quarter, making the score 2-2 at halftime. The Knights outscored the Griffins in the third quarter 3-2 to take a 5-4 lead into the final stanza.

The Griffins got two baskets in the early phases of the fourth quarter, while Cambridge could muster only a free throw, but with only a few minute on the clock the score stood 8-6 for International, but it was still anybody's ball game, with each team missing numerous chances.

Then Griffins Pamela Suarez and Antonia Maggi hit baskets in rapid succession to move the score to 12-6 and ice the victory for the Griffins.

For International, Fabiana Zelada and Antonia Maggi each had four points; Natalia Aguilera and Paula Suarez each had two.

For Cambridge, Patricia Zhou Zeng and Vera de la Fuente each had three points.

Boys Varsity Basketball

'SCUSE ME, BUB -- Knight Jose Luis Rivera pushes past Jaguar Tae Cho's attempted block en route to another score. Kelly Clark Boldt, Cambridge College

Cambridge defeats injury-plagued Jaguars

The Cambridge varsity basketball team had no problem defeating Cooperative 38-3 in their home gym Thursday.

Cambridge scored almost at will in the first half while Cooperative couldn't seem to buy a basket. The score was 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and 29-1 at the half. In the second half Cambridge sat down its starters and the game became basically a rerun of Tuesday's junior varsity game as both teams gave younger players time on the court. The score was 33-1 at the end of the third quarter.

Cooperative was without its leading scorer, Milan Marinkovic, who is sidelined with tendinitis. Nicolas Suarez, another starter, was unavailable for academic reasons, and Josue Abuawad, a junior varsity star who has been of help to the varsity lately, twisted his ankle in Tuesday's JV game and couldn't play Thursday.

Cambridge was missing no one, and the Knights were firing on all cylinders. They were able to overwhelm Cooperative on both offense and defense in the decisive opening quarters. About half of the Knights' points in the first half came on fast breaks following defensive steals on which the Knights did not miss.

Jose Luis Rivera was the leading scorer with 11 points. Fabricio Subirana had seven, Alvaro Lopez six, Tae Han Kook five, Cristian Salvatierra and Carlos Ferrufino four each, and Gabriel Alonso one.

For Cooperative Rodrigo Adriazola had two points, and Andres Shin one.

BOMBS AWAY -- Eagle Andre Larsen (18) fires a shot over Griffin defenders.

Jonatan Muñoz, International

Senior-less Eagles win big over Griffins

The Christian Learning varsity boys basketball team had no trouble dominating International in a game played at the Eagles gym Thursday. The final score was 63-15.

The Eagles started fast and were ahead 15-3 at the end of the first quarter, and 25-9 at the half.

The Eagle lead bulged to 38-12 at the end of the third quarter. The Eagles added 25 more points in the fourth quarter against a now exhausted Griffin team.

The Eagles were playing without their seniors -- Danny Canaviri, Paul Estes, Tim Zimmerman, Mark Salinas and Hans Larsen -- who were away on a class trip. It didn't seem to matter as the Eagles got strong games from underclassmen Jesse Hallock, Andre Larsen, Andrew Burgin, Caleb Hoover and Josh Hoover.

Hallock was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 20 points. Burgin had 17, Larsen 14, Caleb Hoover eight. Richard Ling and Josh Hoover had two points each.

For International, J. Velasco had seven points, F. Molina four. T. Suarez and F. Gonzalez had two points each.

Jenny Zimmerman of Christian Learning contributed to this report.

Varsity Girls Basketball

"YOU PUT YOUR RIGHT ARM IN . . ." -- Griffins and Jaguars seem to be doing the "Hokey-Pokey" during a loose ball scramble. Jonatan Muñoz, International

JOY REIGNS UNCONFINED -- Griffin players savor first victory over Eagles in Eagle gym, and only the second in League history. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Griffins squeak by Eagles in Double OT

The International girls varsity basketball team finally defeated a tenacious International team in a second overtime period in a game played at Christian Learning Thursday afternoon. The final score was 16-13.

Christian Learning clung to a small early lead. The score stoodf 4-3 in favor of the Eagles after the first quarter, and 6-4 at the half, as both teams played intense defense -- and missed a lot of shots.

The status remained quo as each team added a field goal in the third period, making the score 8-6.

In the fourth period International had a three-point scoring "surge", with a foul shot and field goal, to take the lead 9-8. Eagle Abby Phillips sank a free throw just before the end of the game to tie things up 9-9 and force the game into overtime.

The two teams matched one another in the first overtime period, each making two foul shots, and the game remained deadlocked, now at 11.

At this point Griffin Matilde Gamarra apparently decided that enough was enough, and threw in a three-pointer, followed shortly by a two-point field goal. Eagle Abby Phillips' basket was too little, too late, to prevent a joyful Griffin victory celebration.

Christian Learning was playing without its seniors, who were away on a class trip. This deprived them of the services of their leading scorer, Kaylynn Lampen, as well as Ruth Nyquist, Erica Kienzle, Sara Miura and Laura Lindahl.

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THE WAITING GAME -- Both teams gather for a possible rebound. This time, for a change, it went in.

Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

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But the International victory was still epochal, sending people scrambling to the record books. It is believed that this was the first time the International varsity girls have won a game in the Christian Learning gym in League history. The only other win by the Griffin girls over the Eagle girls came in the playoffs two years ago.

The scoresheet for the Griffins could not immediately be deciphered due to illegible handwriting.

For Christian Learning, Mariela Salinas had six points, Abby Phillips four, JiHea Ahn two, and Jessica Smith one.

Jenny Zimmerman of Christian Learning contributed to this report.

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KNIGHT ATTACK -- Knight Maira Lino drives downcourt during Cambridge's fourth-quarter rally. Jaguar Geraldine Milos (13) waits to intercept, while Cecelia Aponte (6) is in pursuit.

Kelly Clark Boldt, Cambridge

Jaguars win foul-filled game with Knights

The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team finally subdued a stubborn and determined Cambridge team 13-9 on the Cambridge court Thursday afternoon.

It was a whole new experience for the Jaguar girls who up to this point had cruised through the season without ever really getting their hair mussed, winning all its previous games, including one against Cambridge, by big margins.

Intense defensive efforts, and cold shooting characterized the first half as the Jaguars slowly ground out a lead while holding Cambridge scoreless. The Jaguars led 2-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 6-0 at the half.

In the third quarter the Jaguars scored another six points, but Cambridge broke through and scored a basket of its own to make the score 12-2, and seemingly pave the way for a messy but decisive Jaguar win.

However, holding Cambridge to two points had been a rough job, and Cooperative had paid a price for it. By the end of the third quarter center Carla Limpias and forward Natalia Aponte were both sitting on the bench after having fouled out.

Limpias, one of the team's top scorers and a key rebounder, was a particularly big loss, and as the fourth quarter unfolded it became clear that with Limpias and Aponte out of the game, Cambridge was the stronger team. The question then became whether the Lady Knights coiuld make up the ten-point deficit.

And the answer was that they could not, but with several minutes to go they had closed the difference to 12-9, and Cambridge three-point specialist Maira Lino had a couple of shots that almost evened the game. Cambridge's comeback effort was also damaged by the fouling out of two of its players, Mariana Escaño and Carla Rocia Barriga.

Ana Paula Peredo scored a foul shot just before the end of the game to make the final score 13-9.

Overall, Cooperative was whistled for 23 fouls, and Cambridge for 17.

For Cooperative, Peredo had five points (all on foul shots); Sofia Sotelo had four (including a three-pointer). Tania Landivar and Cecelia Aponte had two points each.

For Cambridge, Lino had six points, Cho Sehee had two, and Escaño one.

JV Boys Basketball

BREAKING THROUGH -- Eagle Haziel Martinez (19) launches a shot through at attempted block by Griffin L. Melgar (9). Jonatan Muñoz, International

Eagles defeat sharpshooting Griffins, 48-20

The Christian Learning junior varsity boys basketball team led all the way in its 48-20 win over International Tuesday afternoon in their home gym, though the Griffins put on an impressive display of long-range marksmanship in the second half.

The bigger and faster Eagles built a comfortable 25-3 lead at halftime, but the Griffins outscored the Eagles 11-10 in the third quarter, largely on the strength of three three-pointers. Griffin Danny Hanley, perhaps the smallest player on the court, made the highlight reel when he hit a three-pointer, then almost immediately took the ball in for a two point lay-up.

The Eagle lead at the end of the third quarter was 35-14.

The Griffins hit two more three-pointers in the fourth quarter, but that was all the offense they could muster, while the Eagles offensive machinery kicked back into high gear, scoring 13 points.

For the Eagles, Cesar Flores led the scoring with 19 points, despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Haziel Martinez 11, Richard Enns 8, Luke Phillips six. Josiah Canaviri and Esteban de Sosa each had two.

For International, Daniel Hanley had eight points, including two three-pointers. J- Coloma and J. Velasco had six points each, all on three-pointers.

Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning provided this report.

Little Knights' big first half beats Jaguars

The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team jumped out to a big early lead against Cooperative, then fended off a second half Jaguar rally to win 29-18 in their hom gym Tuesday.

Cambridge led 13-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 21-4 at the half. With most of the Cambridge starters taking the second half off, the Jaguyars cut the Knights' lead to thrirteen points at the end of the third quarter, when the score was 27-14. The Jaguars also outscored Cambridge in the fourth quarter, four points to two-

For Cambridge, Jose Luis Rivera had 13 points, all in the first half, incvluding three three-pointers. Andres Hurtado had four points, Fernando Guardia and Juan Paniagua had three points each, Gustavo Roca had two, and Gabriel Alonso one.

For Cooperative, Josue Abuawad had eight points, Rodrigo Adriazola and Eduardo Ustarez had four, and Luis Peredo had 2.

JV Girls Basketball

AIMING HIGH -- Eagle Rebekah Kienzle (3) gets off a shot. Teammate HaEun Lee (2) and Griffin R. Maggi (19) look for a rebound. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Eaglettes take off, beat Griffins 32-6

The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team scored a stunning 32-6 victory over International, the second-place team in the League, in a home game Tuesday afternoon.

The game was close until the middle of the second quarter at which point the junior Eagles led by only two points, 8-6. However, Christian Learning dominated play from that point on, holding the Griffins scoreless for the rest of the game.

Christian Learning led 13-6 at halftime, and 21-6 at the end of the third quarter.

For the Eagles, Rebekah Kienzle scored 11 points, Naomi Canaviri had eight; Emily Ordoñez six, Isabela Diaz four, Sandi Wilcke two, and Hye Rim Ryu one.

For International, R. Maggi had four points and A. Maggi had two.

Keith Wilcke of Christian Learning provided this report.

Little Knights victors over Jaguars 13-6

The Cambridge junior varsity girls team picked up its second victory of the season over winless Cooperative Tuesday afternoon, winning 13-6 in their home gym.

Cambridge took command from the start, leading 6-2 at the end of the first quarter and 8-2 at the half.

The game was much more evenly contested in the second half. Cambridge widened its lead by one point in the third quarter, leading 11-4 at that point. Both teams scored one basket in the fourth quarter.

For Cambridge, Anaya Yañez and Nicole Fermin each had six points, and Mako Ueno had one.

For Cooperative, Naomi Andrade had four points, and Geraldine Milos two.

Girls Varsity Basketball

Female Jaguars dominate Griffins 53-6

The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team put on one of the most spectacular offensive efforts ever by a girls varsity as they defeated International 53-6 on their home court Thursday.

The game was not bad as a defensive effort either as the Jaguars held the Griffins scoreless in the first half, while scoring 25 points for themselves, 17 of them in the first quarter alone.

The Jaguars led 41-4 at the end of the third quarter.

Sofia Sotelo scored 24 points for the Jaguars, including two three-pointers. Carla Limpias had 10; and Tania Landivar seven. Ana Paula Peredo, Cecelia Aponte, and Roseleny Kefer each had four.

For International, Matilde Gamarra had four points and Adriana Ocampo two.

LADIES LEAPING -- Knights Sehee Cho (15), Maira Lino (10) and Nicole Fermin (13) go airborne in effort to thwart Eagle Cristina Chun (3) Julia Boldt, Cooperative

Eagles outlast Knights in defensive donnybrook

The Christian Learning girls varsity basketball team came on strong in the second half to defeat Cambridge in the Cambridge gym Thursday afternoon, 14-8.

Both teams played ferocious defense, and neither seemed to have a keen shooting eye. The Eagles led 2-1 at the end of the first quarter, but by halftime Cambridge had come back to lead 6-4.

The momentum shifted to Christian Learning in the second half, and the Eagles led 10-8 at the end of the third quarter, then added four more points in the final stanza while holding Cambridge scoreless.

Kaylynn Lampen had eight points for the Eagles. Mariela Salinas, Ruth Nyquist, and Erica Kienlzle each had two points.

For Cambridge, Maira Lino had four points, Nicole Fermin three, and SeHee Cho 1.

Boys Varsity Basketball

BASKETBALL AS HIGH ART -- Knight Tae Han Kook (10) and Eagle Andre Larsen (18), among others, battle for a rebound. Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

Late surge carries Eagles over Knights

We'll get to the way the game turned out in a moment, but first let's pause for a moment at the end of the third quarter when an upstart Cambridge team was holding a small, improbable lead of over Christian Learning.

The (almost) packed stands at Cambridge were in an uproar as the profusely sweating players huddled. The action had been fast and furious from the opening tip, and the score had see-sawed within a narrow range as the teams exchanged brilliant plays and fans screamed encouragement. Play was intense, but there were a lot of smiles. Players and fans were having a good time. And you could cut the excitement with the knife -- a butter knife.

This was SCISL Basketball the way it 'spozed to be. No more of those games where British newspapers would describe the winning margin as "too far to matter."

And it got even better from there, especially if you were a Christian Learning fan as the relentless Eagles began to chip away at the six-point Cambridge advantage, with Eagle Danny Canaviri finally taking the ball to the hoop to tie it at 34-34, then a few moments later putting the Eagles ahead to stay with a soft short jumper 36-34.

The Knights though clearly tiring fought hard, and came close with a couple of three-pointers that might have made things really exciting, before finally succumbing 45-39. But a good time was had by all.

Cambridge had actually jumped out to a 4-0 lead at the start of the game, though things quickly tightened up and Christian Learning led 9-8 at the end of the quarter. The battle continued on close terms through the second quarter with ties at 13-13, 15-15, and 17-17 before the Knights fashioned a little three-point lead at halftime 22-19.

One factor helping Cambridge was better foul shooting. In the season opener the Knights had missed most of their foul shots -- 20 in a row at one point. In the second quarter they sank five of eight opportunities. Jose Luis Rivera and Alvaro Lopez both completed three-point plays for the Knights, tacking free throws onto field goals.

The Knights were hot in the third quarter and for a while seemed to have control of the game as they widened their lead to nine points at 32.23, before the Eagles began to tighten the game up. The third quarter ended with the score 34-28 in favor of Cambridge.

Danny Canaviri led the Eagles scoring with 16 points even though he had a bad day at the foul line, making only two of ten opportunities, low for him. He pulled in at least seven rebounds. Andre Larsen had ten points, and made good on four of his six free throws. Caleb Hoover had a strong game with six points. Andrew Burgin also had six. Paul Estes had four points and Jesse Hallock two.

Cambridge's Alvaro Lopez was the leading scorer in the game with 19 points. He was five of nine at the free throw line. Jose Luis Rivera had 12 points, including a three-pointer, and was also five of nine on foul shots. Tae Han Kook and Matias Martinez had four points each.

Cambridge had two technicals called against the team; Christian Learning had one.

Jenny Zimmerman of Christian Learning contributed to this report.

Undermanned Jaguars hold off Griffins

The Cooperative boys varsity basketball team machined out a workman-like 24-13 victory over International in their home gym Thursday afternoon.

The Jaguars were playing without Milan Marinkovic, their leading scorer, who was sidelined with tendinitis. Nicolas Suarez, another key starter, was academically ineligible.

The Jaguars 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 10-4 at the half. The two teams dueled evenly in the third period, with each scoring six points to make the score 16-10 at the end of the third quarter. The Jaguars then outscored the Griffins 8-3 in the fourth quarter to win the game 24-13.

Jaguar Andres Shin was the leading scorer in the game with 14 points. Oliver Lederman had six points; Josue Abuawad had four.

For International, F. Molina had six points, J. B. Velasco had four; S. Maldonado 2; and F. Matus 1.

JV Boys Basketball

Junior Knights win decisively over Eagles

The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball continued its unbeaten season with a decisive 42-15 win over Christian Learning in their home gym Tuesday.

The Eagle JV was the only team that had seriously challenged the Knights in the first half, and the win indicates that the Knights should have clear sailing through the rest of the season against teams they have beaten even more easily.

The two teams were tied at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but Cambridge broke the game open in the second quarter with 14 unanswered points. The Knights continued to outscore the Eagles throughout the second half, leading 30-13 at the end of the third quarter.

The high scorer for Cambridge was Gabriel Alonso with 17 points. Jose Luis Rivera, who normally is the big gun for the Cambridge JV, had 16, including a three-pointer. Andres Hurtado, back in action after a severe wrist injury, had four points, Alex Legrain and Juan Carlos Paniagua had two. One Cambridge point could not be attributed.

For Christian Learning, Josiah Canaviri had ten points, Cesar Flores had four, and Haziel Martinez 1.

Jaguar JV wins convincingly over Griffins

The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team led from start to finish in its 20-10 victory over International in their home gym Tuesday.

The Junior Jaguars jumped out ahead 6-0 in the first quarter, and widened that lead to 12-3 at the half. That advantage became 16-5 at the end of the third quarter. International had its best quarter in the fourth, scoring five points to Cooperative's six, but it was too little, too late.

Josue Abuawad was the Jaguars leading scorer with eight points.

Giorgio Rodrigano had six points, Jose Salvatierra four, and Richard Salvatierra and Mathew Delozier had two apiece.

For International, J. E. Coloma and Danny Hanley each had four points, and J. Garcia had two.

JV Girls Basketball

BEATING THE CROWD -- Griffin Maria Maggi gets to the basket a step ahead of Jaguar Giuliana Varalta (11) and other defenders. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Eaglettes start slowly, win big over Knights

After trailing early on, the Christian Learning Center girls junior varsity basketball team posted a decisive 20-9 win over Cambridge in the Cambridge gym Tuesday afternoon.

The Little Lady Knights had led at the end of the first quarter 6-4, but the Eagles were ahead at the half 8-6 after holding Cambridge scoreless in the second period.

The Eagles widened their lead to 14-9 by the end of the third quarter, and scored six unanswered points in the final quarter.

While anomalies on the score sheet made individual totals hard to figure, it appeared that Rebekah Kienzle led the scoring for Christian Learning with eight points, though she was out of action for much of the second half after fouling out. Ester Chun and Isabela Diaz each had had four points, while Emily Mercado and Elily Ordoñez had two points each.

For Cambridge, Nicole Fermin had four points, Mako Ueno and Vera de la Fuente had two points, and Amaya Yañez had one.

Griffinettes hang on win against Jaguars

The International junior varsity girls basketball team barely edged Cooperative 13-11 in the Cooperative gym Tuesday, as the Jaguars came on strong in the fourth quarter.

The Griffin led 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, and 5-4 at the half.

International then seemed to take control of the game in the third quarter as they moved out to a 13-6 lead.

However, Cooperative was the team in charge in the fourth quarter as they held International scoreless while scoring five points of their own to curt International¡s winning margin to only two points.

Fabiana Zelada scored seven pòints for International, while M. Maggi scored the remaining six.

Jessica Maureira had five points for Cooperative, accounting for all of the scoring in the fourth quarter. Celita Guanella scored four, and Maria Añez had two.

First Track Meet Results

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LETTING 'ER RIP -- Jihun Chun of Christian Learning unleashes a discus throw. He finished sixth. Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

RECORD PACE -- Christian Learning's boys 4X100 relay team roots home anchorman Mark Salinas. The team chopped almost four seconds off old record. Jonatan Muñoz, International

AMAZING FLYING GIRLS -- First heat of girls 100 meters (l-r Tania Landivar, Monica Rocabado, Maria Victoria Gutierrez, and Mariela Salinas) never touched the ground. Jonatan Muñoz, International

Jaguar boys, Griffin girls triumph in track

The Cooperative boys and International girls emerged victorious in the season's first track and field meet held last Friday and Saturday.
The Jaguar boys victory, their first in track since 2006, was a narrow one over second-place Christian Learning. The Jaguars amassed 110 points to the Eagle boys' 105. Both finished ahead of International, previously a perennial track powerhouse, whose boys team had 79 points. Cambridge was a distant fourth with 28.
The victory of the Griffin girls was decisive. They piled up 148 points, well ahead of Christian Learning with 64 points, Cooperative with 54 points, and Cambridge with 16.

The point totals from the first meet are totaled with the points from the SCISL Championship Meet April 9-10 to determine the team championships. The running events were held Friday at Tahuichi Stadium, and the field events were conducted Saturday morning at International.

Four league records were broken or tied during the meet, including both boys relay events.
Eagle runner Abby Phillips smashed a record set just last year by Carmen Mansur of International in the 400 meters with a clocking of 1:05.52. The old record was 1:08.66. Mansur finished second Friday.

Equally spectacular was the 3:56.40 clocking of the Christian Learning 4 x 400 relay team of Mark Salinas, Jesse Hallock, Andre Larsen, and Danny Canaviri that lowered the old record of 4:00.3 by an International team that had stood since 2007. The Eagle achievement also helps clean up the SCISL record book, since the names of the holders of the old record had been, somewhat embarrassingly, lost in the sands of time.

And in terms of percentage reduction, the achievement of the Cooperative 4 x 100 relay team of Miguel Papadopoulos, Milan Marinkovic, Sergio Gonzalez, and Renzo Pinto, which won that event in a time of :47.94, handily beating the old mark of :49.12 set last year by International.

In the girls high jump Florenia Sosa of International tied her own record of 1.40 meters. She had jumped that high previously in both 2008 and 2009.

The full results of the meet were as follows:

Running events

Girls 1500 meters -- Maria Fornaguera, Cambridge; Sharon Gabler, Christian Learning. (Winning time: 6:30.00)

Boys 1500 meters -- Danny Canaviri, Christian Learning; Alexander Nagel, Cambridge; Jorge Zankis, Cooperative (5:05.00)

Girls 100 meters -- Laura Gutierrez, International; Mariela Salinas, Christian Learning; Maria Victoria Gutierrez, International (:14.60)

Boys 100 meters -- Jesse Hallock, Christian Learning; Renzo Pinto, Cooperative; Cristian Coronado, International (:12.2)

Girls 400 meters -- Abby Phillips, Christian Learning; Carmen Mansur, International; Leila Jueril, International (1:05.52)

Boys 400 meters -- Andres Percy, International; Andre Larsen, Christian Learning; Federico Sauto, Cooperative (:57.78)

Girls 200 meters -- Mariela Salinas, Christian Learning; Maria Victoria Gutierrez, International; Laura Maragaño, Internationa (:31.21)

Boys 200 meters -- Renzo Pinto, Cooperative; Jesse Hallock, Christian Learning; Tae Han Kook, Cambridge (:24.57)

Girls 800 meters -- Carolina Baldivieso, International; Florencia Sosa, International; Kassandra Morales, Cooperative (3:13.00)

Boys 800 meters -- Mark Salinas, Christian Learning; Daniel Roempler, International; Jose Moza, Cooperative (2:29.00)

Girls 4 x 100 relay -- International (Laura Magagaño, Maria Victoria Gutierrez, Ana Gutierrez, Flavia Nostas); Christian Learning; Cooperative (:59.88)

Boys 4 x 100 relay -- Cooperatiuve (Miguel Papadopoulos, Milan Marinkovic, Sergio Gonzalez, Renzo Pinto); International; Christian Learning (:47.94)

Girls 4 x 400 relay -- International (Flavia Nostas, Maria Victoria Gutierrez, Carolina Baldivieso, Beatriz Nallar); Cooperative (5:29.00)

Boys 4 x 400 relay -- Christian learning (Jesse Hallock, Andre Larsen, Danny Canaviri, and Mark Salinas); International (3:56.40)

Field Events

Girls discus -- Beatriz Nallar; Maureen Harrison, Cooperatiuve; Carolina Baldivieso, International (18.85 meters)

Boys discus -- Nicolas Smith, Christian Learning; Ezequiel Chavez, Cooperative; Sebastian Kyllman, Cooperative (25.29 meters)

Girls shot put -- Beatriz Nallar, International; Laura Maragaño, International; Abbhy Phillips, Christian Learning (8.98 meters)

Boys shot put --´Sebastian Kyllman, Cooperative; Ezequiel Chavez, Cooperative; Andres Rodas, International (11.55 meters)

Girls long jump -- Laura Maragaño, International; Carolinia Baldivieso, International; Nabila Farah, Cooperative (3.63 meters)

Boys long jump -- Cristian Coronado, International; Milan Marinkovic, Cooperative; Danny Canaviri, Christian Learning (5.08 meters)

Girls high jump -- Florencia Sosa, International; Abby Phillips, Christian Learning; Maria Jose Rivero, Cooperative (1.40 meters)

Boys high jump -- Milan Marinkovic, Cooperative; Danny Canaviri, Christian Learning; Andre Larsen, Christian Learning (1.60 meters)

Boys Varsity Basketball

JAGUAR HIGH POINT -- Cooperative center Milan Marinkovic (9) wins the opening jump ball. The Jaguars scored and led the game -- briefly. Julia Boldt, Cooperative

Relentless Eagles crush Jaguars 59-23

The Christian Learning varsity boys basketball team, seemingly intent on proving that it is even better than the school´s undefeated team of last year, ripped through Cooperative Thursday afternoon, winning 59-23.
The Eagles have now completed half of the League season with a 3-0 record, having bludgeoned all three of its opponents by lopsided scores.
There were a few minutes at the beginning of the game when Cooperative looked, briefly, vulnerable. The Jaguars scored first on a swished jumper by Junior Keiper, and the score was tied at 4-4. Maybe, one might have been allowed to think, this game will be a surprise.
No way. The Eagles exploded for 12 unanswered points to lead 16-4 at the end of the quarter. Cooperative did then fight valiantly through the second quarter, and only allowed the Eagles to increase their lead by a single point, with the half ending: Christian Learning 31, Cooperative 18.

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EAGLE HIGHLIGHT -- Christian Learning senior Paul Estes (8) drives for a score against Jaguar Jose Moza (7). Ruth Nyquist, Christian Learning

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Any illusions the Jaguars might have had of pulling and upset were cruelly destroyed in a third quarter in which the Eagles outscored the Jaguars 18 to 1. Christian Learning was now hitting on all cylinders, and out-shooting, out-stealing, out-rebounding, and out-hustling the beleaguered Jaguars.
One reason was the Eagles considerable bench strength. At one point the Eagles y substituted for all five players on the court with no measurable loss of efficiency.
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DAFFY AND WOODY -- Christian Learning's new mascots, Daffy Duck (left) and Woody Woodpecker, take a pregame bathroom break. Apparently no Eagle suits were available.

Hamin Choi, Christian Learning

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By the fourth quarter the Jaguars, who had only seven players in uniform for the game, were reduced to the same status as previous Eagle opponents at that point, looking like a losing heavyweight fighter just trying to stay upright until the final bell.
Arms hanging down, they began passing the ball into the stands, and dribbling it off their own feet, as Christian Learning padded its lead by another six points, making the final score 59-23.
Danny Canaviri had a big day for the Eagles, scoring 25 points. Paul Estes had 12, Jesse Hallock eight, Andre Larsen seven, Tim Zimmerman four, and Andrew Burgin three.
For the Jaguars, Milan Marinkovic and Nicolas Suarez both had eight points. Andres Shin had four, Oliver Lederman two, and Jose Moza one.

Knights have easy day against Griffins

By Claudia Hennessey
Cambridge College

In a total no contest, the Cambridge varsity boys basketball team dominated International, 52-10, in a game played at Cambridge Thursday afternoon.

The first and second quarter were marked by steady shooting by the Knights, and no scoring by the Griffins. Cambridge led 16-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 28-0 at the halftime break.

In the third quarter the Griffins decided to make a stand, and by playing great man-to-man defense and controlling the rebounds, held Cambridge to nine points, while they scored six, making the contest look a lot more competitive. The Griffins managed to execute a ton of fast breaks, but lacked a strategy that would get the ball into the basket

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DANCING IN THE DARK -- Knight Alvaro Lopez rises in the murky gloaming of the Cambridge gym to pump in a shot against Griffin Juan Sebastian Narvaez.
Maira Lino, Cambridge

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However, in the fourth quarter the Knights took charge more firmly, with amazing shooting and solid teamwork. They outscored the Griffins 15-4 in the final stanza, to make the final score 52-10.
For Cambridge, Jose Luis Rivera had 24 points, including two beautiful three-pointers. Alvaro Lopez had 10, Fabricio Subirana six; Gabriel Alonso and Tomo Hashimoto both had four; Tae Han Kook and Carlos Ferrufino both had two points.
For International, Felipe Molina had four points, while Gary Suarez, Juan Sebastian Velasco, and Francisco Gonzales had two points each.