Eagles come back to edge Knights
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning Center
This game started out looking grave for the undefeated Christian Learning Center girls varsity basketball team and a home gym full of their supporters as Cambridge built a 8-0 lead to start the game.
However, the Eagle girls made a stunning comeback to tie the game by halftime, and then after the two teams had battled basket-for-basket through the second half, the Eagles edged into the lead in the final minutes and achieved the victory 24-22.
Cambridge started the scoring with a three-point swish by ninth grader Maira Lino. After that, the Lady Knights stayed in control, with Lino throwing in a second three-pointer, and the first quarter ended with Cambridge holding a 10-2 lead.
The Cambridge girls had artfully closed off the middle to the Eagles main scorers, and forced Christian Learning to try other strategies including more shooting from the outside using other players.
This began to pay off in the second quarter which began with another three-point swish, this one by Eagle tenth grader Ruth Nyquist. Cambridge answered with two free throws, but then would make only one more basket before the half, while the Eagles tallied 9 points, tying the game, 14-14, at the half.
Neither team seemed able to get back in the groove in the third quarter. It ended with the score still tied, now at 20-20. The pace slowed even further in the fourth quarter, with both teams missing a lot of free throws and other chances.
The Christian Learning girls made a free throw by Sabrina Hallock to give her team a one-point lead, but another basket by Lino -- this one a two-pointer, gave the Knights back the lead.
The game then became a foul shooting contest that the Eagles won by sinking three (while missing eight). The Knights did have their chances as well, both at the foul line and from the field. Raquel Lopez, Cambridge's leading scorer, went in for a lay-up just before the buzzer that looked like it might go in, but it rolled off the rim.
The win was the fourth for the Christian learning girls against no defeats and clinches at least a first place tie for them. The loss evens Cambridge's record at 2-2. The two teams play again in two weeks.
Sabrina Hallock was the top scorer for the Eagles with six points. Kaylyn Lampen had 6, Roxy Jien 4, Ruth Nyquist three, Anne Marie Hawthorne two, Jennifer Lau and Tabitha Malloy one apiece.
For the Lady Knights, Lino had eight points including two three-pointers. Lopez had six, Mariana Escaño five, Camila Johnson two, and Karen Aliaga one.
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BREAKING UP A SISTER ACT -- Griffin Natalia Suarez does her best to keep Jaguar Cecelia Apoonte (6) from passing to her sister Natalia (8). Jonatan Muñoz, International
Cooperative 32, International 19
Jaguars post first victory in fine style
The previously winless and seemingly snakebit Cooperative girls varsity basketball team got well in a hurry as it defeated International 32-19 in their home gym Thursday.
The girl Jaguars, now 1-4, had lost to the Griffins in the season opener by one point, and had lost another game by one point in overtime, and a third by just two points.
They got over the problem they have had scoring in the first quarter, taking a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led 13 to 8 at the half, and 21 to 13 at the end of the third quarter.
They then had their most productive quarter of the year in the fourth quarter, tallying 11 more points while holding International to 5.
Both teams will have an opportunity to play spoiler in their final games of the season. The Jaguars take on the second-place Cambridge girls (2-2) next week, and International will play 4-0 Christian Learning in three weeks.
For the Jaguars both Cecelia Aponte and Ana Paula Peredo posted eight points, and Nataly Noguer had six. Carla Limpias scored 4, while Sofia Sotelo, Natalia Aponte, and Ana Paula Justiniano had two points each.
For International Daniela Zelada had 12, Regina Landivar 4, Natalia Suarez 2, and Matilde Vasquez 1.
