Lopez leads Cambridge with 11
Knights oust Eagles with 25-17 win
Combining a ferocious defensive effort with an uncharacteristically steady offensive attack, the Cambridge girls varsity basketball team defeated regular season victor Christian Learning 25-17 Thursday afternoon in a semifinal contest at the Eagles gym.
Raquel Lopez, the Lady Knights' quiet, unassuming team leader, asserted herself in the second half, scoring nine of her 11 points, most of them on driving, looping, finding-a-gap when-there-was none lay-ups. At times her baskets seemed to be an act of pure will. The Cambridge senior simply would not be denied. It was her highest point total of the year.
Lopez was ably abetted by sophomore Maira Leno, who had ten points, six of them on three-pointers. Lino also picked up a key short-range basket when she was left completely open after three Christian Learning defenders collapsed on Lopez, who, though stopped, was still able to feed the ball to her teammate.
Several Eagles were suffering
Several Christian Learning players were playing though ill with colds, and Anne Marie Hawthorne was hampered by a tender left wrist, which she had wrapped in an elastic bandage until game time.
Cambridge, for its part appeared to be at least at full strength and had clearly come to play.
The Eagle girls led for most of the first half, and Cambridge only drew even at the end of the half as a result of the first of Lino's two three-pointers, which a Christian Learning fan characterized as "an amazing shot."
One reason for the low score was that both teams were playing gritty defense. Katie Beth Wilcke, Eagle team statistician, said her team was shooting about as well as it usually does, around 20 percent from the floor, but simply wasn't getting that many shots off. The situation was similar for Cambridge.
Christian Learning went ahead 10-8 at the beginning of the second half on a long set shot from the right side by Roxy Jien.
But Lopez tied it up for the Knights with a driving lay-up, and then Camila Johnson banged home a basket to give Cambridge the lead 12-10, which it would not relinquish. Lino promptly made it 15-10 with her second three-pointer.
"Two-girl wrecking crew"
Lopez and Lino then went to work as a fast-breaking two-girl wrecking crew, accounting, one way or another, for the next nine Cambridge points.
During this stretch Christian Learning badly needed for someone to step up and pump in some baskets and settle the team down. Cristina Chun and Kaylynn Lampen gave it a try. Chun's field goal and Lampen's three-pointer cut the Cambridge lead to 18-15, and seemed to put the game back in reach.
But Lopez and Lino went back to work, while the Eagle offense sputtered. Its only points in the remainder of the game would be two free throws by Sabrina Hallock. Cambridge, according to Wilcke, hit close to 40 percent of its shots in this final stretch.
Last loaf of bread in town
One reason the Eagle offense could not get back on track was the quick, aggressive defense Cambridge was playing. It seemed that if an Eagle held the ball for more than a nanosecond, one (or more) Cambridge players would be grabbing it with both hands as if it were the last loaf of bread in town.
Besides Lopez' 11 points and Lino's eight, Cambridge got two points each from Mariana Escaño and Camila Johnson. It was Cambridge's highest point total of the year, and represented only the second time the team had exceeded 20 points.
For Christian Learning, Sabrina Hallock and Tabitha Malloy had four points each. Kaylynn Lampen had three, while Ruth Nyquist, Roxy Jien, and Cristina Chun had two points apiece.
Cambridge will now face Cooperative in the championship game next Tuesday, while Christian Learning goes up against International in the consolation game.
Jaguars grind down Zelada-less Griffins
Cooperative triumphs easily, 18-8
The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team won a victory over a tenacious International team by making ten of its 18 points from the foul line in a semi-final contest played at the Griffins gym Thursday.
It was an unusual game not only for the number of foul shots, but for the number made. Foul shooting for the most part has been a lost, or never-found, art in the girls varsity competition.
But the Jaguars had plenty of chances (though the official score sheet doesn't show exactly how many). International players were called for 26 fouls, as opposed to 13 for Cooperative.
The fouls were, in a way, to the high level of effort the Griffin girls were making to compensate for the absence of their scoring leader (and the league's), Daniela Zelada. Zelada was out with a cold.
International had been the favored team in the contest based on regular season records, although the two teams had split their two regular season meetings.
Off to an even start
The game started on a more or less even basis with neither team able to put many points on the board. The score at the end of the first quarter stood at 4-3 in favor of Cooperative.
The Jaguars slowly stretched this lead out to 10-5 in the second quarter.
The Jaguars got four of their five field goals in the first half, with Cecelia Aponte, Nataly Noguer, Ana Paula Peredo and Sofia Sotelo getting one each. Noguer also made two foul shots.
Aponte scored another field goal at the beginning of the second half, after which the parade to the foul line began. The Jaguars got their last six points on foul shots.
Peredo and Noguer each made two, with single points added by Aponte and Hailey White.
Griffins unable to hit
The Griffin girls, while able to more or less shut down Cooperative's scoring from the floor, were unable to generate much offense of their own.
Melissa Roca had four points for International on two field goals. Regina Landivar also had a field goal, while Stephanie Gioto and Natalia Suarez had a free throw apiece.
As a result of their victory the Jaguar girls will now face Cambridge in the championship game next Tuesday. International will play Christian Learning in the consolation game to determine third place.
