Christian Learning 32, International 19
Eagle girls win playoff tune-up
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team easily outscored International, 30-19, in a game at the Griffings gym where both teams gave their second string players a chance to gain experience.
The game was played mainly for pride and practice, and had no effect on the pairings for the semifinal round of the playoffs Thursday when Christian Learning will host Cambridge, while Cooperative plays at International.
The Eagle girls took a 13-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, in which International made it clear that it was not going all out to win. Daniela Zelada, the Griffin's leading scorer (and the league's), stayed on the bench until the second quarter.
International surged in the second quarter cutting the Eagles lead at one point to four, 15-11. The Eagles rallied at that point, and led at the half by eight, 21-13.
The Eagles stayed on a high trajectory in the second half, quickly widening their lead to 30-15, from which point they coasted in as both teams substituted freely.
Seven different players notched baskets for the Eagles. Kaylynn Lampen had seven points, including a three-pointer. Sabrina Hallock posted six, Tabitha Malloy 5, while Roxy Jien, Jennifer Lau, and Whitney Belovicz had four each. Ruth Nyquist had two.
Even with her late start in the game, Daniela Zelada was the leading scorer in the game with 13 points. Maria Isabel Barrenechea, Laura Gioto, and Olivia Rodriguez had two points each.
International boys missing three starters
Eagles romp over Griffins, 56-15
The Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team put on a dazzling display of offensive and defensive firepower as they whipped an undermanned International team 56-15 in the Griffins gym Thursday.
After a brief period of sputtering in the opening minutes, the Eagles sprinted out to a 17-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, which they stretched to 26-4 at halftime.
With the victory Christian Learning pulled even with Cambridge atop the league standings at the end of the regular season. Both teams have 5-1 records.
By scoring more than 37 points, Christian Learning earned the number one seed position for the playoffs by exceeding Cambridge's point total for the season.
The semifinals Friday will as a result pit Christian Learning against International, while Cambridge plays Cooperative. (See schedule at right.)
It would be difficult to overstate the degree to which Christian Learning dominated the game, which quickly became more of a public workout than a contest.
For eight and a half minutes at the beginning of the second half the Eagles not only held the Griffins scoreless, they prevented the home team from even getting a shot off. The Eagles blocked them all, and, more wondrous still, only committed one foul, which International failed to convert into points.
Well into the fourth quarter there was doubt as to whether the Griffins would get to double figures, and they only did so after both teams had emptied their benches.
All that having been said, International was without the services of its leading scorer, Martin Gonzales, its best rebounder, Mario Rohrman, and Ernando Tesch, another of its leading scorers. All were sidelined with injuries.
Rohrman was at the game with a cast on his right arm that had been put there as a precaution after he injured his wrist as the result of a fall in an informal basketball game. The cast was scheduled to be removed Thursday and Rohrman was expected to be available for Friday's semifinals.
Gonzales and Tesch are also expected to be back in the line-up. Gonzales has a tender ankle, and Tesch an injured finger.
But International used everyone else on its roster, including sixth grader Julio Ribeira, who was being rewarded for his effort and achievements under adversity as a member of the winless International junior varsity.
The biggest news for teams facing the Eagles in the playoffs is that junior forward Jeff Stabler seems to have found a scoring touch. Known for firing the ball at the basket just a little too hard, in this game he used a softer release and led all scorers with 14 points.
Tim Swope added 11, including a three-pointer, Josh Mann had eight, and Tim Zimmerman seven. Paul Estes and Jordan Newman had four. Richard Ling, Mark Salinas, and David Lotz had two points each.
For International, David Huang had ten, while Joe Maria Landivar, Alex Roempler, and Christopher Saltzieder had two points each.
