JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER -- Jaguar Ana Paula Peredo (owner of the highest pair of hands in the picture) gets off a shot against determined Griffin defense. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Female Jaguars pounce on Griffins, 28-9
The Cooperative girls varsity basketball team engineered a convincing 28-9 win over International Thursday afternoon in the International gym in the season opener for both teams.
The Jaguars, who are the defending champions, played with an accustomed smoothness that comes from having played together for four years, as junior varsity and varsity team members. International played with vigor and discipline, particularly in the first half, but couldn't put together scoring combinations the way the Cooperative girls could.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first quarter, with four different players hitting baskets.
The Griffin girls then staged a minor uprising in the second quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 5-2, with diminutive senior guard Irene Barrenechea scoring all five points, four on driving lay-ups, and one from the foul line.
That made the score at halftime 16-9, and it looked as if the game might tighten up.
However, Cooperative regained control of the contest in the third period, as it held International scoreless, while stretching its lead to 22-9. The Jaguars added six more points in the final stanza to make the final score 28-9.
Ana Paula Peredo led the Jaguars in scoring with seven points; Aldana Roda and Carla Limpias had six. Sofia Sotelo had five, and Cecelia Aponte four.
For International Irene Barrenechea had five, Matilde Gamarra three (on a three-pointer), and Laura Maragaño had one.
