Local girls basketball teams were back in action on a quick turnaround on Friday, with many squads playing on back-to-back days.
Bishop Diego 45, Coastal Christian 33
Diana Mendez and Galilea De La Cruz powered the Cardinals to a 12-point victory against Coastal Christian.
Mendez led the team with 16 points while De La Cruz excelled on both ends of the court wit 15 points and five steals.
After both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter, Bishop Diego trailed just 6-4. However, the Cardinals turned it on and outscored Coastal Christian 31-12 in the second and third quarters.
“In the second and third quarters we played smarter defensively and moved the ball better,” Bishop Diego coach Jeff Burich said. “I was very pleased with our starters’ play after the first quarter.”
The Cardinals (7-0) will host Paraclete on Saturday.
Piedmont 62, Dos Pueblos 44
The Chargers fell to a strong Piedmont team from the Bay Area on Friday.
“They came out hungrier than we did and did a good job executing their game plan, where on the other hand we did not do a great job of executing our game plan,” Dos Pueblos coach Manny Murillo said.
The loss was Dos Pueblos’ first of the young season, which Murrilo said allowed his squad “to really see where we are at as a team and what we need to improve on.”
Carly Letendre fell just one rebound short of a double-double in the loss, registering 13 points and nine boards.
“I was proud of [Carly’s] mental toughness tonight, she didn’t back down and kept on competing against their point guard and made some key plays and led us in rebounding and she’s our smallest player. That kid has a lot of heart,” Murillo said.
Justine Katz joined her in double figures with 16 points to go with six rebounds while Taylor Grant collected nine points.
“There were some bright points in the game for us which I spoke to the team about but there is also a lot to work on and it starts with me and our coaching staff,” Murillo said. “I told the kids that I take the blame for every loss and they get the credit for every win.
“I need to do a better job to make sure we are better prepared for the next game and beyond and I’ll do my best to put them in position to be successful. Credit to their coaching staff and team for the win they earned.”
The Chargers (4-1) are now set for a rivalry matchup against Santa Barbara on Saturday.
Orcutt 58, Santa Barbara 33
The Dons struggled offensively on their way to a 25-point loss to Orcutt.
Aside from a 15-point second-quarter effort, Santa Barbara High scored six points in each of the remaining three quarters of the game.
Dayzia Mendoza and Miranda Dennis each scored eight points to lead the Dons’ offense. Mendoza also added eight rebounds while Dennis had four assists.
Holy Martyrs 51, Carpinteria 38
The Warriors couldn’t overcome a slow start and ultimately fell to Holy Martyrs by double digits.
After the first quarter, Holy Martyrs led 19-6 over Carpinteria.
“We were one step behind on defense and tentative on offense,” Warriors coach Henry Gonzales said. “However, we decided to change our mindset and started competing at a higher level in the second quarter. Our defense was solid and scored on some good scoring opportunities.”
In fact, the Warriors held their opponent to just nine points in the second quarter to go into halftime down 28-14.
The rest of the game was even, as each squad poured in 24 points in the third and fourth quarters combined.
Carpinteria cut the lead down to eight in the fourth quarter, but Holy Martyrs sank its free throws to seal the victory.
Amarisse Camargo and Charlotte Cooney led the Warrior offense with 17 and 14 points, respectively.
“I was happy with our overall effort, especially after the first quarter,” Gonzales said. “We changed our mindset and competed to the end.”
Carpinteria (3-3) will take on Paraclete on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Santa Ynez 60, Fresno Christian 28
The Pirates locked down on defense and got it done offensively on their way to a big win over Fresno Christian.
Rylan Agin collected a double-double in the win with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, J’ylin Bradford also turned in an all-around performance with 13 points, five rebounds and six steals on the defensive end.
Helina Pecile and Kailani Ladera rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points apiece. Pecile also tallied seven rebounds and five assists.
Cate Defeats Dunn, Nordhoff
The Rams picked up a pair of victories over Dunn and Nordhoff on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, Cate took down Dunn by a dominating score of 46-6.
The offense started hot with 20 points in the first quarter and the defense was suffocating, allowing an astounding six total points.
Ada Hansen and Emerson Evans each collected double-doubles for the Rams. Hansen ended with 15 points and 10 assists while Evans put up 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“When facing a weaker opponent, it is easy to play down to their level, but we played our game and finished strong,” Cate coach Laura Moore said.
The Rams carried that momentum into Friday when they took down Nordhoff 31-26.
This was a much closer matchup, with the difference coming in the third quarter when the Rams managed to put up 15 points. Neither team scored double-digit points in any other quarter in the game.
Sam Jimenez played a huge role in the win, leading the team with 13 points. Hansen turned in another solid performance as well with 11 points.
The Rams will begin league play against Foothill Tech on Monday at home.
