Track season has not even started, but that did not stop the Culver City High School girls basketball team from sprinting past Foothill of Santa Ana, 57-49, in the third round of the CIF 2AA playoffs on Saturday night at the Del Goodyear Gymnasium. The seventh-seeded Lady Centaurs used quick guards, fast centers and forwards to shoot holes in second-seeded Foothill’s game plan.
The Lady Centaurs, 27-4, travel to Norco for a 7 o’clock Tuesday evening semi-final game against a 26-4 team.
A Culver City victory tomorrow will put them in the CIF championship round on Friday. Norco’s challenge is four players who average 10 points per game. To beat Norco, said Coach Julian Anderson, “we need to execute better on offense than we did Saturday night. ,” said Anderson. “We stayed poised, and I liked the way we played.”
Foothill Coach Vince Namba said his 25-3 team faced opponents with “one or two quick players, but not five or six.
Culver City used guards Katie Lin, Megan Yoon, Kate Suyetsugu, forwards Lelli Tademaru, Kailey Tooke, Alexis Aquino, Kelsey Ueda and centers Michelle Curry and Gwendolyn Machado to keep the pressure on the Knights.
“There was a little toughness on Culver City’s part,” said Namba. “Their guards gave us trouble defensively, but ultimately their rebounding and defense pushed them over the top. We have not played against a center who can rebound and then lead the team on a fast break like Michelle Curry. She is the best we have played against all year. I am glad she is a senior.”
Despite being in foul trouble, Curry led the Centaurs with 19 points. Tooke enjoyed a breakout game. Not only did she score 17, she controlled the tempo. Ueda had 11 points and Lin scored six.
Machado may have been the most impressive. The junior center came in when Curry was in foul trouble. She rebounded and was outstanding on defense. “Gwen is solid,” said Coach Anderson. “She’s a good rebounder and she does not mind playing rough and tough. It was one of her better games.”
Anderson liked the way Tooke played. “I played pretty good,” said Tooke. “We really wanted to win this game because they were the second seeded team.”
Ueda, Culver City’s other star, continues to keep the team focused. “We still need to take it one game at a time,” she said. “This game is over. We need to get ready for the next one.” Ueda was proud “we kept our composure and we played good defense.”
Playing at home was a definite advantage. “With the big crowd,” said Ueda, “we were able to keep our brain on the right track.”
Mr. Finley may be contacted at sfinley50@aol.com
