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Hot Hand: Westmont's Mia Takahashi, going up for two points in a 58-44 win over Overfelt, scored 35 points in two games as the Warriors split a couple of decisions in the CCS playoffs.
Photograph by Jeff Kearns
Takahashi hits 20 in Westmont win
Warriors, Panthers, Dons all split in CCS play
By Dick Sparrer
Mia Takahashi had a hot hand. But the Westmont guard wasn't hot enough to lead the Warriors to a victory over St. Francis in the second round of the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs last week.
Takahashi poured in an impressive 35 points in two games, but it was enough to lead the Warriors to just a split in two playoff games. Her 20 points sparked Westmont to a 58-44 win over Overfelt to open the tournament, but even a 15-point night for Takahashi couldn't keep the Warriors from avoiding a 50-37 loss to powerful St. Francis on Thursday.
Takahashi was brilliant in the win over Overfelt to open the week. She tossed in nine buckets from the floor and added two free throws to finish with 20 points to lead all scorers in the game.
Jennifer Brownridge supported with 13 points for the Warriors, including a three-point bucket, and Jennifer Brown had 13 points in the win, including nine points from the free-throw line.
Shantale Higginson and Shannon Stenzel chipped in with six points apiece in the win.
The Warriors opened up a 20-12 lead in the first period and stretched that to 33-21 by intermission. They coasted from there to the win and into the second round of the playoffs.
But that's when Westmont ran into powerhouse St. Francis.
Takahashi pumped in 15 points and Brownridge nailed another 12 points, but the Warriors were outscored in every period but the fourth as they dropped a 13-point decision. Brownridge buried three threes for Westmont.
Brown added six points for the Warriors and Higginson hit four.
Westmont finished the season with a 13-15 record.
The Westmont boys, meanwhile, lost their CCS Division II opener 56-47 to Woodside to finish the season at 19-7.
The Warriors, champions in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, were even after a quarter at 12-12 and were up 27-20 at the half. But the Wildcats topped Westmont 18-10 in each of the last two periods to win by nine.
Caleb Pitts and Brandon Sligh, a couple of 6-foot-4 senior standouts, were the scoring leaders for the Warriors. Pitts pitched in 14 points for Westmont and Sligh added 13 to the cause.
Clay Tolbert and Chad Nelson chipped in with six points apiece for the Warriors and Todd Bethke, David Jennings, Todd Betti and John Baumgardner had two each.
Panthers split
Prospect also sent two teams to the CCS basketball playoffs, and the boys and girls came home with identical results--a split in two tournament games.
The Prospect boys opened with a 67-45 win over Terra Nova, but they were eliminated from the CCS Division III playoffs 87-56 by Seaside.
The Panthers were impressive in their opener, dominating Terra Nova 23-7 in the second quarter to take control of the basketball game.
Senior forward Josh Miner tossed in nine buckets to finish the night with 18 points and lead all Prospect scorers. Chris Stone supported with 12 points in the win.
Roma Ngaleo, Prospect's 6-foot-6 junior center, joined Miner and Stone in double digits, tossing in 11 points.
Mike Stephens added eight points for the Panthers, Ryan Sainsbury had a three-pointer among his seven points, Chad Holan and Brent Hughes canned four points apiece, Alex Polovetsky hit three points and Caleb Clausen popped two. Hughes drilled a three-pointer in the win.
But the Panthers finished the year 16-13 when they lost 87-56 to powerful Seaside later in the week.
The Prospect girls opened the playoffs with a solid 39-31 win over Los Altos, but the Panthers were knocked out of the tournament after a 47-21 loss to Los Altos. Prospect finished the year 11-17.
Carolyn Okazaki fired in 10 points to lead all Prospect scorers in the win over Los Altos to open the playoffs.
Del Mar boys win
A brilliant 2000-01 season came to a crashing halt for the Del Mar boys last weekend.
The Dons opened the CCS Division III playoffs with a solid 60-49 win over Mitty, but they dropped a 55-44 nod to Sacred Heart Cathedral last Saturday night to face elimination.
The loss ended Del Mar's season and left the Dons with a 23-4 season record. Second-year head coach Brad Quinet now boasts a lofty career record of 47-12.
The Dons were unbeaten in the preseason and posted a solid 11-3 record in the tough Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League a year after winning the Santa Teresa Division championship.
Seniors Jason Campbell and Ryan Lagod fired in 14 points apiece to lead the Dons to the 60-49 win over the Monarchs to open the playoffs. Lagod hit a pair of three-point buckets and Campbell had one.
Steve White, the 6-foot-6 senior center at Del Mar, tossed in nine points in the win over Mitty and Rodney Gattis and Shaun Nelson had seven points each. Nelson drilled a three.
Kyle Kelly added six points in the win and John Lee buried three free throws.
The Dons trailed the Monarchs 16-12 after a period, but matched Mitty's 16 points in the second quarter to trail just 32-28 at intermission. Del Mar topped Mitty 16-11 in the third and 16-4 in the fourth to clinch the 11-point win.
But no Del Mar player could get into double figures in the 55-44 loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral last weekend.
The Dons matched Sacred Heart's 10 points in the first period, but were outscored in each of the remaining three quarters.
White led the Dons with nine points and Lagod added eight, including a pair of threes. Kelly and Gattis had seven points apiece, Jeremy Beene and Campbell four each and Angelo Wilson three. Gattis popped a three-pointer.
The Del Mar girls lost their playoff opener 46-33 to Half Moon Bay. The Dons finished the year 21-7.
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Campbell, California
