Girls basketball wins first two league games
By Bill Tamburrino
Coach Dan Marshall’s Bulldog girls basketball took advantage of two home games to jump to the top of the Valley League as the Ramona High team beat Mission Vista and Oceanside in the Dawg House.
The Lady Bulldogs are now 12-8 on the season and 2-0 in league.
They beat Mission Vista Timberwolves (1-12, 0-1) 76-19.
Coach Ken Scheib never had his defense use pressure and employed a zone. Marshall played his reserves almost half of the game. Every player who suited up played, scored, got a rebound and an assist.
Kailey Hill (10), Niki Spring (11), and Christina Barrameda (12) all scored in double figures.
Julie Ward got high praise from Marshall.
“Our captain scored 13 points, snared six rebounds, dished off five assists and had eight steals to top off a great game,” he said. Marshall failed to mention that Ward only played about half of the game.
Hannah Farhat (6), Kylee Scheib (3), Katherine Mauldin (7), Ashlyn Savage (9), Mackenzie Griffin (2), and Kara Benegas (3) also scored for the Lady Dawgs.
Hill led the team with nine rebounds, eight on the offensive end of the court. Benegas grabbed eight boards, and Barrameda and Savage both had six rebounds.
Ramona only trailed twice in its 47-46 win over Oceanside. Oceanside (7-10, 1-1) scored first and the Pirates took a 2-point lead in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Ramona would build a lead and the Pirates would chip away at that lead. Just when the Bulldog girls looked like they were in command, back came the Pirates. The concession stand did not do much business during the game.
The game got down to the final seconds. After Oceanside took a 38-36 lead, Ramona went on a 11-2 run to take a 47-40 lead with 1:19 left on the clock. Back came the Pirates. Oceanside scored 6 unanswered points to make it a 47-46 game with 26 ticks left on the clock.
Oceanside called time out and Ramona inbounded the ball. The Dawgs could not score but they took 20 seconds off the clock. Oceanside got the ball with six seconds left to play.
“We took away their first option. They wanted to get the ball inside to their 6-foot-2 girl (Shannice McGee). Their best shooter had fouled out so we took away Chelsea Ayala. That forced them to let their fourth choice take a 3-point shot. We played hard until the end and really played hard when it really counted,” said Marshall.
Marshall had praise for the play of his junior forward, Christina Barrameda: “Christina played with great confidence. As she led all scorers with 18 points, shooting an impressive 50 percent from the floor, 100 percent from the free throw line, and hitting three shots from beyond the arch, and grabbing eight rebounds.”
Hill registered an impressive double-double as she scored 14 points and had a game high 12 rebounds to go with her five assists and five steals while playing against the best post player in the league. Mauldin scored 9 points and had eight rebounds as she helped Hill in the paint against McGee. Ward and Spring each scored 3 points and played well on defense.
Oceanside’s McGee was impressive in the paint at both ends of the court but in the end Ramona played team offense and team defense and secured the win.
The Lady Dawgs take on Del Norte (9-9, 1-0) in the Dawg House on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in a game that will go a long way in determining the Valley League Championship.