Moving up one division and having only three returning varsity players has not prevented Mira Costa girls basketball coach John Lapham from remaining optimistic for another successful season.
The Mustangs entered Bay League action with an 8-5 record after facing stiff competition in tournaments that helped the many newcomers to Lapham’s roster gain valuable experience.
“We’ve played a fairly tough schedule,” Lapham said. “With the exception of the loss to Long Beach Poly (a 55-37 defeat in Redondo’s Battle at the Beach tournament), we have been in every game. We just haven’t had enough to pull out wins at the end of the game. Hopefully, the experience will pay off down the road.”
Because of graduation and injuries, Mira Costa lost 12 out of 15 varsity players from last season’s Bay League and CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA runner-up team but has a strong nucleus of three returning juniors, spearheaded by leading scorer forward Allie Navarette. Helping Navarette shoulder the load are guard Halle Maeda and forward Laura Sheckter.
Despite losses to Pioneer League favorites North and West, Division 1AA contender Los Alamitos in the Ocean View Hawk Holiday Classic and Northern California power Oak Ridge (ranked No. 7 in the state) in the So Cal Holiday Prep Classic in San Diego, Mira Costa is ranked No. 3 in the CIF-SS Division 1A poll behind Cajon.
“Losing (junior guard) Hana Escovar for the season with an ACL injury was a setback,” Lapham said. “But I’m feeling good going into league and CIF.”
The Mustangs have quality wins of 12 points or more against Eastlake (No. 7 in San Diego Div. 1), Schurr and El Segundo (No. 9, Div. 4AA).
Mira Costa opened its season Tuesday at Palos Verdes (No. 11, Div. 3A) skippered by former Redondo boys basketball coach Tom Maier who is now in his second year at the helm of the Sea King’s program.
“Palos Verdes is a much improved team,” Lapham said. “They should be in the race with us and Redondo.”
With sharpshooter Allie Navarette double- and tripled-team, Halle Maeda stepped to score a game-high 21 points to lead Mira Costa to a 43-33 win.
Navarette, a junior who is only 47 points shy of reaching the 1,000 point mark in her career, finished with 12 points and Kira Escovar, Mia Finney and Lauren Matoska each added four points in the win.
Mira Costa returns home Friday to take on Peninsula (No. 11, Div. 1A) Friday at 6 p.m. On Monday, the Mustangs will compete in the Serra Play 4 Kay Showcase against a team to be determined then resumes league action Tuesday against Inglewood and at Morningside Friday, Jan. 22.
Mira Costa is looking to avenge last seasons’ key losses to Redondo. The Sea Hawks defeated the Mustangs in the regular-season finale to win the Bay League crown outright, the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship game and the semifinals of the State Southern California Regional tournament.
The first of two league clashes between the rivals will take place Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Redondo.
Set to defend
Redondo began Bay League action following a disappointing 63-55 home loss to Bishop Montgomery. Coach Marcelo Enriquez’s Sea Hawks have moved up into Division 1AA and is the favorite to capture the Bay League crown.
All of Redondo’s losses have been to CIF-ranked teams. The Sea Hawks suffered back-to-back losses in its own Battle at the Beach tournament falling to Windward (No. 7, Div. 1AA) and Harvard-Westlake (No. 1, Div. 4AA).
Competing in the prestigious Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, Redondo finished fourth, losing to Ventura (No. 9, Div. 1AA) then to Harvard-Westlake in the 3rd-place game.
Returning All-CIF forward Kyra Hamlin was named to the All-Tournament team for the Sea Hawks.
In the Larry Doyle OC Championships, Redondo opened with impressive wins over Hawthorne (No. 16, Div. 2A), Yorba Linda (No. 7, Div. 3AA) and Foothill (No. 4, Div. 2AA) before losing to Clovis West, top-ranked team in the CIF-Central Section and No. 12 in the state.
“This year’s team is off to a little bit of a rough start, having played a tough schedule,” Coach Marcelo Enriquez said. “I feel that this team has a good chance to compete for a Bay League Title but only if we learn to be a selfless team. But the tools are there to make a good run.”
Along with Hamlin, the Sea Hawks have had strong performances by senior guard Micaela Enriquez, junior wing Nicole Swift and junior forward Daylan Bonner.
Redondo (8-6) began its defense of the Bay League title Tuesday with a 60-15 rout at Inglewood. Micaela Enriquez led Redondo with 12 points and Makenna Peneueta added nine assists in the win.
The Sea Hawks will host Morningside Friday at 6 p.m. then play St. Anthony (No. 1, Div. 4A) Monday in the Serra MLK Classic before hosting Peninsula on Tuesday and traveling to Palos Verdes on Friday, Jan. 22.
