CUPERTINO - The Lady Warriors began the week as the eighth-ranked team in the inaugural Mercury News top-15 Girls Basketball Poll, and they showed no signs of letting down as they streaked to four convincing triumphs during the week to claim the title of the Monte Vista tournament and a seven-game winning streak to open the 2006-7 season.
The week began with a convincing 64-23 win over Monterey High School in the Warriors home opener on December 5th. The Lady Warriors bolted to a 25-4 lead after the first stanza and played their whole roster in blowing out the overmatched Dores. Scoring balance was the name of the game in this one as no Warrior scored more than 13 points. Senior Torey Walker led the way with two three point goals among her 13 points. Sophomore Jazzmyne Ross also hit twice from long range on her way to eight points. AJ Newton chipped in ten points and senior Vanessa Guerrero and sophomore Kelsey Byrd added eight each to pace the Warriors.
The team headed over to Monte Vista High School on thursday afternoon for the tournament opener versus an overmatched South San Francisco squad. This one was also basically over after one period as the team bolted to a 26-4 lead after the first quarter and never looked back on their way to a 65-21 triumph. Walker was hot once again from behind the three point arc dropping in three long range bombs on her way to scoring 15 points. Jazzmyne Ross topped all scorers with 17 points, but this was another team effort as nine different Warriors got into the scoring act. Seniors Vanessa Guerrero and Corban Fennell each contributed four points to the effort.
The second round of the tournament was a semifinal rematch versus the same Pioneer team the Warriors saw a week earlier in the semi-finals of the Glenn Ventura tournament. Despite another hot start that saw the Warriors bolt to a 23-7 lead after one, the team seemed a bit flat in the rematch. Senior Vanessa Guerrero provided a spark with her effort on the defensive end and the team once again enjoyed a balanced scoring effort that saw three Warriors reach double digits. Walker led the way with 16 more points including three more three point field goals and fellow guards AJ Newton and Jazzmyne Ross contributed twelve and ten points respectively. The Warriors eventually held on to advance to their second straight tournament championship with a closer than the score indicates 60-48 triumph over the Mustangs. The coaching staff was less than pleased with the team's overall intensity level and the whole team knew that a better effort would be required to top the host school in the tournament championship on saturday afternoon.
The Championship game on saturday afternoon proved to be the team's first challenge of the week...at least for one period. The host Matadors got off to a great start behind six points from Sophia Tam and two three point baskets from Sabrina Lau to trail by only one point at the end of the first quarter. However, from there the Warriors depth, fitness and defensive pressure began to take its toll on Monte Vista.
AJ Newton buried two three point baskets in the second quarter to lead seven different Warriors who got into the scoring column in the second period alone. By contrast, the Matadors only had two players tally scores in the period. Freshmen post player Tayor Alexander was particularly impressive in the first half sinking five of her six free throw attempts as the team moved to the half-time break with a commanding 37-22 lead.
The second half was more of the same for the Warriors as balanced scoring off set a third quarter barrage by Tam who scored sixteen second half points including thirteen in the third quarter to keep the overmatched but hard working Matadors within striking distance. Meanwhile, the Warriors were getting the same scoring balance they had enjoyed throughout the weekend. Walker led all scorers with eighteen points, followed closely by an emerging AJ Newton who tallied seventeen points. Taylor Alexander also reached double figures by scoring eleven points on seven of eight free throw shooting and sophomore teammates Amy Griffith and Jazzmyne Ross also chipped in with nine points apiece to lead the Warriors to a convincing 79-57 triumph for their seventh straight win and second consecutive tournament title.
Torey Walker walked away with tournament Most Valuable Player honors and was joined on the all tournament team by Jazzmyne Ross and AJ Newton. The team was all smiles again as they posed after the game with the tournament championship trophy. However, they also understood that with three WCAL league mates ranked in the top ten in the entire state of California, the hard work was just beginning. The Warriors are in action again this week with a home contest versus Lincoln and a saturday evening match-up on the road versus Skyline High School.
