Break up the Acorns. Riding a much improved offensive effort to
supplement its usually solid defensive game, the Live Oak High
girls basketball team picked up its second Tri-County Athletic
League victory of the season, a 47-39 win over visiting North
Salinas on Saturday. After trailing 12-9 after one quarter, the
Lady Acorns rallied the take the lead behind a surprisingly hot
outside game, then held off the Vikings at the end with some clutch
free throw shooting from Analise Curley.
Break up the Acorns.
Riding a much improved offensive effort to supplement its usually solid defensive game, the Live Oak High girls basketball team picked up its second Tri-County Athletic League victory of the season, a 47-39 win over visiting North Salinas on Saturday.
After trailing 12-9 after one quarter, the Lady Acorns rallied the take the lead behind a surprisingly hot outside game, then held off the Vikings at the end with some clutch free throw shooting from Analise Curley.
“Our offense is much improved,” LO coach Jeff Perkins said. “The girls played well. I’d like for them to be able to score 50 points but we’re working on that.”
For the first time in three years, LO has now vaulted out of the TCAL cellar after going 24 games without a league victory. The Acorns (5-14 overall, 2-4 in league) lead the Vikings (9-12 overall, 1-5 in league) by a game.
Even more impressive was the way the LO girls won Saturday’s game, tossing in six 3-pointers for its biggest long-distance production of the season.
And, when North Salinas began to rally late in the game, Curley hit six free throws in the last minute and a half to salt the game away, Perkins said.
Curley had a team-high 13 in the contest, while Colleen Henningsen added 11, and Megan Gulla had nine.
A dark spot in the victory was an injury to power forward Mattie Borges that may keep her out of tonight’s game at Salinas and leaves the Acorns very thin in the post with center Afshawn Chakamian also out with an injury.
But Perkins said Henningsen, who grabbed eight rebounds against North Salinas, has played inspired ball in relief of Chakamian.
On Thursday, LO hosts Notre Dame in its last home game on Senior Night.
Live Oak girls soccer
Uninspired first-half play on Monday may have started a less-than-popular pre-game ritual for the Live Oak High girls soccer team.
After watching his team stink up the joint in the first half at North Salinas, LO coach Tony Vasquez yanked his captains, then made his players do sprints at halftime.
In the second half, LO showed a lot more spark en route to a 4-0 victory over the host Vikings, so much so in fact that Vasquez said he may consider using sprints as a regular motivational tool.
“I guess we’ll have to do sprints before games from now on,” Vasquez said.
Tallying goals for LO were Kristen Altamirano (assist Jenny Emick), Emick (assist Michelle McDonald), Emick again (assist Katie Renteria) and McDonald (assist Lena Marsh).
LO (8-6-4 overall, 7-0-2 in TCAL) officially clinched another league title with the win and will play its season finale at Hollister-San Benito on Wednesday.
The Acorns are also scheduled to play a warm-up match heading into the Central Coast Section playoffs against visiting Leland on Friday at 3pm. Last season, LO and Leland, which is coached by Vasquez’s brother John, shared the Division I championship.
