| | Published February 4th, 2009
| Shoot Out at Acalanes
| | By Chloe Hull | | |
It was a good day for the Lamorinda high school girls' basketball teams at the Acalanes Shoot Out, held at Acalanes High on January 24th. Although Acalanes lost a thriller at the buzzer, both Campolindo and Miramonte decisively won their games.
Fourteen teams from around the Bay Area competed in the tournament, which has been put on annually for the last ten years. This year's tournament was marked by the return of Corrie Mizusawa, who played for Acalanes in 1999, the first year of the tournament, and returns now as head coach of the Acalanes girls' basketball program.
The Acalanes Dons, currently 10-10 overall (2-4 DFAL), lost a heartbreaker to Hayward's Moreau Catholic, whose overall record is 15-5. After a tough battle with seven lead changes throughout the game, each team made several clutch free throws as the game clock wound down.
Acalanes freshman Sophie Taylor brought victory within reach of the Dons by making a key play late in the fourth quarter, drawing a shooting foul and sinking both free throws. Unfortunately for Acalanes, Moreau ultimately prevailed, 64-61, as they successfully converted two free throws to seal the win at the end of the game.
Earlier that day, the Campolindo Cougars faced University of San Francisco High School in the first game of the tournament. The Cougars, with a 16-4 overall record (4-2 DFAL), convincingly won the game, 76-54. Campolindo pulled away immediately, moving ahead 27-8 by the end of the first quarter and never relinquishing the lead.
"Though we got off to a good start, we relaxed a little in the second quarter and allowed them to get close," said Coach Clay Kallam. "We need to maintain our intensity for 32 minutes a game, not just 20 or 24."
The Cougar's center, junior Meghan Ringer, dominated the low post, scoring 14 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Overall, Campolindo controlled the boards with 40 rebounds to University High's 21, which allowed the Cougars to maintain control of the game.
The Matadors of Miramonte, currently 14-6 overall (5-1 DFAL), played Pleasanton's Amador Valley, and successfully stomped the competition, ending with a score of 60-40.
Head Coach James Kizziee commented, "We dominated the first half by holding the opposition to 5 points in each of the first two quarters, although I was a little concerned about our turnovers in the second half."
Despite their turnovers, the Matadors' post players dominated the paint and their guards handled the ball with finesse, ending with a comfortable victory for Miramonte.
In other Shoot Out games, Dublin beat El Camino (67-46), Berkeley beat St. Mary's High (54-63), and Deer Valley beat St. Patrick-St. Vincent (62-29).
This year's Shoot Out was successful from both athletic and financial standpoints. East Bay girls' basketball fans enjoyed seven strong match-ups, while the hosting schools raised funds to support their teams.
For the first time since 2000, the Acalanes and Campolindo girls' basketball programs co-hosted the event, which enjoyed support from many local businesses. Funds raised were shared equally.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA