The Wildcat Girls Basketball team is making a last minute drive for the playoff seeding. Assured of a Division III playoff spot, they are currently fourth in the Western League with a 5-5 league record (12-8 overall), with a tough match against the Dolphins of Palisades High (10-0 league, 21-5 overall) looming today. The Wildcats lost 59-32 to the Division II powerhouse Dolphins at Pali (January 23, 2012). It will be a real test of how playoff ready the Wildcats are when they face likely league all star Donae Mogul (17.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg) and the visitors from Temescal Canyon Blvd.
The Wildcats, led by Co- Captain Myangel Johnson (averaging 17 points and 16 rebounds per game) and Junior Brittany Martin (8.5 ppg), have shown steady improvement. “We’ve been a lot better this season compared to last season,” said Co-Captain Emily Cameron, “We’ve been working as a team, and have been playing well.”
Wildcats are coming off of a hard-fought victory at Venice, where they downed the Gondoliers, pulling away to a 56-41 win. It was a must win game for University High School. Venice, who are now 3-8 in the league had just been knit 51-50 by Westchester, so we’re no pushovers. The Gondoliers actually led 23-19 at the half, but the Wildcats roared to a 23-8 scoring advantage in the third quarter to virtually decide the game. Myangel Johnson paced the Wildcats with 22 points and 21 rebounds.
While students were studying for finals last Wednesday, The Wildcats were schooling LACES at the South Gym. Our girls built on a 13 point first quarter lead and never looked back. Co-Captains Cameron and Johnson, along with Junior Martin accounted for 40 points. Rising Freshman Precious Nwaba, sister of last year’s boys basketball leader David Nwaba, made an impact with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
These two recent convincing victories have come at the right time. The Wildcats had lost another close one to Westchester, 50-47, on Jan. 27, and were blown out at Fairfax on Jan 30. In fact, the girls’ squad could easily have been 7-3 in the league as they were edged earlier in the season by Westchester, 44-41.
With the regular season ending this week, the Pali game today and a final game Friday at Hamilton, it is critical for the team to enter the Division 3 playoffs, which tip off March 3, on a positive note.