Down to business

Mike Sciacca

It was business as usual for the Laguna Beach High girls’ basketball

team when it took over Dugger Gymnasium for Wednesday’s practice.

Sure, some of the conversation may have turned to the previous

night’s drubbing of Corona del Mar. And why not? It’s not often that

a Laguna team annihilates its main rival.

But for these Breakers, there wasn’t time to wallow in the

one-sided, 46-20, victory over those Sea Kings.

No, it was time to get down to business.

“This is a sign of what I believe is to come during the second

half of league,” Laguna coach Stacy Howard said. “This team really

made a statement last night and I feel like things are turning around

for us. It was an outstanding team win.”

Simply put, Laguna had four Pacific Coast League games remaining

in the regular season, which began with a Thursday night tussle at

Northwood.

Like the Xs and Os they run in practice, the Breakers know the

formula needed to complete the season: finish third, or better, in

the PCL standings, or win 11 games overall, and they can qualify for

a CIF playoff berth.

CIF?

Yes, a rare postseason playoff appearance is well within reach of

these Breakers. In fact, a berth would be the first for the school

since the 1987-88 season, and only the program’s third postseason

bid, in its history.

Heading into the Northwood game, Laguna sat in a three-way tie for

third-place in the PCL standings.

They were three victories away from the required 11-win mark in

order to qualify for a playoff at-large bid.

The eight victories already have matched last year’s win total.

“It’s an absolute reality,” Howard said of a playoff berth. “We

hold it in our hands. If we play our game and win from here on out,

we will be in the playoffs one way, or another.”

The heady talk isn’t turning Laguna’s collective head, however.

Howard’s told her team that just one thing mattered from here on

out, but she echoed her sentiment three times: “Focus, focus, focus,”

was her plea.

“One game at a time, one bucket at a time, one defensive

possession at a time,” she said. “Playing the kind of defense we did

against Corona del Mar will win us games against anyone.”

Following Thursday’s game at Northwood, Laguna was to face league

foes Calvary Chapel and Tesoro in back-to-back home games, then

finish Feb. 10 at University.

“I definitely think CIF is a possibility,” said senior post and

team co-captain, Katie Sexton. “First of all, we need to play great

defense. I think, seriously, if we play defense the way we did in the

CdM game, we’ll be tough. These next few weeks are big for us.”

Howard said her team felt that coming into the season, it had as

good a chance as any to compete for a spot among the league’s top

three, and go to CIF.

Inexperience at a few spots on the court was compensated by four,

solid senior players who knew the system and proved to be a group

that Howard dubbed, “great leaders.”

Howard caught a glimpse of what might be during summer ball,

although talk of a CIF berth this year began in the spring of 2003.

“We had played so much over the summer and we really saw the kids

come together as a group and as a team on the floor,” Howard said.

“We had a few personnel changes as we started preseason but the kids

rolled right with the punches, just like they had all summer.

“This team has been talking about getting into the CIF playoffs

this year and breaking ground in this program that hasn’t been broken

in a long time.”

Yes, 16 years is a long time.

Statistically, senior cocaptain Aja Roley leads the team with a

10.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game average, and is the

second-leading rebounder in the league.

Freshman Brittany Clark is right behind Roley at 9.5 points and

4.3 steals per game, her steals average ranking second in league.

Clark also is third in the league in assists.

Sexton, who has missed four games, is third in team scoring at 8.1

points and in rebounding with a 5.2 average.

She is second in the league in blocked shots with 20.

Senior Deana Awadalla is the league’s third-leading three-point

shooter with 21.

“In addition to the statistical leadership we are getting from

them, we are also getting great all-around floor leadership from our

four seniors, Deana Awadalla, Aja Roley, Katie Sexton and Summer

Kendrick,” Howard said.

“Our bench is really tough right now. Everyone that comes off the

bench to give us minutes is contributing positive things.”

Junior Andrea Ventura is peaking at the right time, Howard said,

and averages four points and four rebounds per game.

“She is probably our strongest player on the floor and her impact

is felt each night,” Howard said.

Sophomore Claire Bevacqua, a new edition to the varsity this week,

could be a key for the Breakers down the stretch of the regular

season.

“She has the ability to make amazing things happen on the floor

and I am anxious to watch her become more and more comfortable with

the team and really begin to shine,” Howard said.

Another key to the Breakers’ run toward a possible CIF berth will

be keeping turnovers to a minimum while getting steady play at the

guard position.

“Based on what I saw from them in the Corona del Mar game, I

absolutely see a strong finish ahead for us,” Howard said. “The kids

know how good a team they are, they believe they can beat every team

in this league and they are playing like it, right now.

“I think we are set up for a fun finish.”