Girls Basketball: Panthers Stomp Spartans in League Opener

Benicia 61, Hogan 21

The Star: Panthers sophomore captain Nicole Andaya can flat-out shoot the ball. She nailed eight of 12 field goals for a game-high 17 points while also collecting four assists and five steals.

The Turning Point: The game started slowly and was tied at 3-3 with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Benicia, however, found its groove, outscoring Hogan 33-2 to finish the half, which resulted in an insurmountable 31-point advantage.

 The Quote: “I am very excited about our prospects this season. We have a lot of potential and if we continue to play well and practice hard, I think we can play for the (Solano County Athletic League) championship.” – Benicia coach Emily Kephart.

What's next? The Panthers prepare to host Vallejo on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Bottom Line: Benicia did not allow a single Hogan field goal in the first half and the pressure defense led to easy lay-ups. The result of the contest was never in question. The Panthers came away with an easy 40-point victory.

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Hogan High wanted no part of the aggressive full-court defense from in both teams’ first Solano County Athletic Conference contest.

The Panthers (11-7, 1-0) racked up eight steals during a four-minute span to close out the first quarter on a 15-0 run Tuesday night.

Hogan (2-16, 0-1) struggled mightily on offense, failed to record a field goal in the first half and found itself trailing 36-5 at the half. The game ended up being all Panthers, as they coasted to a 61-21 victory.

While the Spartans sputtered, Benicia’s offense ran smoothly and the Panthers recorded assists on four of their first five baskets and consistently probed the Hogan zone for wide-open jump shots.

Benicia guard Nicole Andaya scored 15 of her game high 17 points in the first half and showed off a vast array of shots. She converted from behind the three-point arch, on floaters in the lane, driving lay-ups and even spotting up from midrange.

“I think the best part of the game tonight was our teamwork,” said Benicia coach Emily Kephart. “They really worked hard at sharing the ball and finding the open player. I think that was the difference between this game and some of the games we have played recently.”

The 5-foot-4 Andaya combined with backcourt mate Jenna Minahen for eleven steals and nine assists. The duo did an excellent job of making the outlet pass after a steal to fuel the fast break.

“With us it really depends on what team shows up. Some days we are really, really good and we can beat just about anyone,” Kephart said. “Other times we have some mental breakdowns.”

The prospects are looking bright for Benicia, which turned in a successful 10-7 record in non-conference play with strong wins over Skyline (Oakland), St. Patrick/St. Vincent (Vallejo) and Vacaville (twice). The Panthers lost by a single point, 43-42, to the in the Napa Wine Valley Tournament.

“I am very excited about our prospects this season,” Kephart said. “We have a lot of potential and if we continue to play well and practice hard, I think we can play for the (Solano County Athletic League) championship.”

Notes: Hogan's Jasnique Porter did solid work on the boards, collecting 11 rebounds to go with seven points and a block. In the junior varsity game, Hogan upended Benicia 32-25 in a competitive, low-scoring affair.

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Benicia 61, Hogan 21

Hogan             3       2      11       5-- 21

Benicia         18      18      5       20-- 61

INDIVIDUALS

Hogan (2-16, 0-1 SCAL) (fg ftm-fta tp) —Roberts 1 0-2 2, Alana 1 0-0 3, Porter 2 3-6 7, Garcia 0 1-4 1, Santos 3 2-2 8. Totals 7 5-14 21.  

Clayton Valley (12-2, 2-0 DVAL) —Wood 0 0-2 0, Pascal 6 1-2 13, Kommer 8 4-8 22, Menez 2 2-2 8, Van Horn 0 1-2 1, Almond 0 1-4 1, Casuga 1 0-0 2, Nelson 2 1-1 5, Allen 7 1-5 15. Totals 26 11-26 70.

3-point goals: Pangelinan 2, Andaya, Ray, Alama. Fouled out: None.

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