Scotts Valley senior Abby Shi became the latest unsung hero for the girls’ basketball team following a gutsy performance at this past weekend’s Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Tournament.
The veteran guard finished with a team-best 13 points to help the Falcons escape with a 52-51 victory over Santa Cruz in the championship game at Cabrillo College on Feb. 15.
“It was very timely for [Shi] to have her best game of the season,” Scotts Valley head coach Stu Hurvitz said.
Prior to the game, Hurvitz gave Shi one piece of advice.
“I told her if your shots are not falling, drive to the basket,” Hurvitz said.
Shi masterfully got the job done as she continuously drove to the hoop while getting fouled in the process, sinking all three of her free-throw attempts. She was also a menace on defense, tallying six steals and snatching three rebounds.
With the win, SCCAL champion Scotts Valley improved to a 22-2 overall record. They also kept their perfect record against league opponents intact at 12-0, including two wins in the tournament.
Junior Brooklyn Williams had 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Teammate junior Sammy Rebbert added eight points and six steals, and sophomore Hanna Shehorn finished with eight points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.
“Brooklyn [Williams] got it going a little bit, hitting some [three-pointers], so that obviously always helps,” Hurvitz said. “We kept almost breaking the game open and then Santa Cruz would crawl back.”
The Falcons had a 10-point cushion with a little more than four minutes remaining in the game. However, they slowly watched their lead dwindle down at just 52-51 following an 11-2 run by the Cardinals in the fourth quarter.
“Luckily we got the two points in there,” Hurvitz said.
With 3.6 seconds remaining in the contest, Scotts Valley missed two free-throw attempts, giving the Cardinals some life. But the Falcons’ signature defense came through in the end as they forced Santa Cruz to turn the ball over on the inbound pass.
“Sometimes you’re gonna win a game, and it’s gonna be ugly,” Hurvitz said. “But you work hard and you play scrappy, you pull out a victory.”
Santa Cruz’s Ania Sinnot broke free for a game-best 17 points, while teammate junior Karolina Espinosa added 14 points.
Scotts Valley, which is riding a 17-game win streak, hasn’t lost since falling to Prospect, 48-43, in The King’s Academy Tournament on Dec. 14.
Hurvitz said during that time they’ve managed to improve dramatically, especially senior Claire Skinner at the center position. She has an average of 15 rebounds and nine points per contest this season.
“Compared to how [Skinner] was doing or how we were playing her early in the season, I think she’s come a long way,” Hurvitz said.
Scotts Valley is currently ranked No. 5 in the Central Coast Section Division IV poll on the Max Preps website. Ahead of them is Notre Dame (Belmont) in fourth, followed by Half Moon Bay in third, Menlo School in second and Harker at the top of the list.
The CCS selection committee held a seeding meeting Wednesday to determine when and who the Falcons would play in the postseason, which begins with first-round action Friday evening. Results of the seeding meeting were not available prior to this publication’s deadline.
Hurvitz said they’ll take whatever the CCS throws in their direction, yet ideally he’d like to have the highest seed possible so they can host at least one, or two, playoff games in Scotts Valley.
“I think we have a good chance to go far, but I like that we were able to win the league championship and the tournament,” Hurvitz said. “It’s good for the kids. We’ve been on the other side of it many times.”
Wrestlers prepare for CCS Masters Meet
A group of local wrestlers kept their season alive following a solid showing at the CCS South Regionals at Watsonville High on Feb. 15.
San Lorenzo Valley senior Grady Cloyd and junior Ollin Bates each placed third in the 190- and 215-pound weight division, respectively, while teammate sophomore Gabriel Attia (285 pounds) took sixth.
The trio of Cougars along with the top eight finishers in each division advanced to the CCS Championship Masters Meet at Independence High in San Jose on Saturday.
The top four placers in each weight class for both boys and girls will advance to the California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield from Feb. 27-March 1.
Scotts Valley junior Angelo Vignato punched his ticket to the masters meet after he took seventh in the 132-pound division.
SLV senior Gabriella Brasuell was runner-up in the girls’ 155-pound division, while Scotts Valley junior Citlali Lopez and SLV junior Jennifer Black placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 115-pound weight class. All three girls advanced to this weekend’s CCS Masters Meet.
Correction: Scotts Valley High junior Angelo Vignato’s name was misspelled in a previous version of this story.
