Century Settles an Old Score

It has been 11 months since Century lost to El Dorado in the final game of the season and tied for the Empire League girls’ basketball title.

The coach remembered. The players remembered.

And they made El Dorado remember.

Century, playing on its home court, beat El Dorado, 45-29, to put the Centurions in control of their destiny as they try to win the school’s first outright league title.

Century is 13-6, 3-0 in league; El Dorado is 9-8, 2-1.

“If they beat us here, we still have to go there and win,” Century Coach Jeff Watts said before tipoff. “The pressure’s not on them, but on us. If we win tonight, it puts us in the driver’s seat.”

Century scored the game’s first 12 points, made 10 of its first 15 shots and bolted to a 23-4 lead less than three minutes into the second quarter.

Century’s front line of Aprile Powell (6 feet 2), Allison Napier (6-2) and Nikki Love (6-3) didn’t allow El Dorado an offensive rebound until 3:30 remained in the first half. They allowed only three all game.

El Dorado made things worse, by making only three of its first 22 shots, going one for 10 in the first quarter.

“We dug ourselves too deep of a hole,” El Dorado Coach Wayne Carlson said. “We got the ball to [Stephanie] Patten inside and she just didn’t make the shots.”

Everywhere Patten turned, she was surrounded. Averaging 12.8 points, Patten scored only one; she was 0 for 12 from the floor. She had company: El Dorado finished 11 for 51 (21.2%).

“We had a lot of juniors who aren’t used to playing against that type of height and skill,” Carlson said. “I think it took them a half to figure them out.”

Powell (13 points, 14 rebounds), Napier (10 points, four blocks) and Love (six points, six rebounds) were too much for El Dorado’s Patten, Jenny Bluth (four points, nine rebounds) and Carrie Gadd, who combined for six points. Century won the inside battle, 29-6.

El Dorado’s Jamie Nebeker scored a game-high 14 points. The Hawks cut the deficit to 11 with three minutes left in the third quarter, but Napier promptly scored inside, Addie Alexander made a three-pointer, and Powell scored on an inside move to push the lead to 17 going into the fourth quarter.

Powell said her team was mad after what happened last year.

“Tonight,” she said, “was revenge.”

In other Empire League games:

Cypress 58, Katella 38--Stacy Silva had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Michelle Silva scored 12 points for Cypress (13-6, 2-1).

Loara 51, Kennedy 47--Shawnna Walker’s two free throws with 28 seconds remaining gave Loara (10-9, 1-2) a two-point lead, and Betsy Holman sealed the victory with two free throws with eight seconds left.