Blowout victory for Sage

Natalie Venegas

What began as a sluggish first half for the Sage Hill School girls

basketball team turned into a dominating 52-18 victory over visiting

Buckley on Thursday night in a CIF Southern Section Division IV-A

first-round playoff game.

The Academy league champion Lightning made a statement early on

when senior center Katie Puishys scored a basket in the first eight

seconds of the game. The Lightning forced four Buckley turnovers on

the Griffins’ first four possessions and didn’t allow them to score

until there was 4:45 left in the first quarter. Buckley (8-13, 5-7 in

the Liberty League) managed to steadily kept up with the Lightning

scoring and ended the first quarter trailing, 11-9.

Sage Hill (14-9, 9-2 in league) struggled with missed shots in the

second quarter and trailed by one with 5:33 left. Lightning junior

guard Rebecca Hembarsky switched the momentum to their favor by

making one of her five shots which sparked a 9-0 run. With possession

of the ball and 11 seconds remaining in the half, the lightning

called a time-out and constructed a play that allowed a wide open

Laura Shaeffer to make a three-pointer at the last second of the game

which gave Sage Hill a 24-16 lead.

Haywood Wright of Sage had 13 points, 12 rebounds, and five

assists. Sage Hill moves on to the second round against Woodcrest

Christian on Saturday night. A coin toss on Friday will determine the

location of the game. Meanwhile the lightning anxiously await.

CIF Division IV-A

First round

Sage Hill 52,

Buckley 18 Score by Quarters

*--*

Buckley 9 7 2 0 -- 18

Sage Hill 11 13 14 14 -- 52

*--*

Buckley -- Sparagna 7, Harris 6, Reback 3, Eisner 2

3-pt. goals -- Sparagna 3.

Sage Hill -- Puishys 15, Wright 13, Tyre 11, Guterriez 5, Hembarsky 5, Schaeffer 3, McKeon 0.

3-pt. goals -- Shaeffer 3.