DREAM TEAM

Chris Yemma

Lightning struck deepest in this year’s girls basketball season, as

Sage Hill School notched the furthest postseason run among local

teams.

With junior Haywood Wright as the Lightning’s most electrifying

force, Sage Hill advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A

quarterfinals, earning the 6-foot-1 point guard Daily Pilot Dream

Team Player of the Year honors.

“Our team played really well this year,” said Wright, the Academy

League Most Valuable Player. “We’ve been working for three years and

this was the year. Our team really stepped up to the challenge.”

Wright was aided by another tall force, 6-1 senior center Katie

Puishys, who joins Wright on the girls basketball Dream Team, along

with Newport Harbor senior Vanessa Miller, Corona del Mar junior

Katie Schulte and Costa Mesa senior Bethany Vergara.

Wright, who averaged 13.1 points and 13.2 rebounds per game,

provided a threat on both ends of the court that was seldom matched

throughout the season. The 6-foot plus duo of Wright and Puishys gave

the Lightning an inside game that was equally tough for opposers to

match up against.

Sage finished 14-9 and 8-2 in league, good enough for first.

“This was definitely the best team we’ve had [at Sage],” said

Puishys, who averaged 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds. “We really came

together this year and all improved from playing together.”

Wright also led the team in blocks with 81, and steals with 59.

Puishys accounted for 35 blocks.

“Haywood’s great,” Puishys said. “She definitely steps up the bar

in practice. Her competition in practice is great and she brings good

team mentality.”

Wright said she hopes to take the team even further next season.

“Next year I would like to get sole possession of league again and

go further in the playoffs,” she said.

Newport’s Miller, who was selected to play in the Orange County

High School All-Star girls basketball games April 16 at Orange Coast

College, helped lead the Sailors to an at-large berth in the Division

II-AA playoffs. The Tars fell in the wild-card game to finish 11-16,

with Miller averaging 12.3 points.

A four-year varsity starter, the 5-6 Miller led the team with 23

three-pointers.

Schulte led the Sea Kings to a Division III-A at-large berth and

two upsets over Laguna Beach, the Pacific Coast League champion. She

averaged 13.2 points and scored a season-high 30 on Feb. 8 in the

second upset over Laguna. Schulte scored 20 points or more on six

separate occasions throughout the season.

Costa Mesa’s Vergara averaged 9.1 points and was the Mustangs’

three-point shooting ace. She drained 36 treys during the season and

hit five threes in a game twice -- once against El Toro Dec. 27 and

the other against Santa Ana Jan. 28.

She scored a season-high 20 points against El Toro and had 19

against Santa Ana.

The Mustangs claimed the Lady Bell trophy from crosstown rival

Estancia and finished their season 9-17, 5-7 in the Golden West

League.