Marisa Tanga leads Huntington Beach girls’ basketball past Sonora in Matt Denning Classic
The trust of a coach can be difficult to gain.
Huntington Beach High girls’ basketball coach Russell McClurg has trust in senior Marisa Tanga.
Tanga might as well be a player without a position, as she fills a handful of roles for the Oilers.
“She has been solid, for the last three years, a starter,” McClurg said. “[She is] a kid that you can always depend on, usually, on defense. She is the shutdown defender, and she is starting to do a great job, even getting more steals for us.”
The production of Tanga does not always get quantified in counting stats, but with the Oilers down a player in the backcourt, she delivered on Saturday morning.
Tanga had a game-high 17 points to go with six steals and five rebounds, as Huntington Beach defeated Sonora 42-28 in the Matt Denning Nike Hoops Classic at Mater Dei High.
Huntington Beach (14-4) trailed for much of the first half, but Tanga scored seven points in the final 63 seconds of the half to put the Oilers ahead.
She cut to the basket and received a pass from Annabelle Low for the first two points. A driving layup with her left hand tied the score at 18-18. Then she stole the ball and spotted up for a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
The missing player for the Oilers was Tanga’s younger sister, Akemi, who has been one of the team’s leading scorers in the backcourt as a freshman. McClurg said she suffered an ankle injury in the Oilers’ 53-10 win over Newport Harbor in Sunset Conference crossover play on Thursday.
McClurg said that Akemi Tanga may be held out of action until the Surf League opener, which will see Huntington Beach travel to Corona del Mar on Jan. 16.
“It was kind of surprising, actually, in the beginning,” Marisa Tanga said of her sister’s impact on the team as a freshman. “She kind of really figured out her role on our team, and it has really helped us as a whole.
“As a sister, I’m proud of her. She definitely doesn’t act like a freshman, so the age difference doesn’t feel like anything.”
Andie Payne had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Oilers. She continues to labor through an ankle issue of her own.
“I didn’t make any shots in the first half, so in the second half, I had to turn it around,” Payne said. “I just really went up and down, didn’t do much pivoting because I was having trouble with that.”
Madeline Krause is happy to be back on the court after a long recovery from a torn ACL in her left knee. She said that her goal moving forward is to get more familiar with the triangle offense.
“It was scary at first, coming back,” Krause said of her return to basketball activities. “I was scared that I would hurt it again, but it’s not scary anymore.”
Krause finished with two points, two rebounds and one blocked shot.
All nine active players for the Oilers saw the court on Saturday against Sonora (6-9). Alyssa Real contributed two points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Jessica Doke had three points, six rebounds and a block, and Nicole Palmer grabbed three steals.
Brianna Escobedo had a team-high 10 points to go with three rebounds and two steals for the Raiders. Alyssa Ke produced seven points, four rebounds and two assists, while Haylie Dermer added five points, four rebounds and three steals.
Huntington Beach will be back in action for another Sunset Conference crossover game on Tuesday at Fountain Valley.
Matt Denning Classic
Huntington Beach 42, Sonora 28
Huntington Beach 9 – 12 – 9 – 12 – 42
Sonora 10 – 8 – 5 – 5 – 28
HB – M. Tanga 17, Payne 13, Low 4, Doke 3, Real 2, Krause 2, Kinslow 1.
3-pt. goals – M. Tanga 3.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
S – Escobedo 10, Ke 7, Dermer 5, Juarez 3, Robles 3.
3-pt. goals – Ke 1, Dermer 1, Juarez 1.
Fouled out – Escobedo.
Technicals – None.
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