Newport wins Halloween Ball

The Newport Lightning girls’ basketball team took first place in the eighth-grade gold division of the Halloween Ball Tournament.

The Lightning began the Halloween Ball Tournament with a convincing 40-15 win over SGV. Natalia Bruening started the Lightning with a quick six points to set the tone for the game. Leading in scoring and the offense was point guard Frankie Wade with 12 points. Also contributing to the game was Heather Fujii, who played an all-around great game.

The second game was the closest of the tournament against the Aikanes. The Newport Lightning, who lost to the Aikanes two weeks ago, stepped up play to win, 40-34. Justine Modde led all scorers with 14 points.

In the third game, the Lightning beat the So Cal Stars from El Cajon, last year’s tournament winners. Krista Anderson dominated the boards and contributed 10 points. Marcie Bott contributed to the team with several minutes of play and displayed great hustle.

The Lightning’s final match ended with a 34-14 win against the San Diego Sol. The Lightning saved the best for last and played well as a team offensively and defensively, stealing the ball and dominating the boards. Marina LaPuzza accumulated an impressive amount of steals. Kelly Tam also sank two three-pointers in the second half to seal the win.

The Lightning is coached by Julia Bruening.

— Reader submission