Girls’ Basketball: Barons keep improving
FOUNTAIN VALLEY — After accruing just one win all of last season, there was really nowhere to go but up for Fountain Valley High’s girls’ basketball program.
With a new lease on life, the Barons are doing their best to distance themselves from that nightmarish campaign.
Emily White had 15 points and seven steals to lead the Barons over Costa Mesa, 61-32, in Tuesday’s nonleague game at Fountain Valley High.
Reserve center Monet Oncu delivered a well-rounded effort with 12 points, five rebounds, and three blocks for the Barons. Remi Chicoine added nine points and five assists.
“After each win, we get more motivated to win more games,” said Chicoine, who is a senior shooting guard. “Hopefully, we can get to CIF, and then after that, we’ll see what happens from there.”
The Barons improved to 6-3 overall. The win was propelled by a combination of good passing and aggression on defense.
Collectively, Fountain Valley players handed out 15 assists on the team’s 24 made field goals.
On defense, the Barons accumulated 25 steals, forcing Costa Mesa (3-9) into 35 turnovers.
Fountain Valley scored the first 13 points of the game, but the Mustangs would recover to make the game competitive.
A pair of 3-pointers by April James and Melizza Hernandez helped Costa Mesa cut its deficit to 13-8.
Mustangs Coach Carlos Juarez noted that it is important that his team get off to better starts, especially since it is not that deep.
In light of the slow start, he was encouraged to see his team fight back.
“When we did get down, I was extremely happy that, one, we knocked down some shots, which is not our strength,” he said. “Two, that the girls stayed in it, didn’t give up, and really kept some fight in them.”
“That was good. On its own, that was worth the game.”
The Barons led, 16-8, after the first quarter. It was 27-17 Fountain Valley at the half.
Costa Mesa continued to stay with Fountain Valley into the midway point of the third quarter. A three-pointer by Katie Belmontes followed by two made free throws from Malia Tufuga cut the lead to single digits.
At that moment, it was 34-25 Fountain Valley with 3:51 to go in the third.
The next shot swung the momentum. Esther Rodriguez’s three-pointer was the beginning of a 20-0 run that didn’t end until Tufuga banked in a shot with 5:57 left in the fourth.
“I felt like I needed to get the game going,” Rodriguez said. “That three needed to be [made]. The score was getting too close, and I was scared because it might get tied up.”
The Barons know that their toughest tests lie ahead. The Sunset League presents a bevy of formidable opponents, but White says her team won’t back down from the challenge.
“I think that our league is a very tough challenge for us,” she said. “This year, I think that we’ve been working our tails off to really get to where we should be, and where we should have been last year.”
“We are there, and we are ready for this fight.”
Fountain Valley rolled the Mustangs, 72-4, in the JV game. Linh Thai and Malia Baricuatro paced the Barons with 14 points apiece.
Nonleague
Fountain Valley 61, Costa Mesa 32
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Costa Mesa – 8 - 9 - 8 - 7 – 32
Fountain Valley – 16 - 11 - 21 - 13 – 61
CM – Belmontes 8, Tufuga 8, James 6, Garcia 5, Hernandez 5.
3-pt. goals – James 2, Belmontes 1, Hernandez 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
FV – White 15, Oncu 12, Chicoine 9, Rodriguez 9, Hughes 5, Shimizu 3, Lacher 2, Lai 2, Kerrigan 2, Luu 2.
3-pt. goals – Rodriguez 3, Chicoine 1.
Fouled out – None.
Technicals – None.
