Miramonte comes from another world to teach Casa girls a lesson

Miramonte girls show Gauchos how basketball is played on a higher level|

Miramonte’s Lady Matadors dropped into Casa Grande’s Coach Ed Iacopi Gymnasium from another planet Monday night to demonstrate to Casa’s earthlings how basketball is played in the upper echlon of the high school universe.

The totally irrelevant final score was Miramonte 70, Casa Grande 19.

The real result was a chance for Casa’s young Gauchos to see how far they have to travel if they want to compete against the state’s elite.

The win was a statement-making season’s debut for the Matadors, who last season went 28-6, were undefeated champions of the Diablo-Foothill League, lost the North Coast Section championship by four points to Bishop O’Dowd and went on to win three games in the state playoffs before losing to Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep. Going into Monday night’

A minute and a half into the game, when Casa Grande coach Dan Sack called his first time out, the Gauchos understood why their visitors are so highly ranked. By that time, they already trailed 9-0 and had committed six turnovers against the Matadors’ suffocating full-court press.

By the end of the first quarter, Miramonte had 28 points, while Casa Grande had two points and 12 turnovers. The Gaucho basket was scored by Ashley Casper, who took advantage of momentarily finding herself alone under the basket for an easy hoop.

Grace Fragakis scored early on in the second period for Casa, but the Gauchos got nothing more in the quarter and reached the half trailing, 47-4.

It didn’t seem to matter who the Matadors put on the floor. Amerika De Los Santos and Emily Huston led the starters with 13 points each in limited playing time, while sharpshooter Rebecca Welsh matched that number coming off the bench.

But, no matter who the Matadors sent into the contest, they seemed to be always in the face of the Casa Grande ball handlers and clogging up the Gaucho passing lanes.

Miramonte called off its press after the first quarter, and reached deep into its bench in the second half, allowing the competition to even out a bit.

Emma Reese and Cassie Liaverias each hit 3-point bombs for the Gauchos in the third quarter, while Sophia Gardea nailed a jump shot and Mazin Dahmani dropped in a free throw.

The Gauchos actually outscored Miramonte, 6-4, through a running clock fourth period with all six Casa points coming off basket-and-one three-point plays by 6-foot freshman center Fragakis.

Casa Grande faced one of the best teams in the state without two of its top players. Sophomore scoring leader Trinity Merwin missed the game because of illness and standout out freshman Lily Peterson is recovering from an appendectomy.

Sack was not surprised nor dismayed by the score, but was a little disappointed with his team’s effort.

“We’re trying to get this young group to understand what they have to do to compete on the higher levels of girls basketball,” the coach explained.

“We’re trying to get them to buy into doing the little things they need to do to make them successful.”

Casa Grande is now 1-2 on the season after losing to Rancho Cotate, 60-54, and beating Santa Rosa, 56-30.

The tough Casa schedule was to continue Wednesday when the Gauchos traveled to Concord to face Northgate. Results of that game were not available at press time. The Gauchos play at Redwood on Saturday before taking a 10-day break.

On a brighter note Monday, the battling Casa Grande junior varsity rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off the Miramonte JV’s, 35-26.

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