The Point Loma High girls basketball team is enjoying a very successful season and its players’ skills were clearly evident in a recent sinking of the La Jolla Vikings. The Pointers sit atop the City League standings with a 4-0 record and have posted a 14-2 overall record that has them ranked number one in local CIF Div. III rankings. Earlier in the season, they defeated Morse 57-51 to capture the championship of the Crawford Holiday Tournament. Last Friday night’s 52-9 home-court destruction of La Jolla gave the girls a six-game winning streak with four more games to play before winter season playoffs begin in mid-February. And, head coach Curtis Norwood noted, two of the team’s five starters are freshmen. Leading the scoring parade is senior team co-captain Sadie Heckman who is averaging 20.8 points per game. Next is sophomore co-captain Mikaela Miles (12.5) with freshman Jaqueline Riddle close behind (11.7). The other starting freshman is Heckman’s sister Emma, who already stands 6-feet 1-inch tall, making her the second tallest player on the squad. “We don’t live in the past but always look forward to the next opponent and challenge,” Norwood said before the game. “Our goal is a high seed in the playoffs.” During the La Jolla game, the Pointers opened with a full-court press and the Vikings were often unable to advance the ball past the mid-court line. Intercepted passes became layups that gave the home team a lead of 18-3 after one quarter and 36-3 at intermission. When the third period ended with the score 49-5, the game’s final frame was played with a running clock, rarely seen in prep basketball. In the Viking game, Sadie Heckman tallied 21 points, sinking three of five 3-point attempts. She was also perfect on four free-throw attempts. Riddle and Miles added 12 and nine respectively. Emma Heckman had four points while fifth starter junior Iwalani Cruz had two rebounds and two steals. Senior Cerina Nguyen added four points and junior Kadence Jones had two. Other team members include sophomores Tatum Shea, Gianna Ryan, Nicole Terry, and Brooke Brennan and junior Sophia Caldwell. SERRA 50, POINTERS 39 The Pointer boys had a difficult time adjusting to the running game and speedy passing of the Conquistadors as they dropped Friday night’s contest. The loss lowered the team’s overall record to 10-10 and tied for third place with San Diego High in the four-team Eastern League. For the season senior Tyler Morris leads the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game and has snatched 124 rebounds. Junior Gabe Harrison (13.2 points) has also sunk 20 3-pointers. Head coach Josh Aros’ crew plays Serra once more and will also try to avenge league losses to San Diego (71-50) and Lincoln (43-34) and defeat Scripps Ranch again after an earlier 46-42 win.
