Girls basketball: Redondo hopes to even the score against Mira Costa

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My guess is that the Bay League game Thursday in which Redondo plays at Mira Costa is going to be A) emotional, B) well played, C) pretty good.

When they last met, Mira Costa scored a 53-48 victory over Redondo, providing the first victory over the Sea Hawks for this group of seniors.

Now, it’s an opportunity for Megan Richardson and Mikah Maly-Karros to galvanize their signature on the Bay League title. Mira Costa (19-3, 7-0) is No. 7 in The Times ranking and hasn’t lost in the nine games since 6-foot-3 Whitney Daniels transferred from Santa Monica. Daniels has come off the bench and averaged 6.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, which takes a lot of pressure off Maly-Karros.

‘She’s helped us a lot defensively,’ Coach Don Braunecker said. ‘She’s been a real catalyst for us, in league particularly, but it’s tough for me to say she’s the one who put us over the hump. I’ve got some really good seniors.’

Cal State Fullerton-bound Richardson has averaged 18.3 points, and Loyola Marymount-bound Maly-Karros 17.8.

Eighth-ranked Redondo (19-2, 6-1) is led by Atonye Nyingifa, pictured, one of the two best players in the Southland, and is going for its eighth title in nine seasons. The last time Redondo failed to win the league title was the year before Nyingifa arrived.

‘Her and the rest of her teammates are definitely focused on Mira Costa,’ said Redondo Coach Marcelo Enriquez, whose team plays No. 1 Long Beach Poly on Saturday. ‘I have eight seniors on this team and they want that Bay League title. I think they’re locked in on tomorrow’s game.’

It should be a great one. Tip off is at 6 p.m.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Photo by Christina House for The Times