It’s Building Year for Pinewood Girls After 101-1 Loss

Coach Nancy Moyer, who has experienced much better times at Pinewood School, saw her new, young varsity basketball team open the season with a 101-1 loss.

“This is going to be a building year,” Moyer said Friday.

She knew that even before her small-school team took the court Thursday night against San Mateo High School in an opening-round game of a tournament at nearby Menlo Park.

“The girls worked hard all the way to the end,” Moyer said. “They’re ready to learn. You can’t ask for anything more--except talent.”

As for herself, Moyer said, “It’s real unfortunate that he (the San Mateo coach) ran up the score. But I never got angry.

“He played very aggressively in the first half, and I could see in the beginning that they had a strong team.”

San Mateo led after one quarter, 30-0, and at halftime, 53-1. Sylvia Hohen, a sophomore, made the free throw that accounted for all of Pinewood’s scoring.

“This is a real young team. I’ve got some kids who’ve never played basketball before,” said Moyer, who has five freshmen on her eight-player squad. “We did real well the last four years, but all my seniors graduated.”

Pinewood is a coed private school with an enrollment of about 130. Moyer’s team was undefeated in its eight-team league two years ago and finished third last season.