Basketball Notebook : Short Roster Hurts Eagle Rock Against Reseda

Ivan Simon knew that his depleted Eagle Rock High girls team had little chance of upsetting defending City Section 3-A Division champion Reseda last week in the Westside Christmas tournament. But he did not expect the 84-28 drubbing his team suffered.

Eagle Rock (3-2), which has just seven players, ran into trouble when previous commitments forced three of them to miss the game against Reseda. So Simon started three junior varsity players and his two remaining starters.

Midway through the third quarter, his two regular starters had fouled out, Eagle Rock was out of substitutes and Reseda had an insurmountable lead.

“It was not a good example of how we can play,” Simon said. “But it gave the junior varsity players some experience. Reseda came out and their shortest player was taller than our tallest player.

“Or at least it felt that way.”

The Eagles will participate in the eight-team Hamilton tournament starting Saturday at Hamilton High.

All for one and one for. . . .: Coach Kirt Kohlmeier is hopeful that his Hoover High boys team will have a new attitude Saturday when it plays Mission Viejo in the opening round of the 16-team Estancia tournament. Kohlmeier has been pleased with the performances of sophomores Ramone Velasquez and John Hillman, but he said that Hoover (4-4) has lacked a “team-first attitude” this season. “This could be a motivator for us,” Kohlmeier said. “We could have a better record. But due to our own mistakes we don’t. I’m hoping that this could put us over the top.”

Hart tournament: Three Glendale-area boys teams will participate in the 16-team Hart tournament that begins Saturday at Hart High. First-round games include: Crescenta Valley vs. Alemany at 1:30 p.m., Saugus vs. Marshall at 5 p.m. and St. Francis vs. Canyon at 8 p.m. The semifinals will be played Tuesday night at 6 and 7:30. The final will be Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

A-Oki: The Marshall girls team lost to Reseda, 60-50, in the semifinals of the Venice tournament but Marshall Coach Beth Ercek said that her team lacked height--not hustle.

“We’re small but everybody scores and everybody works together,” said Ercek, whose team is 4-2. “We don’t have one or two people that are super outstanding.”

Guard Laura Oki has been Marshall’s steadiest player this season. The 5-5 sophomore, who averages 13 points a game, scored 24 against Reseda. Ercek said she had been anticipating Oki’s arrival for some time.

“I had been looking forward to having her on the team for the past two years,” Ercek said. “People kept telling me about her. I think she’s as good as I was told. She’ll be one of the best guards to ever come out of Marshall High.”

Junior Rena Winter scored 10 points and forward Maile Seig added 12 points against Reseda.

Slim pickings: With only 420 girls enrolled at Holy Family High, Coach Allana Wark had a small pool of players from which to select her team. So when her team lost to La Canada, 58-26, Tuesday night, Wark was hardly surprised.

“Being in a public school, they have more girls to pick from,” Wark said. “We’re doing well to overcome our lack of height.”

Holy Family (2-5) has been led this season by junior point guard Marlene Sandoval, who had 11 points against La Canada and is averaging five assists a game. Meredith Descalzi scored 10 points against La Canada.

Fast attack: The Hoover girls team is averaging 60 fast-break points a game. Most have come from Jenny Pritchard, Julianna Holstrom and Maria Kim.

“It’s a unique combination on the fast break,” Coach Bob Henry said. “They run the fast break so well. And they’re used to dishing off to each other.”