EMPIRE LEAGUE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Cypress Overcomes Turnovers to Defeat El Dorado

Despite committing enough turnovers to make its coach wish she had some antacid handy, the Cypress girls’ basketball team kept its poise long enough to defeat El Dorado, 53-37, in an Empire League game Thursday night in Placentia.

Cypress (13-4, 5-0 in league), the eighth-ranked team in the county, had trouble with the many defensive schemes used by the Golden Hawks (14-4, 4-1), and lost the ball 21 times.

“They (El Dorado) are very aggressive and they change their defenses constantly,” Cypress Coach Denise Selbe said. “It took the kids awhile to get accustomed to it.”

But when the Centurions did get their shots off, they couldn’t be stopped.

Cypress guard Susan Fleming scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter, and the Centurions built a 20-11 lead after one quarter.

Neither team was particularly impressive in the second quarter. Cypress, which led 29-19 at the half, made only three of 10 field-goal attempts and El Dorado converted only four of 13 attempts during the quarter. For the game, Cypress shot 41.6% (20 of 48) from the field and El Dorado 28.5% (16 of 56).

But Cypress had a big advantage in free throws, making 12 in the game to El Dorado’s two. Six of the Centurion free throws came in the fourth quarter, when Cypress pulled away gradually after El Dorado had climbed to within seven, 35-28, late in the third quarter.

The Centurions, the defending league champions, also controlled the boards. Cypress outrebounded El Dorado, 44-21, with forward Jessica Eggleston and senior center Lupe Nava each getting 14. Forward Julie Adams had 11 for the Centurions.

Eggleston, only a sophomore, led all scorers with 17 points and Adams added 11. Nava, who is headed for New Mexico next season on a basketball scholarship, scored nine points and blocked two shots.

Forwards Jody Caruso and Jamie Sweet each had nine points for El Dorado.

Several players were injured during the game. With less than a minute to play in the first half, Cypress guard Alison Kosaka suffered a knee injury and had to leave the game and Caruso followed a few seconds later by taking a header while attempting to intercept a pass. She lay on the floor for a few minutes while coaches and trainers attended to her, but returned in the third quarter.

Then El Dorado’s Miryka Tonjes suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. She did not return.

In another league game:

Loara 48, Los Alamitos 40--A strong fourth quarter enabled Loara (4-12, 2-3 in league) to overcome Los Alamitos (10-8, 2-3). Susanna Poons scored 13 points. Tiffany Abercrombe had nine points.