Peninsula Romps Past Buena, 83-59 : Preps: Center Jeffra Gausepohl scores 20 points as nation’s No. 1 team improves to 22-0.

In his 18 seasons as Buena High girls’ basketball coach, Joe Vaughan has a 396-37 record. He has never lost more than four games in a season.

That didn’t mean much to Peninsula High, the nation’s No. 1 team.

The Panthers whipped Buena, 83-59, in a nonleague game at Ventura College on Saturday night.

“I don’t think the score showed the intensity of the game on the floor,” said Peninsula All-American center Jeffra Gausepohl, who had a game-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Perhaps not, but no matter the intensity, the Panthers handed the Bulldogs (19-2) there first loss in 18 games and their worst since Vaughan took over the program in 1975.

Peninsula (22-0) benefited from eight three-point shots and a tenacious defense, which forced 27 turnovers.

Panther Coach Wendell Yoshida was pleased with the victory.

“This kind of team comes around only once in a lifetime,” he said. “We don’t worry too much about the pressure of being ranked where we are. We just go out and have fun. I think we’re a pretty fun team to watch also.”

Not if you’re Buena or Vaughan.

“They have a very good team,” Vaughan said. “Once they get loosened up, they are extremely tough.”

The Panthers’ Raquel Alotis and Mimi McKinney each scored 13 points and reserve Jill Kennedy added 11 for the Panthers, who have defeated four teams ranked in the USA Today national top 25.

Buena, which hadn’t lost since early December against cross-town rival Ventura, was led by center April Buck, who scored 12 points.