Peninsula Girls : Hand Buena Worst Loss Under Vaughan

Joe Vaughan is not very well practiced at playing the role of underdog.

In his 18 seasons at Buena High, he has led the Bulldogs to a 396-37 record and has never lost more than four games in a season.

That didn’t mean much to Peninsula, the No. 1-ranked girls team in the nation.

The Panthers whipped Buena like a bad dog, and walked away with an 83-59 nonleague win before about 2,500 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 game-high totals of 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Regardless of Buena’s intensity, the Panthers handed the Bulldogs (19-2) their first loss in 18 games and their worst since Vaughan took over the program in 1975.

Peninsula benefited from eight three-point baskets and a tenacious defense that forced 27 turnovers.

Vaughan has coached the Bulldogs to two state championships and Buena has advanced at least to the Southern Section quarterfinals in each of the last 13 years, but he probably never has fielded a team with as much talent as Peninsula (22-0).

All five Peninsula starters have been named to at least one preseason All-American team and the Panthers benefit from having the top seven players back from last season’s Palos Verdes High state Division III championship team.

Palos Verdes merged last year with Rolling Hills and Miraleste to form Peninsula.

Coach Wendell Yoshida can hardly hold back the smiles while speaking of his team.

“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 are Buena.

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

Raquel Alotis and Mimi McKinney, both All-Americans, each scored 13 points. 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 an early December tournament game against cross-town rival Ventura, was paced by center April Buck’s 12 points. Rachel McSorley came off the bench to score nine points.

Peninsula looked less imposing in the early going, falling behind, 3-0, after committing turnovers on its first four possessions.

However, Peninsula scored the next 10 points and led, 22-7, after one quarter.

The Panthers went into intermission with a 37-21 lead and led after three quarters, 67-38.