Crescenta Valley Has Restful Night in Win Over Hart

Damian Scribner was restless Monday night, the eve of his first game as coach of the Crescenta Valley High girls’ basketball team. He finally fell asleep at about 2:15 a.m.

All-American guard-forward Michelle Greco tossed and turned until dozing off at 2:30. All-Southern Section guard Tara Gregory conked out at 1:30.

“Everyone was so excited to get it all started,” Scribner said Tuesday after his team routed perennial area power Hart, 64-37, signaling that it may be Falcon opponents who will be sleepless this season.

Crescenta Valley, rated fifth in the state by one publication and No. 1 in the region by The Times, used a ferocious full-court press featuring Gregory, Kristie Umemoto and Sinnamonn Garrett to help force 31 turnovers and limit the Indians to 30 shots.

“It’s not just two people this year,” said Greco, The Times’ player of the year last season who scored 22 points. “We have a lot of weapons.”

Scribner refers to the trio of Greco, Gregory and Garrett as the Falcons’ G-Force.

Garrett, a sophomore, added 21 points and nine rebounds, while Gregory had 10 points and six steals.

When Hart closed the margin to 28-25 two minutes into the third quarter, the ball went directly to Greco, the region’s most heavily recruited prep player who signed last month with UCLA.

Hart committed five consecutive turnovers and Greco converted them into three baskets and an assist to Garrett for a three-pointer and a 37-25 lead.

“You have to take advantage of a Michelle Greco . . . before she becomes a Bruin,” Scribner said.

Greco, Garrett and Gregory combined to score all 25 Falcon points in the third quarter, turning a 25-19 halftime lead into a 50-32 margin.

“That’s the No. 5 team in the state over there,” Hart Coach Dave Munroe said. “Let’s see what we do against a normal team.”

Brianna Kentfield, a 6-foot-2 junior transfer from Minnesota, had 16 points and eight rebounds for Hart. Melissa Harrison, the Indians’ All-Southern Section forward, had nine points and six rebounds.