Crossroads Girls Take Their Turn in Spotlight

The Santa Monica Crossroads High boys’ basketball team put the school on the map the last few years, but this season it’s the girls’ team that is causing opponents and observers to take notice.

The Roadrunners, who finished 10-11 last season, improved to 19-2 Tuesday night with a 60-16 Dephic League victory over Cerritos Whitney.

First-year Coach George Qunitero’s seven-player squad is ranked first in the Southern Section Division IV-A poll.

“There was talent here, but there wasn’t a true commitment and dedication to basketball,” said Quintero, who coached the girls’ team last season at South Torrance and was an assistant for the Santa Monica boys’ team in the past. “My goal was just to help them get everything they could out of their ability.”

The Roadrunners have been led by junior Tiffany Cave and senior Crystal Conley, each of whom averages 15 points a game. Freshman Courtney Young, a 5-foot-10 center, is averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Crossroads, which does not have a campus gym, practices at Santa Monica Memorial Park. Because the team is small in numbers, scrimmaging is sometimes a problem.

“But some of the boys I’ve coached in the past come around the gym where we practice,” Quintero said. “We have a few volunteers that actually scrimmage against the girls. I think that has helped us improve.”

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Defending state champion Anaheim Calvary Chapel is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division I wrestling poll.

Temecula Valley is the top-ranked team in Division II, Santa Ana is No. 1 in Division III and Highland is the top team in Division IV.

Pairings for the Southern Section team tournament will be made on Feb. 12 with competition beginning Feb. 14.

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A boys’ basketball tripleheader featuring three of the top teams in Southern California and three from out of state will be played Saturday at the Bren Center at UC Irvine.

Santa Ana Mater Dei plays St Patrick’s (N.J.) at 5 p.m., Compton Dominguez plays Oak Hill Academy (Va.) at 7 and Glendora plays Beaverton (Ore.) at 8:30.