Alemany’s Beckler Does It With Defense

Kate Beckler of Alemany High is downright offended by opinions about her defense.

“I don’t know how many people have told me that I have no defense,” said Beckler, the region’s top pure scorer. “I’m tired of it and I want to prove them wrong.”

She’s doing a good job of it.

Beckler, a guard who will attend Rice, had 10 steals in a 53-34 victory over Simi Valley in the championship game of the Simi Valley tournament Thursday night.

Of course, Beckler hasn’t forgotten her offense. She scored 29 points and finished the four-game tournament with a 23.5 average and most valuable player honors.

Many of those points came off of steals against a talented but inexperienced Simi Valley team that is 8-2 despite starting a freshman and three sophomores.

Elise Metcalf, the only senior in the Pioneer lineup, had 11 points. Sophomore point guard Teresa Cooper added 10.

Beckler had six steals in the first half when Alemany (8-1) extended a 15-12 first-quarter lead into a 29-16 runaway at halftime.

Beckler has put up big offensive numbers since her freshman season. She led the Indians in scoring as a sophomore in their run to the state Division III final.

Her focus is now on both ends of the court. “The perfect game for me now is equal offense and equal defense,” she said.

That view doesn’t surprise Coach Melissa Hearlihy.

“Great scorers look to find points anywhere they can,” she said. “Because of her intensity on defense, Kate is getting points this year that she wouldn’t have in past seasons.”

And it’s getting contagious.

Alemany, ranked No. 3 in the region by The Times, is far more than Beckler.

The lineup of Nyasha Bralock, Karina Siam, Amy Lowe, Alma Sandoval and Beckler is as quick as any in the region, routinely forcing 20-plus turnovers.

“They do a good job of getting you out of your rhythm,” said Coach Dave Murphy of Simi Valley, which had 26 turnovers. “This year, they have a lot of options.”

In other tournament games:

Camarillo 55, Newbury Park 50--The Scorpions avenged two earlier losses to No. 4 Newbury Park with a victory in the third-place game.

Lauren Ferreira scored 13 points and Tanya Wismann and Lindsay Clark each had 11 for Camarillo (6-4).

Bridgett Harris scored 19 points for Newbury Park (5-4).

Littlerock 57, Hart 44--Jolene Haywood scored 16 points for Littlerock (10-4), which took a 22-5 first-quarter lead in the fifth-place game. Amanda Patton had 18 points for Hart (5-7).

Grant 69, Monroe 56--Alexis Weatherspoon had 19 points and Leslie Mui added 17 for Grant in the seventh-place game. Shakaria Jones had 17 points for Monroe.

El Camino Real 51, St. Lucy’s 45--Christina Aguinaga of El Camino Real scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half of the 11th-place game.