Another Walkover for Buena

There was some discussion as to where the real girls’ basketball Tournament of Champions took place this week.

While Buena High was thrashing everyone at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, Harbor City Narbonne was fighting to win the Nike T.O.C. in Chicago.

Buena, ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPN, and defending national champion Narbonne will settle things on the same court Feb. 3, when they meet in Ventura.

On Friday at UC Santa Barbara, Buena blitzed defending Southern Section Division II-AA champion Redondo Union, 69-32, after sprinting to a 30-4 first-quarter lead in the Invitational Division championship game.

Redondo players looked stunned as the Bulldogs (10-0) hit 14 of their first 19 shots, forced seven turnovers and played a nearly perfect quarter.

“We were like deer in the headlights,” said Coach Marcello Enriquez of Redondo Union (5-3).

Kelly Greathouse and Courtney Young each scored 23 points. Courtney LaVere added 12 points, all in the first half.

“Everybody was ready to play,” Young said.

Said Greathouse, the tournament’s most valuable player after averaging 22 points in four games: “Our whole outlook was to come out strong, never give up and play the whole game like it was tied.”

Buena has been tied 10 times this season. Then they had tipoffs.

In the tournament, the Bulldogs played four league champions with combined records of 107-18 last season and beat them by an average of 27 points.

“This is no time to get fat or complacent,” Coach Joe Vaughan said. “It’s time to work harder and to improve.”