Redondo Bounces Back With Impressive Start

Marcelo Enriquez, the girls’ basketball coach at Redondo, admits his team’s terrific start this season is a surprise.

“We’re coming out a little earlier than what I expected,” said Enriquez, whose team is 3-1 after reaching the final of the Brea Olinda tournament. “I thought we would be struggling early, but would be solid by the time playoffs rolled around.”

The Brea Olinda tournament featured seven teams in The Times’ preseason top 25, but it was Redondo and Alhambra Keppel -- both unranked -- that emerged in the final.

“We’re still young and we lack some of that big-game experience,” Enriquez said. “These girls are surpassing my expectations.”

Redondo beat two of the Southland’s top teams, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, 58-39, and Long Beach Wilson, 52-49, before losing to Keppel, 60-50.

Keppel made nine of 19 three-point shots. Redondo shot only 33% from the field -- missing 14 layups -- and only 12 of 28 from the free-throw line.

“I credit Keppel because they played very well,” Enriquez said. “I think a lot of people were shocked to see both of us in the finals. Some teams just aren’t up to full gear yet, and us and Keppel came out of the blocks ready to roll.”

Redondo went 14-15 last season, but one reason for its early success is freshman Atonye Nyingifa, a 5-foot-11 forward. She is the sister of sophomore guard Courtney Price.

Nyingifa, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds in her debut against Chino Hills Ayala, is averaging 12 points and 14.3 rebounds. Her best performance was 18 points and 15 rebounds against Canyon Springs, ranked No. 5 at the time.

Price averaged 17.3 points in the tournament. Renahy Young scored 17 against both Canyon Springs and Wilson, and Ashley Bookman turned in a good performance on defense against Wilson’s Neka Mixon, who scored 21.

Redondo should be stronger when it plays in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, beginning Monday. Niki Haymore, a starter last season, was out for eight weeks as a precautionary measure to ensure she didn’t have a heart ailment and has been cleared to play.

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Eighth-ranked Ventura turned in an impressive performance on consecutive nights, defeating then-No. 3 Newhall Hart, 47-40, and then-No. 12 Ventura Buena, 44-37. So far, no one has an answer for 6-5 sophomore Kali Bennett and 6-3 junior Caitlin Kearns.

Bennett had 21 points against Hart and 17 against Buena, in which the Cougars denied Joe Vaughan his 700th career victory. Ventura is coached by Ann Larson, a former Vaughan player and assistant.

Vaughan, the state’s all-time winningest coach, didn’t have to wait long. His landmark victory came Monday against Ojai Nordhoff. His career record is 700-95.

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Third-ranked Lynwood may not be nationally ranked, but the Knights are making noise. They have lost twice, both times by two points, to teams ranked among the top seven. Lynwood was beaten by Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara, 48-46, in the finals of the Lone Star Classic, and by Oakland Tech, 52-50, in Contra Costa.

Lynwood led in both games only to lose at the end. “I’m happy that we’re maturing each game,” Coach Ellis Barfield said. “The effort is totally there.”

Lynwood did knock off one national contender. Sophomore Lenita Sanford scored 23 and senior Sade Cunningham scored 18 in a 62-51 win over Dallas Lincoln, which was ranked No. 4 nationally by Student Sports and USA Today.

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Erika Arriaran of No. 4 Norco has quickly established herself as a big-game player. She had 11 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter of a 62-51 win over No. 5 Santa Ana Mater Dei in the championship game of the Woodbridge tournament; Norco trailed going into the fourth quarter, 45-40. Earlier in the tournament, Norco overcame a 17-point deficit to beat No. 23 Woodbridge, 67-63, behind Arriaran’s 35 points.