No place like home for Village Christian

Charles Rich

GLENDALE -- o7 Odds and ends from the local high school girls’

basketball scene:f7

Going home: They’ve entered a crossroads in their season, having

played 16 of their first 18 games on the road.

Now the members of the Village Christian girls’ basketball team will

take a fork in the road and retreat to the sanctity of a familiar site

that’s held more practices than contests.

The Crusaders will play five of their final six regular-season games

at home, beginning with a 4:30 p.m. Alpha League contest today against

Saugus-based Camp Scott Academy. All of their remaining league games will

be at home. Village Christian’s lone remaining road game will be Jan. 29

against Oaks Christian in Westlake Village.

Will a home-court advantage exist for Village Christian, which last

played a home contest Dec. 11 against Santa Monica Crossroads?

“I hope it will ignite us,” Village Christian Coach Fred Largent said.

“I don’t know what to expect because we are a young team. I lost all five

of my starters from last season’s team to graduation.

“The bottom line is that we can’t lose another game if we want to make

the playoffs. The only way we’ll make the playoffs is if we finish first,

second or third in league.”

The Crusaders haven’t done themselves any favors to ease their

concerns. They fell behind the eight ball with league losses to Lancaster

Paraclete on Saturday and North Hills L.A. Baptist on Tuesday.

They’ll have a chance to redeem themselves competing in the intimacy

of their own gymnasium.