Holy Family girls’ basketball can’t pull out of funk
LOS ANGELES — The Holy Family girls’ basketball team suffered through a horrendous shooting performance in the first half of its Horizon League opener Thursday afternoon against Sacred Heart of Jesus. As a result, the Gaels fell behind by nine.
However, it appeared Holy Family was poised to pull out if its shooting funk early in the third quarter when it converted its first three shots from the field and cut the deficit to six.
But the Gaels followed the three makes with five straight misses and the Comets took full advantage. Sacred Heart went on a lengthy run in the third quarter and left the Gaels in its wake, as the hosts proceeded to roll to a 52-35 win at Lincoln Park Community Center.
While disappointed with the loss, Holy Family junior Melissa Chan said her teammates aren’t the type that will let the setback affect them.
“I think we should be able to overcome this,” said Chan, whose squad is back at it with a 2 p.m. nonleague game Friday at Carpinteria. “We are a team that will get over this and we’ll try our best to get a win the next time.”
Chan provided a highlight in an otherwise forgettable showing by the Gaels (2-7), who suffered their third straight loss. The junior tallied a team-high 13 points — including three three-pointers — and was the only Holy Family player in double figures in scoring.
Sacred Heart (2-2) also didn’t torch the net in the early going. In fact, the two teams combined to convert just one of their first 14 shots from the field to open the game. While Holy Family connected on four of its 18 shots in the first quarter, Sacred Heart was just three of 15.
As a result, the Gaels — who committed 10 turnovers in the first frame — were able to take a 9-6 after one quarter.
But things got worse for Holy Family in the second quarter. Rianne Sanchez tallied the team’s lone field goal in the quarter, as the Gaels were just one of 17 from the field. The only other points scored by the Gaels were a pair of free throws from Chan.
“We have been on Christmas break, but that’s no excuse,” said Holy Family Coach Ernest Siy, explaining his team’s poor shooting. “But we have practiced and we have worked on some shooting drills.
“But I don’t think that’s the reason why we lost. We talked about desire and there was just none of it from us today. It seemed like nobody really wanted to play.”
The Comets started hitting their shots in the second quarter, outscoring the Gaels, 16-4, to take a nine-point lead into the half, 22-13.
Trying to battle back, the Gaels came out inspired to start the third quarter. Following baskets by Charise Talaro (seven points) and Kiara Ardines and a three-pointer by Chan, Holy Family was back in the game and trailed by six, 26-20.
“That three was big,” Siy said. “But that was our only run. We have to play the entire game.”
The Gaels then went cold and the Comets scored 11 straight points to take control back. Sacred Heart outscored Holy Family, 15-9, in the third quarter and took a 15-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Comets increased their lead to 19, 47-28, with 5:01 left in the game.
Sanchez added nine points for the Gaels.
