Tologs get on right track

Cross-court passes were intercepted by the members of the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy basketball team and converted into points.

That told Flintridge Sacred Heart second-year Coach Gino Pacella that the Tologs were getting somewhere after not playing up to par during the first several weeks of the summer season.

Flintridge Sacred Heart played aggressive defense, inducing 31 turnovers, en route to a convincing 38-18 victory against Westridge on Monday afternoon in a South Pasadena High Summer League contest.

“We ran two extra practices last week, where we focused on where we are at and backing each other up,” said Pacella, whose team finished fifth in the Mission League last season before advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2005. “They came out with an attitude and a purpose, and we hope to keep that going.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart raced to a 16-0 lead before Westridge finally got on the board to make it 16-2 with 5:03 left in the first half. Westridge committed 20 first-half turnovers to help the Tologs build a 25-2 halftime advantage.

Eighteen of Flintridge Sacred Heart’s first-half points came off Westridge miscues, mostly near midcourt.

“I think that we were able to click together for the first time this summer,” said junior guard Stephanie Ramsden, who finished with 11 points and four assists. “We were real good with our trapping.

“When we are good with that, we can then intercept passes and run hard.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart got a game-high 12 points from junior guard Vanessa Romero, who earned all-league honors last season. Madi Romero, Vanessa’s younger sister, contributed six points.

Madi Romero scored six points in a row to give the Tologs a 9-0 lead with 12:35 left in the first half.

“I think we got into a decent flow and we are getting into shape,” said Pacella, whose team was handed a 38-29 loss by San Marino on Wednesday in its previous South Pasadena Summer League contest.

Ramsden and Vanessa Romero had seven first-half points apiece for Flintridge Sacred Heart, which will next compete in another South Pasadena Summer League game at 4 p.m. Wednesday against neighborhood rival Flintridge Prep.