JC women's basketball: Santa Rosa JC shuts down Delta

Fri. January 20, 2012 at 11:01 p.m. | By PDPreps.com staff

SRJC's Jenna Reed takes a shot over Delta's Sam Golsten, left, and Anna Nguyen, center. (Photo by CRISTA JEREMIASON / The Press Democrat)

By MICHAEL COIT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Stifling high-scoring Delta for long stretches, the Bear Cubs found enough rhythm on offense Friday night to post a 63-43 win. The defending state champions remain perfect in the Big Eight Conference heading into a showdown at undefeated Cosumnes River on Tuesday to conclude the first half of league play.

“Teams are out to get us. They’re more motivated to beat us,” said point guard and season leading scorer Jen Tsurumoto, out of Analy High. “We’re motivated and willing to work. The mood is good.”

Defending the California Community College Athletic Association title was Santa Rosa’s goal at the season’s outset. A rough patch of losses to end nonleague play reminded the Bear Cubs of the need for improvement.

Santa Rosa (15-5, 6-0) is now aiming for a conference title and moving up the state rankings to secure a high seed for another deep postseason run. Defeating always tenacious Delta was another step forward.

“We came in focused and knew what we needed to do. This was a big win,” said McKenzie Mangino, from Ursuline, who led all players with 18 points, 14 coming in the second half.

The win over Delta reflected Santa Rosa’s season.

Deep and young, Santa Rosa keeps fresh legs on the court to play high energy defense. Often using a trapping halfcourt zone, the Bear Cubs want to pressure teams into poor passes and rushed shots.

“We’re really focusing on intensity and not taking plays off, being aggressive and being a cohesive group,” Santa Rosa coach Lacey Campbell said.

Steals and fast breaks off long defensive rebounds fueled Santa Rosa’s second half surge against Delta. The Bear Cubs opened with a dozen unanswered points and pushed their lead to 19 at the midpoint of the second half.

Tsurumoto and Anandi Jimenez, from Montgomery, finished several breaks with strong drives for scores. Tsurumoto had 11 points and Jimenez totaled 10 on the night.

Balanced scoring is a Santa Rosa strength and a necessity with Tsurumoto moving to point guard after primarily working as a scoring wing last season.

“We know they’re going to double and triple her so the other players need to step up,” Campbell said. “She can create, but we have to have other people score, too.”

Against Delta, Mangino had the hot hand. In the second half, when Tsurumoto wasn’t dishing to Mangino for close shots, the center was creating space for rebounds and second-chance baskets.

“She definitely makes everyone better. She’s our creator,” Mangino said.

Still, in turning a tight game into a comfortable win, Santa Rosa survived stretches of stagnant halfcourt play and sloppy ball handling.

“Our offense hasn’t really been there yet,” Tsurumoto said. “We’re still trying to come together and get on the same page.”

In totaling 63 points Friday, the Bear Cubs approached the sweet spot of what they need to win consistently. Yet the second-half run was needed after scoring only 26 points in the opening period.

Delta’s fast, trapping defense was a factor. But the Bear Cubs will face even tougher opponents if they want to go deep in the state playoffs.

“We’re trying to get our offense a little more effective, make sure we take good shots,” Campbell said.

Despite sometimes uneven play, Santa Rosa has learned to stay mentally strong, an important sign of growth for a team with many first-year players getting significant playing time.

Both Tsurumoto and forward Ashley Morgan, from Maria Carrillo, are the leaders from last season’s title-winning team. Their experience in the playoff grind is paying off with inspired play on both ends of the court.

Younger players like Mangino recognize the effort needed to play well with every team marking Santa Rosa as the team to beat.

“It’s good to be part of something that people care about,” Mangino said. “People want to take it from us. We have to defend it as well as we can.”