EL CAJON — Lathrop High’s girls basketball team impressed some people Wednesday during opening-round action in the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic.
Just not its own coach.
“We looked like a team that hadn’t practiced in five days and just got off a nine-hour van ride,” Spartans head coach Dwayne Davis said. “The referees said, ‘You guys looked pretty good.’ We were lethargic and looked pretty slow.”
The Spartans were good enough to beat reigning Southern Section Division V-AAA champion Hueneme of Oxnard at Valhalla High, 46-35.
They’re competing in the NCAA Black Division starting with a four-team round-robin format. Lathrop plays Vista at El Capitan in Lakeside today and Dana Hills at Bishop’s in La Jolla on Friday with inter-pool play set for Saturday.
Davis had little complaints about Lathrop’s defensive effort Wednesday, especially at the start. Lathrop (9-3) led 8-2 after the first quarter and kept the Vikings (3-2) in single digits in each of the next two periods while expanding the lead to 34-19.
He was particularly pleased with the pay of Ayon Carter, who tallied 12 points, three rebounds and three steals. Mary Cotton contributed 11 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
“We did all the necessary things and gutted through,” Davis said. “Ayon was the only one who had the energy to get up and down the floor the way we want. She got a lot of deflections and some key steals.”
Jalise McCaskill scored a game-high 14 points for Hueneme, which reached the CIF State Division V Southern California Regional final last year.

Varsity boys
Pitman 71, Ripon Christian 59
OAKDALE — Ripon Christian (7-5) had no answer for Gundeep Hayer, who burned the Knights for 38 points in the Oakdale Rotary Tournament opener. Pitman (6-6) also got 17 from sophomore guard Josiah Frank.
Ripon Christian was ahead 32-31 at halftime but could not keep pace from there. Cade Alger scored 16 points, Will Gilbert had 14 and Jacob Van Groningen pitched in 13.

Freshman boys
Pleasant Grove 58, East Union 49
The Lancers were outscored 20-6 in the first quarter Saturday and never recovered.
Luke Weaver (five steals) and Samuel Stewart led East Union with 11 points each. Zane Salgado added eight points and four rebounds and Nate Rodriguez (four rebounds, two steals) and Daymari Cox (seven rebounds) chipped in six points each.
 
 East Union 50, Gregori 42
With the score tied after three periods Friday the Lancers pulled away in the fourth.
Samuel Stewart (six rebounds, three steals) and Grant Silva (four assists) paced East Union with 12 points each. Luke Weaver tallied seven points, five rebounds and four blocks and Nate Rodriguez had six points and six rebounds.