Jeanette Mendoza poured in 12 points and added six rebounds for the San Marcos girls basketball team in its season opener, but the Royals coughed up too many turnovers to Channel Islands in a 66-46 decision in Oxnard.
Marissa Unzueta scored nine points and hit the boards with six cleanups. Mendoza, Unzueta, Claudia Ochoa and Vanessa Curiel combined for 26 rebounds between the three of them.
But the Royals couldn’t overcome their 42 turnovers, 24 of them coming in the first half.
With only three returners from last year’s team, coach Kristyn Miller thought her players may have been a little intimidated at first, but was happy to see them play Channel Islands to a 27-27 tie in the second half.
San Marcos plays four more games this week; all of them are at the Fillmore Tournament that starts on Wednesday.
CHANNEL ISLANDS 66, SAN MARCOS 46
SAN MARCOS – Jeanette Mendoza 12, Marissa Unzueta 9, Kelley Chilton 6, Claudia Ochoa 5, Vanessa Curiel 5, Kimmy Sanchez 4, Lindsey Hyslop 2. Kelsey Brown 2, Deseree Porter-Ray 1.
San Marcos 20 19 12 15 – 46
Channel Islands 10 9 14 13 – 66
Rebounds: SM – 22 (Mendoza 6, Curiel 7, Porter-Ray 1, Ochoa 7, Unzueta 6)
