For the first time this season, the San Marcos girls basketball team was at full strength on Tuesday night.
Marissa Unzueta returned from a month-long absence, Kalley Ridgway had a breakout game in only her second of the season, and the struggling Royals were suddenly too strong for the Dos Pueblos Chargers in a 52-45 Channel League victory at the Thunderhut.
Ridgway – out all year with a bad back – scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had a key block near the end of the game to help San Marcos snap a seven-game losing streak that dated back to the Tournament of Champions opener.
“She’s exactly what we need, a good shot in the arm,” said head coach Kristyn Miller of her senior post player who does just about everything, adding that the return of Ridgway and Unzueta gives the Royals a more balanced scoring attack – something they’re sorely missed.
Teammate Jeannette Mendoza, who scored a game-high 18 points and had seven rebounds, also missed time due to injury during the losing streak.
“I don’t really think about it. I just try to do everything that I can to be well-rounded,” replied Ridgway when asked how she is able to fit in so quickly.
In the final four minutes – after Chiara DiMarco’s third 3-pointer of the game brought Dos Pueblos to within six at 49-43 – Ridgway grabbed two offensive rebounds on one possession, draining almost a full minute off the clock.
With a minute remaining and the Chargers still hanging around within striking distance, DiMarco tried again but this time her shot attempt was stuffed by Ridgway and DP’s chances were snuffed out in the process.
“Today, we played as a whole. The whole team contributed somehow, it’s great,” said Mendoza. “We haven’t been winning lately and this brought us back up.”
Meghan Murphy led Dos Pueblos with 13 points, but the Royals held freshman phenom Jessica Escalante to seven points. DiMarco finished with nine points as did teammate Sara Crane.
Escalante may have been still riding the adrenaline from winning a national title at last weekend’s Punt, Pass & Kick competition at the NFC Divisional playoff game in North Carolina, as she led the Chargers to a fast 7-0 lead.
The athletic guard scored the first two points of the game on a layup and found Sara Crane on the next possession down low for another layup.
But San Marcos came back with force, putting together a dominating 18-2 run and the Royals were up 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Again at the start of the second half, the Chargers scored the first chunk of points to draw within two points at 29-27. And again, the Royals responded with a run of their own, this time scoring seven straight to push the lead back to nine. San Marcos didn’t get closer than six after that.
“They had a couple of big runs. I got to give them credit, they knocked down shots that are very high percentage,” said Dos Pueblos’ head coach Maynard Pilapil, who credited the Royals for playing like a veteran team.
“We prepared all week for them and we were really focused in practice. We had a lot of new plays that we had to learn but everyone focused really well tonight,” said Ridgway. “I thought we executed what we had planned very well tonight, that was the difference.”
After having a full week to prepare for the Chargers, San Marcos has another week before facing Santa Barbara next Tuesday. Given the result against DP, some Royals are buying into the practice concept.
“We worked so hard for this, we prepped for about, almost a week for this game and we just got to work hard for next week against Santa Barbara,” Mendoza said.
Dos Pueblos next faces a non-league opponent in Pacifica on Saturday.
SAN MARCOS 53, DOS PUEBLOS 45
DOS PUEBLOS – DiMarco 9, Murphy 13, Sessler 6, Escalante 7, Crane 9, Mata 1. Totals – 16, 5-11, 45
SAN MARCOS – Curiel 3, Hyslop 2, Chilton 6, Mendoza 18, Ridgway 13, Ochoa 3, Unzueta 6. Totals – 19, 10-23, 53
Dos Pueblos 12 9 12 12 – 45
San Marcos 18 11 12 11 – 53
3-pointers – SM 5 (Chilton 2, Ridgway 2, Ochoa) DP 4 (DiMarco 3, Escalante). Total Fouls – DP 17, SM 11.
