It was a battle of height versus speed on Wednesday for fifth place in the Green Division of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions. Righetti, with four players topping six feet, took advantage of their size on their way to a 46-42 victory over a scrappy Royals team.
Molly Schlemer, the 6’5” Cal Poly San Louis Obispo bound senior, dropped 19 points over the undersized Royals, but San Marcos battled the Warriors possession for possession down to the wire. Katie Rodriguez’s two free throws with 10 seconds left iced the game for the victors.
“She [Schlemer] is smart with her height, keeps the ball high and becomes the focus of everyone’s defense an even with that she was able to score,” said San Marcos Coach Kristyn Miller.
Desiree Porter-Ray, the Royals tallest player at 5’9”, drew the defensive assignment at Schlemer and didn’t back down, putting in 10 points herself on the offensive end.
“It’s not intimidating but challenging [guarding Schlemer]. As soon as she gets the ball she knows what move she’s going to make,” said Porter-Ray.
While Righetti pounded the ball inside, the Royals pushed the tempo and had a big game from guard Vanessa Curiel. The 5’3” guard hit three treys finishing with 15 points. Freshman Hannah Ball had 6.
After four games in five days San Marcos has four days of rest before more tournament play in Thousand Oaks.
