Coaches call the first four minutes of the second half the most important of the game.
The San Marcos girls basketball team followed through on the cliché, opening the second half with a 15-2 run on its way to a 63-44 win over Oxnard in the first round of the Tournament of Champions on Saturday.
With the Royals holding a 19-17 lead at halftime, San Marcos Coach Kristyn Miller kept it simple in the locker room.
“I said keep doing what you’re doing, but finish your shots,” said Miller. She then sent her team back to the court to get extra shooting in during the intermission.
The Royals listened to their coach, putting up 30 points in the period in what Miller said was her highest scoring quarter in 4 years of coaching at San Marcos.
Kimmie Sanchez scored 15 of her game high 21 in the third quarter, and Marissa Unzueta had 12, all in the second half, for the Royals. Desiree Porter-Ray added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“Miller told us to keep shooting and be confident and apparently it worked,” said Sanchez.
Indeed it did, as Sanchez opened the second half with a lay-up, drilled a shot from beyond the 3-point arc and received a nifty backdoor pass from Vanessa Curiel for another two points during the Royals run.
When the dust had settled, San Marcos held a 49-31 advantage going to the fourth quarter and coasted to their 8th win of the season.
Oxnard got 15 points from Blayke Hudson, but could not find their range from the perimeter as San Marcos packed their defense in the paint.
The competition increases for San Marcos when tournament play resumes on Monday as they face defending Green Division champion Lutheran (Orange), 5:45pm at the Thunderhut.
SAN MARCOS 63, OXNARD 44
SAN MARCOS – Curiel 6, Hyslop 3, Ball 5, Dietz 4, Porter-Ray 10, Sandoval 2, Sanchez 21, Unzueta 12
OXNARD – Parker 2, Cabrera 2, Keller 9, Jackson 5, Riley 9, Hudson 15, Morrison 1
Oxnard 8 9 14 13 – 44
San Marcos 10 9 30 14 – 63
3 pointers- SM – Hyslop 1, Dietz 1, Sanchez 1, Oxnard – none
Fouled out – SM – Porter-Ray
Technicals – none
