The Culver City High School girls basketball team is starting to play ar their best.
Blowout wins over Hawthorne and Santa Monica last week proved the Centaurs are ready to challenge first-place Lawndale for the Ocean League championship.
Second-place Culver City is 3-1 I league. 13-6 overall.
Unbeaten Lawndale is 4-0 and 12-8.
Both schools are headed for a showdown on Wednesday evening at 6 in Culver City.
Each plays two games this week. Culver City goes to El Segundo this evening at 6 after earlier facing Beverly Hills.
“I would like to see how consistent we can be before I say we are back to where we want to be,” said Centaur Coach Julian Anderson after last Friday’s win over Santa Monica.
“We are a young team. As the defending champions, we have to learn that we have a target on our backs.”
Anderson wants his players to trust each other. “They must learn to help each other get better,” he said. “It will take a group effort.”
Lacking a dominant player like graduated stars Michelle Curry or Kailey Tooke, learning to trust teammates “is the only way we will get better. Then we will be okay.”
On the Boys Side
The boys team is 2-2 in the Ocean League and 7-15 for the season.
Despite their overall record, Culver City still is in the playoff hunt.
Tied for third place with Lawndale, they suffered a disappointing 82-53 blowout to Santa Monica last Friday.
The Centaurs matched the Vikings basket-for-basket in the first half.
“The first half we showed we could compete with Santa Monica,” said junior guard Brandon Libertore. “In the second half, we let their shooters get open.
“We need to keep coming out with intensity and not relax in the second half.”
Culver City travels to El Segundo this evening for a 7:30 game.
They beat El Segundo a few weeks ago in Culver City.
On Wednesday, they host Lawndale at 7:30. Next Friday, Culver City is home against Hawthorne at 7:30.
The Centaurs need to win their next three games if they expect to make the CIF playoffs.
Coach Adam Eskridge says his team has the talent to compete against elite teams like Santa Monica.
Mental toughness is missing. “I hope we understand that when we play good teams like Santa Monica we need to bump up our intensity,” he said. “When Santa Monica was challenged in the first half they went up a gear in the second half. A difference in mentality.”
Kicking Around
The unbeaten boys soccer team is leading the Ocean League at 3-0, and is 12-5 for the season.
The Centaurs have five more league games, starting at 6 this evening at home against El Segundo.
Two more 6 o’clock home games next week:
- Lawndale on Wednesday and
- Hawthorne on Friday.
Tied for first place, the girls soccer team is 3-0 in the Ocean League and 8-5 for the season,
This afternoon at 3, they are home against El Segundo.
On Monday, they visit Santa Monica at 3 to break the first-place tie.
Two more road games — Wednesday at 3 at Lawndale, Friday at 4 at Hawthorne.
Mr. Finley may be contacted at sfinley50@aol.com