The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Etiwanda blasts Centennial
Smith, Knox combine for 52 points as Eagles begin Open Division play in style
Etiwanda girls basketball coach Stan Delus put his players through a rigorous week of practice.
And for good reason.
“We are the defending state champions and have a big target on our back right now,” said Delus, whose team is ranked No. 4 in the nation by Maxpreps.com. “We are going to get everybody’s best shot because they have nothing to lose.”
And those intense practices over the past week yielded some quick dividends, as Etiwanda looked extremely sharp throughout its 90-38 victory over
Centennial in Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Open Division pool-play game. The No. 2-seeded Eagles began the night with a 22-1 run over the first 4 1/2 minutes and slammed the door shut with an 18-0 to start the second half.
Mcdonald’s All-american Kennedy Smith finished with a game-high 27 points, 18 of those coming in the third quarter. Junior Grace Knox, the other half of Etiwanda’s “Twin Towers,” registered a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds.
Smith (6-foot-1) and Knox (6-foot3) are matchup nightmares for opposing teams. That duo can score at will inside the paint because of their size, but both players possess a deadly midrange jumper and also can step outs and knock down 3-pointers.
Etiwanda (26-3) made 6% of its shots Saturday, with Smith and Knox combining to go 21 of 28 from the field.
“That versatility has been a tremendous asset, because a lot of teams we play are either smaller than us or don’t have the bigs who can guard us on the perimeter,” said Smith, the two-time reigning IE Varsity Player of the Year.
“It’s a blessing to have players like them who can play in multiple spots,” Delus said. “We can be more creative with our offense.”
Knox is a transfer from Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas whose role in the offense seems to grow every week. She described the team’s practices over