Leland wins Mt. Hamilton title
High school girls basketball:
Chargers capture division crown with 56-51 victory over Leigh.
Three seasons ago, new Leland High School girls basketball coach Andy Anaya set a goal for his program — winning a Blossom Valley Athletic League title.
Some of the 10 seniors on this season’s roster were on that team. They saw that goal accomplished last Thursday when a victory over Leigh clinched the championship of the league’s top division, the Mt. Hamilton.
“It feels great,” said Anaya on Feb. 16. When asked what has made his team so successful this season, he said, “It’s been our senior leadership.”
Four of the seniors are starters: Karli Mukai, Hailey Uyeda, Serafina Alhadad and Ericka Sangcolidgey.
Mukai, a consistent double-digit scorer who is a three-point threat, was the co-junior of the year in the Mt. Hamilton Division last season. Sangcolidgey was a first-team selection last season. Alhadad is the team’s best rebounder with more than 200 this season. Uyeda is a top-notch defender.
The other starter for the Chargers is junior Simran Bagri, who had 19 points in a 56-51 victory over Independence on Feb. 11. She had a trio of three-pointers in that game.
Leland (18-6, 8-2 Mt.
Hamilton Division), who does not have a player taller than 5-foot-8, relies on a quick pace to win.
“We have to get as many possessions as possible,” Anaya said. “Defensively, we try to pressure the ball.”
The Chargers’ title hopes were put in a precarious position after a 40-38 loss to Silver Creek on Feb. 4. made its Mt. Hamilton record 5-2.
“We needed to win out, That’s what we talked about,” said Anaya about his team.
Leland proceeded to beat Piedmont Hills on the road on Feb. 6, followed by the Independence road win and the 56-36 victory over visiting Leigh. It was the Leland varsity girls basketball program’s first league title since winning the Mt. Hamilton crown in the 2006-07 season.
Mukai scored 13 points against Independence, and Alhadad led her team in rebounds (14) and steals (four). Dayna Shimada, another senior, came off the bench to score eight points, grab three rebounds, and have a teamhigh three assists.
Against Leigh, Sangcolidgey paced Leland with 13 points, including 6 for 10 shooting. Shimada had 12 points and Bagri added 11 points. Mukai had eight points and a team-high seven assists and four steals.
In both games, Leland led at halftime by less than five points before pulling away in the third quarter.
“Both our last two games, we had slow starts. Our group has been really resilient playing from behind,” said Anaya, who mentioned a last-second shot by Mukai that beat Inderkum-sacramento at the West Coast
Jamboree on Dec. 30. “A lot of games have been a really great test for all of us.”
The Central Coast Section seeding meeting on Wednesday occurred after this publication went to press.
Willow Glen completed a 10-0 BVAL Santa Teresa West season (14-7 overall) with a 53-39 win over host Westmont on Feb. 13. Two nights before, the Rams defeated visiting Del Mar 56-47.
Boys basketball
Pioneer entered the final game of the regular season on Feb. 18 tied with Oak Grove for first place in the BVAL Santa Teresa Division after defeating the host Eagles 70-49 on Feb. 14. The Mustangs improved to 10-3 in the division and 13-10 overall. The result of Feb. 18’s game at Branham was unavailable at press time. On Feb. 12, Pioneer beat visiting Yerba Buena 80-51.
Boys wrestling
Lincoln’s Adam Arenas will aim to win his third CCS title after taking first in the 128-pound division at the Blossom Valley Athletic League tournament on Feb. 15 at Evergreen Valley.
Arenas won the CCS 106-pound title as a freshman and the 120-pound title last year. The CCS Championships will be Feb. 21-22 at Independence.
Other local winners at the BVAL tournament included Westmont sophomore Michael Huh (108-pounds) and Branham senior Riley Peters (287). The top five placers at the BVAL tournament qualified for the CCS championships.
Local athletes who reached the finals at the BVAL tournament included Leland senior Connor Cormier (147), Leigh senior Lanin Sannoh (154), Lincoln sophomore Epoki Fakaosi (162) and Del Mar junior Giovanno Talledos (184).
Evergreen Valley won the team title, followed by Leland, Silver Creek, Hill and Lincoln.