Pajaro Valley freshman Liz Zamora had a team-best 13 points for the Grizzlies girls’ basketball team in their 27-26 loss in overtime to Greenfield in Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division action Jan. 10.
Teammate junior Olivia Contreras contributed nine points, while junior Monique Ayala added four.
Contreras had four points in the fourth quarter. She had a chance to put the game away, but a pair of costly missed free throws pushed the game into one extra period of play.
Zamora had two points in overtime. Pajaro Valley coach Mark Harris said they’re still a young team and each starting player does not have experience playing at the varsity level.
“But they still held it together,” Harris said. “This is all a learning process. We’re gonna take some lumps. We’re like the new kids in town all over again.”
Harris said their motto this year is to trust the process. Part of that is slowing things down on the court and limiting turnovers.
“We’ve been working this whole break of just going slower,” he said. “The military saying is ‘slow is smooth and smooth is fast.’ It showed today because three or four weeks ago we probably would’ve got blown out. But they learned to just get it across court and whoa, run our offense.”
At Salinas 49, Watsonville 35: Freshman Isa Alvarez had 17 points for the Wildcatz in their loss to the Cowboys in PCAL Gabilan Division action Jan. 10.
Itzury Vazquez added seven points for Watsonville (12-3, 2-1), which plays at Soledad (12-3, 2-1) in league play Thursday at 7pm.
Boys basketball
At St. Francis 69, Soledad 61: Sophomore Isaiah Villalobos scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter that helped lift the Sharks past the Aztecs in PCAL Cypress Division play Jan. 11.
Senior Nash Horton had 15 points, while Mason Borrego contributed 14 points for St. Francis (12-3, 3-0), which plays at Gonzales (4-7, 0-1) on Tuesday at 7pm.
St. Francis 68, at North Salinas 64: Senior Nash Horton had a game-best 29 points, including five 3-pointers for the Sharks in their win over the Vikings in PCAL Cypress Division action Wednesday night.
Teammates Robert Gomez Jr. and Jacob Jimenez each had 14 points, while Mario Zermeno had eight points in the second half.
Boys soccer
At Pajaro Valley 2, Salinas 2: Oscar Lopez and Izaak Ocampo each had one goal for the Grizzlies in a draw against the Cowboys in PCAL Mission Division action Jan. 9. Pajaro Valley (0-5-3, 0-0-2) hosts Stevenson in league play Monday at 3pm.
Girls soccer
At Aptos 8, Santa Teresa 0: Freshman Gigi Zuñiga had three goals and one assist for the Mariners in their crushing win over the Saints in non-league play Jan. 11.
Teammate Isabella Hartnett had a pair of goals and one assist, and Scarlet Stateler also had two goals and one assist. Isla Gomez added one goal, while Alexa Castañeda had one assist for Aptos (5-2), which hosts Scotts Valley (3-3-3) in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play Tuesday at 7pm.
Pajaro Valley 2, at Alisal 0: Senior Valeria Acosta notched a pair of goals for the Grizzlies in their win against the Trojans in PCAL Mission Division action Jan. 10.
Fellow teammate junior Scarlet Gomez had one assist, while goalkeeper Denise Magallon recorded 10 saves for Pajaro Valley (10-1, 3-0), which hosts Carmel (2-4-3, 1-0-1) on Tuesday at 3:30pm.
Pajaro Valley 5, at Monte Vista Christian 2: Senior Valeria Acosta scored all five goals for the Grizzlies in their win over the Mustangs in PCAL Mission Division action Jan. 8.
Scarlett Gomez was credited with four assists and Leilani Vazquez had one assist, while goalkeeper Denis Magallon had six saves for PV.
Boys wrestling
At Aptos 45, Monte Vista Christian 35: The Mustangs were defeated by the Mariners in a non-league dual meet Jan. 9. MVC winners included Mason Vasquez in the 106-pound weight division, Isaiah Ortega (144 pounds), Preston Venosta (165), Josh Tepoorten (175), Tommy Beck (190) and Michael VanDierdonck (285).
Men’s basketball
At Cabrillo 71, Monterey Peninsula 61: Walzel Evans and Dai’shaun Buie each had a team-best 14 points for the Seahawks in their win over the Lobos in Coast Conference South play Jan. 10.
Evans also had six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals, while Buie added 11 rebounds and five blocks. Teammate Max Parmigiani had 12 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal.
Johnny Gasaloga added 11 points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench for Cabrillo, which improved to 2-0 in conference play.
The Seahawks (10-8) play at Foothill (4-14, 0-2) in Coast Conference action Wednesday at 5pm.
Women’s basketball
Cabrillo 81, at Gavilan 15: Sydney Chesnut had a team-best 29 points for the Seahawks in their blowout win over the Rams in Coast Conference South play Jan. 8.
Chesnut also added three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals, while teammate Gabby Brooks finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Jade Crum had 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block. Soquel alumna Renee Parker recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 21 rebounds to go along with four assists, one steal and one block.
The Seahawks (12-6, 1-0) play at Foothill (6-13, 0-2) in Coast Conference action Wednesday at 7pm.
