The Los Alamitos High girls basketball team is off to a 4-1 start and capped last week by going 3-1 at the El Toro Tournament, as they captured the Runners Up Trophy in the Gold Division. Their only loss was a close 44-37 loss to eventual tournament champions, Pacifica Christian.
The Griffins were without starting point guard Kayli Liew, who is recovering from an injury, but expected back soon. Sophomore guard, Tamlyn Yoshida, helped handle some of the point-guard duties and also led the Griffins in scoring with 15.5 points per game and added four assists per game. Yoshida was named to the all-tournament team.
Head Coach Maya Kennedy said that the team has already been dealing with players working their way back from injuries, including Liew, who was the Surf League co-MVP last year. But they do have senior Kassidy Beach returning. Beach averaged 8.25 points, 12.25 rebounds and 1.75 blocks per game at the tournament. The Griffins also got solid guard play from sophomores Maya Asumbrado and Maddie Norberg, which has Kennedy optimistic about the team once players like Liew return to the court.
“We’re not cooking just yet, but I’m happy with the outcome,” Head Coach Maya Kennedy said after the win over Northwood. “We learned a lot from the one loss we had, and I think we’ve got a high ceiling for this year.”
After the loss to Pacifica Christian, the Griffins rolled past Aliso Niguel, 64-22, before the win over Northwood. They opened the tournament with a 67-51 win over Calvary Chapel, in which Beach dominated with 26 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Asumbrado chipped in 11 points, and Norberg added 9 points.
