Christopher High’s girls basketball program knew it had a talented and deep roster as it climbed the ladder into the tough Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division this season.
The Cougars might not have known they’d be good enough to win their first six league games to emerge as the division leader as the Central Coast Section playoffs near.
“We’re just trusting each other as the season goes on,” Christopher senior wing Hanna Tabron said. “We’re getting more trust, putting the ball in the basket and our defense has gotten better.”
It’s added up to a fast start for the Cougars, who were 12-4 overall and first place in the MBL Gabilan Division at 6-1 as of deadline.
“We feel like we can come out and compete every single game, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Christopher coach Heather Stewart said.
The Cougars held a one-point lead on Seaside after the first quarter Jan. 24, but the MBL showdown didn’t stay close for long. Tabron led a balanced attack with 14 points as Christopher rolled to a 51-38 home win between the division’s top two teams.
Tabron scored seven of her 14 points in the second quarter to help Christopher take a 25-18 halftime lead.
Dejah Raoof scored six of her eight points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer from the right corner to give the Cougars a 35-18 lead midway through the third.
“I think what happened is that we just found the right combination of players at the right time,” Stewart said. “Shots started to fall, and we started pushing the tempo.”
Ally Foster scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter for Christopher, and Olivia Tabron added nine points for the Cougars.
Raoof scored eight for Christopher, which got seven points from Cydney Caradonna.
Olivia Tabron, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, has helped take pressure off her older sister and helped provide the Cougars a potent inside-outside game.
“When she’s scoring, she helps,” Hanna Tabron said of Olivia Tabron. “They concentrate on her on the block, and then there are kick-outs to Dejah or Ally, and they shoot it.”
Stewart was most proud of her team’s defense. The Cougars held an explosive Seaside team to a combined 12 points in the second and third quarters.
“It’s a great win for our program. The girls played their hearts out,” Stewart said. “They really wanted this one tonight.
“I’m just really proud, especially of their defense, to hold a team that’s been scoring like that. To have the ability to keep a team to that kind of shot percentage and that kind of a number on the scoreboard, I’m just so proud of the defense. We’ve always talked about how defense will lead to our offense, and that’s what we did tonight.”
Christopher’s six-game MBL winning streak was snapped Friday with a 56-34 loss at North Salinas, but the Cougars remained in first place in the division.
Christopher hosts Notre Dame of Salinas at 7 p.m. Tuesday, then visits Alisal at 7 p.m. Thursday.
A division title is within reach for the Cougars. Hanna Tabron said the team’s depth should help its cause down the stretch.
“Now our confidence is getting better, and it’s helping everyone out,” she said. “There’s not as much pressure on everyone.”
