Gilroy High girls hoops wins Breakers Classic; Hennessee named
MVP; Hoeft picked All-Tourney.
PACIFIC GROVE – The Lady Mustang hoopsters were the toast of the weekend Breakers Classic in Pacific Grove – winning three straight games over Carmel, Seaside and San Lorenzo Valley before being crowned champions.
Senior guard Laura Hennessee – who netted a team-high 22 points in both a 56-44 romp of Carmel and a 65-58 win over Seaside as well as 10 points in the 47-40 championship victory over San Lorenzo Valley – was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
In addition, junior center Sara Hoeft – who registered a double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds against Seaside and a team-high 10 points against SLV – was named to the All-Tournament team.
“They work hard every single day in practice. I told them their hard work would get them to this place,” said first-year head coach Kari Williams, whose squad is 7-1 in the early season. “They’ve all stepped up without complaining… They are being rewarded for their hard work.”
In the midst of the Breakers Classic, the Lady Mustangs also notched a 70-56 home victory over Andrew Hill the same day after topping Carmel in the first round.
“It was stressful just hoping to get through the traffic,” said Williams, whose Lady Mustangs played early in Pacific Grove and returned that night to beat Andrew Hill at home. “The girls were pretty excited about it. They said two games in one night is easier than one game and then practice.”
Opening up against Carmel in the Breakers Classic on Thursday, the Lady Mustangs built a 20-6 advantage after the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. Along with Hennessee’s 22 points, senior forward Jenn Olvera added nine points, Hoeft tallied a team-high six rebounds, and junior guard Sara Miller followed with six boards.
The next day, Gilroy earned every bit of its 65-58 second-round win over Seaside as Hennessee remained hot with 22 points, Hoeft finished with 20 points and 17 boards, and Miller added 10 points.
“They played outstanding basketball in that game,” Williams said. “We were down for most of the game. The girls kind of pulled it through. We were down as much as 17-9 at the end of the first quarter.”
But by halftime, the Lady Mustangs claimed a 33-31 edge before falling behind again in the third quarter, 51-46.
The fourth quarter was all Gilroy though, as the locals outscored Seaside 19-7 to surge to victory. During the run, Hoeft netted six points, while Hennessee drained two baskets, including a three-pointer, as well as sinking six-of-six from the charity stripe.
“Seaside was a tough team to get by and beat,” Williams said. “San Lorenzo Valley had a really tall center. She played really well for them. We were able to play around them.”
In Saturday’s championship game, the Lady Mustangs maintained leads of 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, 27-20 at halftime, and 37-28 at the end of the third quarter. But “it never felt like we were ahead by nine, 10 points,” Williams said.
Gilroy was led by Hoeft’s 11 points, Chante Mancera’s 11 points, and Hennessee’s 10 points – finishing off their final foe to earn the Breakers Classic Championship.
The Lady Mustangs will compete in the Burligame Tournament, starting today against Gunn and running until Saturday. Following a break over Christmas, Gilroy will open the new year with a Jan. 3 home game against Watsonville and then a Jan. 4 home game against Washington.
