At 5-foot-4 Cathedral (San Diego) point guard Christina Kime is hardly an imposing figure.
But Kime has been sublime of late. Make no mistake about it, she knows her role.
Kime, who averages 16.4 points per game, enjoyed a banner week as the Dons rolled past El Capitan (Lakeside) and Monte Vista (Spring Valley). Not only did she contribute 61 points toward the sweep, she also displayed a hot hand from the free throw line in the 70-52 nod over Monte Vista.
In the win over the El Capitan Vaqueros, Kime clicked on 19 consecutive free throws – was 10-for-10 in the last three minutes of the game – as the Dons broke open a 6-point game. She finished 20-for-21 in the game, which ties her for fifth on the San Diego Section record books for charity shots made.
Kime racked up a career best 36 points against El Capitan. She has converted 104 for 128 free throws for .813 percent. For good measure she also has 108 assists – 3.8 per game.
Foothills Christian guards knows how to lend a hand
For four seasons, the combination has proven to be almost unstoppable. Foothills Christian senior point guard Kalob Hatcher passes the ball, often finding an open teammate in team leader Troy Leaf for a basket.
The duo's precision allowed Leaf to establish a CIFSDS career scoring Foothills Christian (El Cajon) record this season. On Friday, it was Hatcher's turn to make an even bigger entry on the state basketball ledger.
On an alley-oop pass to Leaf for a layup during a lopsided win over Midway Baptist, Hatcher became California's state leader for career assists – surpassing the mark of current NBA All-Star Jason Kidd.
Hatcher finished the night with 14 assists in just 20 minutes of action, giving the senior a career mark of 1,175 assists. (Kidd registered 1,165 helpers for Alameda-St. Joseph from 1989-92).
Spring Valley Mount Miguel boys making basketball history
For the first time since 1975 Mount Miguel (Spring Valley) boys basketball team has reached the semifinals of the CIF-SDS Division III playoffs. The Matadors rely on quickness and transition rather than size as no one on their roster is taller than 6-foot-2. The Matadors have compiled a 24-6 record.
For the record the Matadors lost in the 1975 championship game to San Diego High, 102-72. In 1968, Mount Miguel defeated Bill Walton and the Helix Highlanders, 68-55 to complete a 33-0 season.
Vista water polo team registers 3-peat against familiar foe
Junior Victoria Williams scored five goals to lead Vista (26-6) past Carlsbad (Carlsbad, Calif.) 10-6 to capture the CIFSDS Division I championship for the third straight season. All three of the Panthers conquests have come at the expense of Carlsbad (20-12).
“This is like part of the plan. It feels great as always,” Williams told the San Diego Union-Tribune. Williams has been part of the title run, along with junior teammate Sydney Witt, since the streak began in 2008 with the first crown in school history.
Poway packing titanic punch
Poway returns all five starters from a year ago and seem to be on course to capture its second CIF SDS girls basketball championship in three years.
Four — Callie Rhoads, Emily Lowe, Kelsey Ciruzzi and Katie Holiday — are seniors. The team’s best player, Katie Kuklok, is a junior.
Experience is the main reason the top-seeded Titans are among the favorites to win the San Diego Section Division I title as they reach the quarterfinals.
The Titans were Division I champs two years ago at 27-4, with all five of this year’s starters on that team. Poway was 29-3 last year heading into the title game against La Costa Canyon, only to suffer disappointment.
The Titans are 25-3 this time around, with two of the losses to out-of-county teams.
“They’re a determined bunch that has won a lot of games,” Poway veteran coach Jay Trousdale told the North County Times. “They much more enjoyed two seasons ago rather than last year. That’s a big motivator.”
Other top performances
— La Costa Canyon senior Bryan Grubbs was named MVP at the CIFSDS Masters meet after capturing the 121-pound title. He recorded two pins, a technical fall and a major decision.
— Rancho Bernardo’s Justin Inman sank five 3-pointers in a 71-57 win over Mira Mesa and followed that with a career-high 22 points with four 3-pointers and the buzzer-beating game-winning basket in a 54-53 upset of La Costa Canyon.
— Spring Valley Mount Miguel swept the Grossmont Valley League basketball Player of the Year awards as senior guard AJ Stanford was tabbed the best of the boys and senior Yvonte Neal was named the top girls performer.
— Junior sharpshooter Nick Kerr of Torrey Pines tallied 35 points with nine 3-pointers in CIFSDS Division I playoff wins over Otay Ranch and Poway.
— Carlsbad senior Mallory Martinez scored 10 goals in a 17-9 win over Mt. Carmel in the semifinals and two goals in a 10-6 loss to Vista in the final of the CIF San Diego Section Division I girls water polo playoffs.
— Seven-foot, 210-pound freshman Cheikh Ndiaye brought down 15 rebounds and blocked nine shots for Carlsbad’s Army Navy Academy as the Warriors defeated Madison in a CIFSDS playoff game.
— La Costa Canyon’s 6-foot-4 Madisen Irwin turned in a powerful double-double of 26 points and 15 rebounds in the Mavericks 82-59 girls basketball playoff win over Sweetwater.
— Senior Stephen Que of Vista scored 50 points in his final two basketball games before the Panthers were eliminated by Eastlake in the CIFSDS quarterfinals.
— After accepting the silver medal the past two seasons, Carlsbad senior Chace Eskam captured the gold by pinning Taylor Cox of La Costa Canyon in the 189-pound final.
— Eleven straight wins helps Westview girls basketball team set school record for victories with 20 in 29 games.
Coming attractions
The CIFSDS boys and girls basketball championships will be conducted this weekend at the University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion. Here’s the schedule for Friday (March 5): Division V girls, 2 p.m.; Division V boys featuring a matchup between Foothills Christian (30-4) and Maranatha Christian (20-9) or Rock Academy (18-8), 4 p.m.; Division II girls, 6:05 p.m.; and Division II boys featuring a showdown between top-ranked Hoover (26-5) and a bona fide challenger in Lincoln (24-2) at 8:05 p.m.
Six games are on tap Saturday (March 6). The docket tips off at 9:30 a.m. with the Division IV girls championship. The Division IV boys follow at 11:15 a.m. In Division III, perennial power Mount Miguel (28-2) should be challenged by Our Lady of Peace (22-8), which was a four-point loser to the Matadors when the teams met during the regular season.
Rounding out the schedule is the Division III boys final at 2:45 and the Division I finales – girls at 6:05 and boys at 8:05.
