CENTRALIA, Mo. - The California girls basketball team improved to 2-0, after a 74-44 win over the Centralia Panthers, Nov. 20.
The Pintos held the Panthers to single digits in the first quarter, as California led 16-7 after the first quarter. The Pintos led by as much as 11 points in the quarter.
In the second quarter, California extended its lead up to 18 points with the score at 35-17 with less than 2:42 left to go in the first half. Centralia trimmed the lead down a little bit, but California led at halftime 37-22.
Most of Centralia's points in the first half came inside the paint. Head coach Bobby Sangster said that was part of California's game design.
Sangster said that he was happy to get the win.
"We are on a second night of a back-to-back, it is hard to do anytime, but especially early in the year," Sangster said. "I thought the girls responded really well, after playing Clinton last night (Nov. 19) and then having to come up here and travel almost two hours and play another team tonight."
In the third quarter, the Pintos built a 22-point lead, after a 12-1 run. California outscored Centralia 24-7 in the quarter, as California found itself up 61-29, with one quarter left to go in the game.
Centralia cut into the lead early in the fourth quarter, as they went on a 14-2 run, to make it a 20-point game at 63-43. California was outscored 15-13 in the fourth quarter, but by then, California had a comfortable lead and held on to the win.
"Centralia kind of caught us off guard with a press, when we were up 30 to start the fourth quarter. And, we made some subsituions and the girls have to learn and they have to get better and make plays," Sangster said. "Give Centralia some credit; they came out and every time they got punched, they counter punched and they continued to work and battle and they are well coached .
"They play hard and they are very athletic and they do a lot of good things. So, it is good to come up here; it is a hard place to play and we are happy to go into Thanksgiving 2-0."
Gracie George led the team with 17 points in the game. Paige Lamm had 13 points and Hailey Cain had eight points.
California's next games will be Nov. 26-Dec.1 at the Tri County Tournament at Southern Boone.