Girls Hoops: Tologs Blast Past Workman

The Flintridge Sacred Heart girls basketball team prepared for a fast-paced game against visiting Workman in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5AA playoffs.

The preparation paid off as the Tologs showed they can dominate in an up-tempo style, cruising to a 77-50 victory Saturday night.

“We scouted them in their first playoff game and knew they gave up 68 points in a winning effort,” FSHA coach Gino Pacella said. “We knew we could push the tempo in this game and we could get a lot of open looks. That’s exactly what we did in the first half.”

The Tologs (17-11) will face either top-seeded St. Bernard of Playa del Rey or Mission League rival Louisville in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

They earned the right to play in the quarterfinals by scoring 51 points in the first half. They entered the game averaging 51 points a game.

“We haven’t done it in three seasons. We’ve done it in practice, but to do it in the game is another thing,” Pacella said. “To do it in a second-round playoff game was huge.

That’s the best half ever since I’ve been here.”

The Tologs came out blazing to start the game in taking a 10-1 lead. But the Lobos would never get closer than five points after that.

FSHA held Workman stars Evelyn Herrera and Essence Pineda below their season averages of 25 and 16 points per game, respectively. Herrera finished with 19 points and Pineda was held to 10. The Lobos end the season at 12-11.

Pacella pointed to sophomore Dana Budzyn as one of the reasons for slowing Herrera down.

“She was going after their best player (Herrera) and getting her in foul trouble,” Pacella said. “She had 16 points tonight and really stepped up her game. That’s what we’ve been waiting for.”

Junior center Lana Haddad was once again dominant as she finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Senior point guard Vanessa Romero had 20 points. Olivia Warner had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ivy Fitzgerald had four points, and Maddie Romero and Melene Agakanian each had three.

Pacella noted that he is happy to see his team is healthy and that playing in the tough Mission League has prepared them for the playoffs.

“We’re used to the physicality. Thank God that we play in that type of league. We take it and dish it out too. If you want to foul us, we’ll take it,” Pacella said.

“When you’re going up against Harvard-Westlake, Alemany and Chaminade and their size and speed and intensity, we may be losing by 20, 22, but nothing’s easy for them.”