After Rancho Cucamonga snapped a 66-game Baseline League winning streak with two of his players out and a third playing with a concussion, it was hard to blame Etiwanda girls basketball coach Anders Anderson for insisting his players take it easy in practice this week.
“I didn’t want anything,” Anderson said, “to mess this game up.”
Arizona State bound senior Jada Blackwell returned to the Eagles lineup to the tune of 20 points and nine rebounds to help Etiwanda to a 62-57 win in the rematch with Rancho Cucamonga. Thanks to the Cougars’ 14-point loss to Los Osos on Tuesday, Etiwanda got its revenge for the Jan. 7 48-39 loss and sole possession of first place in league too.
“This was by far our most important win,” Blackwell said. “By the grace of God, they lost to Los Osos so we’re back on top.”
Etiwanda (18-3, 5-1) surged to an early lead that only grew after Rancho Cucamonga leading scorer Kourtney Ainsworth picked up her third foul less than five minutes into the game. The Eagles, ranked sixth in CIF-SS Division 1-A, finished the first half with a 9-2 run capped by a 3-pointer from Brianna Johnson, a 5-foot-10 junior who contributed 16 points.
After the No. 3 team in Division 1A pulled within seven with 2:15 to play in the second quarter, Rancho Cucamonga (12-4, 4-2) went in to the locker room trailing 38-24.
“We had the fire at the beginning of the game,” Anderson said. “But then everybody settled in during the second half and they slowed the game up and did what they wanted to.”
Blackwell appeared to put the game out of reach with a 3-pointer followed by consecutive three-point plays to give Etiwanda a 53-37 lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but Rancho Cucamonga made a late run.
Briana Baker, who led the Cougars with 14 points, scored 10 of them in the final period as Rancho Cucamonga closed the gap thanks in large part to nine of Etiwanda’s 17 turnovers. Johnson finally halted a 10-2 Rancho Cucamonga run with a jumper that restored Etiwanda’s lead to 10 with 2:11 to play.
Ainsworth finished with 10 points and eight rebounds despite missing most of the first half thanks to Etiwanda’s Methlyn Onogomuho, who drew two of the 5-11 senior center’s three charging fouls. Rancho Cucamonga’s Kathleen Iwuoha, who also missed the first meeting between these teams, added eight points for the Cougars.
“They had their girl and we hard our girl,” Anderson said, “so everybody was out there this time.”
