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By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
The Cerritos High girls basketball team, which saw its undefeated Suburban League season end with a heartbreaking five-point overtime loss to Mayfair High last Friday, took out its frustrations against Norwalk High this past Wednesday. The Lady Dons came out blazing and never trailed in a 52-37 victory.
Cerritos ended the first quarter with an 18-4 lead as senior Tatiana Fominyam was the main force as she scored five points, grabbed half a dozen rebounds, had two steals and an assist. The Lady Dons (12-9 overall, 6-1 in league) led 30-16 at the break and eventually opened up a 17-point lead late in the third quarter. Fominyam scored a game-high 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds while junior Ifeoma Okoli added 13 points, nine rebounds, six steals and two blocks. As for the Lady Lancers (6-16, 2-5), senior Danielle Tate was a workhorse with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four points.
Following the game, the Cerritos boys were hoping to avenge a 45-42 loss to the Lancers back on Jan. 11 and like the girls, never trailed as they had a big third quarter in a 67-47 victory. The win kept Cerritos in contention for a league title as undefeated La Mirada High faced second place Mayfair this past Wednesday.
The Dons (13-9, 5-2) were leading 7-4 when senior Brandon Yoon hit the first of his two perimeter shots in the first half to begin a 10-0 run. But the game belonged to senior Evan Leonard. The University of California, Irvine commit registered a game-high 25 points and nailed five three-pointers. He also added six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Leonard has now scored at least 20 points in five of the six league games he has played in. Cerritos outscored Norwalk 27-12 in the third quarter.
Norwalk, which trailed by double digits from the 1:40 mark of the first quarter on, fell to 11-10 overall and 3-4 in the circuit. The Lancers were led by senior Keno Valdenor (nine points) and junior Jordan Volpei (eight points, seven rebounds.)
The Cerritos teams will end their four-game homestand against Bellflower High today before travelling to last place John Glenn High on Monday while the Norwalk squads host La Mirada today and travel to Bellflower on Monday before entertaining Mayfair on Wednesday.
In other boys basketball action, Artesia High, which fell to Bellflower 49-46 this past Wednesday, will host Mayfair on Monday and travel to La Mirada on Wednesday. The Pioneers dropped to 9-12 overall and 2-5 in league play.
Gahr High, which began the week at 13-7 overall and 3-1 in the San Gabriel Valley League, opens up the second round of league action with a home game against Lynwood High tonight before travelling to Warren High on Wednesday.
Suburban League doormat John Glenn (0-18, 0-6) hosts Mayfair today before going to Bellflower on Wednesday while Whitney High, 6-8 overall, 1-5 in the Academy League at the beginning of the week, travelled to Oxford Academy on Jan. 28 and will host St. Margaret’s High on Tuesday before going to Brethren Christian High on Thursday.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Artesia, which began the week at 4-17 overall and 0-6 in the Suburban League, will entertain Mayfair on Monday and visit La Mirada on Wednesday. Gahr (9-10 overall, 2-3 in the SGVL) will have the tall task of getting past league powerhouse Lynwood today before travelling to Warren on Wednesday while Whitney posted a 44-21 win over Calvary Chapel Downey High this past Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats travelled to Oxford Academy on Jan. 28 and will host St. Margaret’s High on Tuesday before visiting Brethren Christian on Thursday.
BOYS SOCCER
Cerritos, which dropped a 3-0 decision to Norwalk this past Wednesday, visits Bellflower today and will be home to John Glenn on Monday. The Dons are 7-8-2 overall and 1-6=0 in league action.
Gahr edged Dominguez High 1-0 this past Tuesday to improve to 5-7-4 overall and 2-3-0 in the San Gabriel Valley League. The Gladiators hosted Lynwood on Jan. 28 and will go to Warren on Tuesday before welcoming Paramount High on Thursday.
John Glenn (3-9-1, 2-4-0) begins the second half of Suburban League action today at Mayfair and will host Bellflower on Wednesday.
Valley Christian High has been off for a week and will take its 7-5-3 overall record and 4-0-0 in the Olympic League into tonight’s home game against Heritage Christian High.
GIRLS SOCCER
Artesia hopes to stay in the playoff hunt when it hosts Mayfair on Monday and goes to La Mirada on Wednesday. The Pioneers (10-5-2, 3-3-1) tied Bellflower 0-0 this past Wednesday and are in fourth place in the Suburban League.
Cerritos got a goal from sophomore midfielder Kavitha George in the 39th minute and it held up as it edged Norwalk 1-0 this past Wednesday. The Lady Dons (9-5-2, 3-4-0) host Bellflower today before making the trek to John Glenn on Monday while Norwalk (4-9-2, 2-5-0) is home to La Mirada today, travels to Bellflower on Monday and hosts Mayfair on Wednesday.
Gahr snapped a five-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Dominguez this past Tuesday. The Gladiators (5-10-1, 1-4-0) went to Lynwood on Jan. 28 and will host Warren on Tuesday before going to Paramount on Thursday.
John Glenn, which forfeited its game at La Mirada last Friday, dropped to 4-10-0 overall and 0-6-0 in the Suburban League. The Lady Eagles host Mayfair today and will travel to Bellflower on Wednesday.
Valley Christian (7-8-2, 2-1-1) has scored five goals in as many games and will visit Heritage Christian today.
