In a Zone, Taft Rolls to Victory

WOODLAND HILLS —  The 61-41 victory was no accident, but the way Taft High blew open a West Valley League girls’ basketball game Wednesday against El Camino Real might have been.

With mounting foul problems and a 26-23 lead early in the third quarter, Toreador Coach Mark Drucker had his players switch from a high-pressure, man-to-man defense to a trapping 2-3 zone.

By the time Schquay Brignac, Christina Aguinaga and Denisha McCoy finished forcing turnovers, Taft had a 38-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

El Camino Real failed to score a basket for more than six minutes.

“Between our press and the zone, it keeps us in better position to help on defense,” Drucker said. “When we got into foul trouble, I had to go to the zone. We wanted a more up-tempo game, and it helped us.”

Taft, unbeaten in 16 games including 5-0 after the first round of league play, scored 12 points off turnovers from midway through the third quarter until Aguinaga nailed a three-pointer in transition with 5:45 to play for a 45-28 lead.

For Aguinaga, a senior transfer from El Camino Real, where she was a Times All-Valley selection last season, it was her first three-pointer of the game. She hit another to finish with 14 points, but twice in the first quarter she drew nothing but air from behind the arc.

“I was a little nervous, but I was just off early,” Aguinaga said. “But I got going, and our pressure kept forcing turnovers. Our defense was the difference.”

The Conquistadores (11-5, 4-1) settled down late in the game, but the damage was done, as they managed only 14 points in the second and third quarters. They trailed, 15-14, after one quarter.

“We just broke down,” said Coach Lori Chandler of El Camino Real. “We just didn’t execute against their pressure. We knew exactly what they were doing [in the 2-3 zone], but we didn’t execute.”

Brignac, who picked up her third foul with 2:05 to play in the first quarter, scored six points and had an assist in transition during the critical second-half run. She finished with 12 points, all in the second half.

“I was cheating up a lot on their guards, and my anticipation was good,” Brignac said. “Coach has told me if I get a [long] rebound, to turn it on and go.”

Karen Shun led El Camino Real with 12 points, although seven came with the game decided, and Lindsay Goldblatt had 10.