Atwater girls outlast El Capitan in key CCC game to take sole possession of first place
The Atwater High girls basketball team took a big step in making sure the Central California Conference championship game once again goes through Atwater.
The Falcons handed El Capitan its first CCC loss with a 58-49 win on the road to take sole possession of first place at 4-0.
“We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy, it was a home game for them,” said Atwater coach JR Davis, whose team improved to 9-10 overall. “We had to weather the storm.”
The game was played with a championship intensity in front of a large raucous crowd, bolstered by two large student sections for each team.
“They brought the physicality,” said El Capitan coach Tyler Dietz, whose team dropped to 14-5 overall. “The referees let the girls play and they made the adjustments earlier to us the way the game was called. They too full advantage and we didn’t adjust until we made our little run in the fourth quarter.”
Despite a roster littered with freshman and sophomores, Atwater is still the team to beat in the CCC.
The reigning back-to-back champions extended their CCC winning streak to 26 games and have now defeated the Gauchos nine consecutive times.
Sophomore Karissa Hukill played a key role in the win as the Falcons primary ball-handler against the Gauchos full-court press. Hukill also finished with 15 points, including two 3-pointers.
“We watched film on their press last night and worked on spreading the floor,” Hukill said. “It was tough at times but we knew what we had to do.”
Senior Marina Garibay gave the Falcons a big lift with a game-high 16 points. Most of the points came in the paint.
“That was huge,” Davis said. “It’s been hit or miss for us. We’ve got a bunch of girls who play down there. She gave us a lot of energy and some big points.”
The Falcons took a 29-28 lead into the half and used a 15-1 run in the third quarter to open up a 46-31 lead with 1:07 left in the quarter.
Garibay scored six points during the run and freshman Madi Hiler scored five of her eight points during the run.
Senior Mya Farr led El Capitan with 10 points.
The Falcons now find themselves in the driver’s seat in their quest for a third consecutive championship.
“It feels great,” Hukill said. “One thing I’m trying to do with my teammates is win the championship all four years we’re here.”
