DANVILLE, Calif. – In the first one minute and forty seconds of Wednesday’s home game versus Clayton Valley Charter, Monte Vista looked ready to give their fans something to smile about. But a quick nine-point lead began to evaporate, and the Ugly Eagles put on a show in the second half to take control and won going away, 60-41.
“Monte Vista played extremely well in the beginning of the game,” Clayton Valley Charter coach Paul Kommer stated. “My team this year is really mature. From last year to this year, I feel like the growth and maturity is they just go out and execute.”
Ysobelle Eustaquio had 14 points in the first quarter and 20 for the game, and Kat Segovia drained a quintet of three-pointers and added 18 for Clayton Valley (3-0). Mustangs sophomore Lana Wenger had an outstanding opening frame, scoring nine points to go along with six rebounds, a block, and an assist, but she struggled thereafter and finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Kat Stewart tacked on nine points for the Monte Vista (0-1). The visitors’ Jackie Alday and the home team’s Grace Hinckley each grabbed 11 rebounds.
After a competitive first quarter that saw the Mustangs take a 23-19 lead, both teams went ice cold in the second. Eustaquio’s free throws with 3:13 remaining were the first score for either side, while Inca De Ciurana Montiel broke Monte Vista’s silence with a three-pointer – the first field goal of the quarter – with 1:26 to go.
The teams were tied at 30 midways through the third, but in the last few minutes Clayton Valley vaulted ahead and started the final frame up 44-34. The Mustangs were stuck on 34 for the last 2:14 of the third and the first 1:04 of the fourth, and when Segovia knocked down a three at the shot clock buzzer with 4:08 remaining, the gap bloated to 19 and effectively put the death-knoll on Monte Vista’s hopes.
“(Eustaquio and Segovia) shot the lights out,” Monte Vista coach Jim Lemmon said. Speaking of Wenger, Lemmon added “If she has quarters like [the first], you want to build on that going forward, and doing the little things. As she got tired, there’s a lot more fallaways.”
It was a much different game than when these two teams met last season. In that contest, Clayton Valley won at home in overtime, 71-67.
