By Joe Snyder
After winning the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division IV championship last season, Gardena High head girls’ basketball coach Tracy McNeil knew that the Lady Panthers will be faced with more challenges of playing in a higher division and in the always rigorous Marine League this year.
After opening the 2024-25 season with a 48-34 home victory over Bernstein High from Hollywood on Nov. 20, McNeil decided that Gardena would face a rash of some highly regarded CIF-Southern Section schools. It began with the Gahr Tournament and the Panthers lost all four games to host Cerritos Gahr 36-21, El Segundo 56-28, West Torrance 67-13, and Palos Verdes 60-28. Then came two more non-league games where Gardena fell to host Long Beach Jordan 54-30 and Lawndale 39-18 in a contest that ended late in the third quarter due to a brawl that broke out and virtually all players from both teams were ejected. That made those Panther players ineligible for the Dec. 11 home game against a very good Washington team ineligible and Gardena forfeited that contest to the Generals. The game was canceled and, instead, the players had a routine practice.
“We have a heavy schedule,” McNeil said. “We want to be battle tested. The best basketball is in the CIF-Southern Section and it was rough.”
The Panthers (1-7) return all but one player and that is senior Lauren Tobin-Williams who was kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons. Williams was the biggest key to Gardena running away with the L.A. City Division IV title with a 54-12 rout of South L.A. Fremont.
Gardena, though, returns four other outstanding starters in junior forward Saniya Kenjes, senior guard Sanahya Hubbard, senior center Isabella Sanchez and junior guard Lyniyah Watson.
“We have a lot returning,” McNeil said. “We’re playing a rigorous non-league schedule for us to get more prepared for league and the City playoffs. The players got to learn to play at this level and get established. We need certain skill programs.”
Gardena is currently playing in the San Pedro Tournament where it began on Wednesday against Bravo High. The Panthers play South East High from South Gate today at 10 a.m. and Bernstein Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The Panthers open the Marine League at home against Carson on Jan. 8 at 4:30 p.m.
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Lady Cavs get back on track with 2-0 CRL record
After struggling through the earlier tournament and non-league schedule, Serra High’s girls’ basketball team is off to a 2-0 start in the Camino Real League after downing Bishop Amat High from La Puente 71-51 last Thursday at Serra.
The Lady Cavaliers (3-4 overall) jumped on the Lancers for leads of 22-13 after the first quarter and 45-30 at halftime and continued to increase their lead in the second half.
Senior Saniaya Johnson led Serra with a game-high 26 points. Sophomore Kaicia Snelson added 17 points and freshman Yve Young chipped in 12.
The Cavaliers are currently playing in the San Pedro Tournament where they began against Banning High from Wilmington on Wednesday. The Cavaliers take on El Segundo today at 8:35 p.m. and Cerritos Whitney Friday at 7 p.m. The finals are on Saturday.
Serra will, then, compete in the Southern California Invitational in San Diego where it opens against Chaparral of Temecula next Thursday at 3 p.m.
North Torrance High’s girls lost its last game at home against Sage Hill Prep from Newport Beach 74-62 to fall to 5-4.
The Lady Saxons, who are now in the Bay League, have a non-league home game against cross town and former Pioneer League rival South Torrance Saturday at 5:30 p.m. North travels to Honolulu, Hawaii for games against Hawaii Baptist next Thursday at 6 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time), Maryknoll on Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. and Konawaena on Dec. 28 at 10 a.m.
North hosts Cerritos High in a non-league game on Jan. 4 before opening the Bay League at home against Manhattan Beach Mira Costa on Jan. 7.
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Westchester is too much for North
North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team played one of its toughest opponents in CIF-Los Angeles City Section power Westchester last Saturday and the Comets proved why they are one of the top teams in that section by rolling over the host Saxons 62-38.
North, though, played Westchester tough, especially on defense.
“Westchester was very tough and athletic,” North head coach Wai Sett said. “We could have competed a little better and even get a shot at winning. They scored too many points off our turnovers.”
Sett was impressed with senior Josiah Nunez with a strong defense, especially on Comet sophomore standout Tarz Ariza, son of former National Basketball Association star and ex-Westchester High standout Trevor Ariza. Ariza, though, led the Comets with 21 points.
North will travel to Maryknoll High in Honolulu, Hawaii for a tournament which begins today against Mid Pacific Institute. The Saxons face Maryknoll next Monday. Both, according to Sett, are among the top teams in Hawaii.
Last Saturday, Serra played in the No Excuse, Just Produce Showcase at Dominguez High in Compton and rallied to top Lynwood 50-44.
The Cavaliers, under first-year head coach De John Frazier, improved to 5-2 with the non-league win.
Serra trailed the Knights by as many as eight points in the first half but turned things around to pull off the win in the second half.
C.J. Chinemerem led the Cavaliers with 19 points, followed by Kari Wilder with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Serra hosts Taft High from Woodland Hills Friday at 7 p.m. before beginning the South Pasadena Tournament next Wednesday. After hosting Compton in its preseason finale on Jan. 2, the Cavaliers begin the Del Rey League at home against St. Monica from Santa Monica on Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.
