photos by Charlie McDonald (charlie.mcdonald@surewestsports.com)
by Mike Finnerty (mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com)
So far this season, SureWest Sports's No. 4 ranked El Camino Eagles (19-4, 6-0) girls basketball team has yet to suffer a defeat in the Capital Valley Conference, and that held true Thursday with a 49-35 win over the visiting Antelope Titans (14-7, 3-3).
Three Lady Eagles scored in double figures led by Courtney Brignac with 13 points. Jade Sowell-Hundon had 11, and Simone Sheppard with 11.
It was a tough scoring night early with El Camino holding just a 6-2 advantage, with Antelope scoring its first points of the game on a pair of free throws with 3:12 left in the first.
El Camino took an 11-4 lead after the first and built the lead to 24-10 by halftime led by early scoring by Brignac who had nine points at the half as Brignac looked to attack the basket early and often.
With Antelope on the verge of being blown out in this game, the Lady Titans mounted a third quarter comeback sparked by the inside play of their twin towers seniors in Ashley Hawkins (6'0") and Tyler Ellis (6'1"). Hawkins scored eight of her game-high 17 points in the third, and Ellis scored all six of her points in the same frame that got Antelope back in the game down 36-28 heading to the fourth.
Hawkins continued to dominate in the final period scoring the first five points with a put-back and three for four from the foul line that cut the El Camino lead to 36-33 with 5:02 left in the game.
El Camino's defense came up big late holding Antelope to just a pair of free throws over that final five minutes, while El Camino came up big at the foul line sinking all six of its attempts to close out the win.
With only four games left in league play, El Camino can clinch a league title with a win over Rio Americano when the two teams meet Rio Americano on February 14.