Oaks Christian girls' basketball team peaking at the proper time
Commitment to defense has helped the Lions reel off nine straight wins
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

The new year was less than two weeks old, yet 2007 was already becoming a disaster for the Oaks Christian girls' basketball team.

On Jan. 11 the Lions allowed 72 points in a loss at Fillmore High. The team's record stood at 5-9 overall, and they were giving up an average of 52.7 points per game.

Something had to change fast if OCHS, a CIF-Southern Section Division IV-AA finalist a season ago, had any hopes of returning to the playoffs this year.

"I think they realized they had to play defense and not try to just outscore the other team," head coach Don McMaster said.

" A f t e r Fillmore got 72 on us, we were like, 'No, no, we can't do that, we've got to play defense.' That's when the girls understood."

Instead of trying to improve little by little, the struggling Lions made a brash goal: to hold all of their remaining opponents under 30 points.

"I know that sounds crazy," McMaster said, "but that's our goal. Whether we make it or not . . . at least we put in the effort."

Since the Fillmore defeat, OCHS has given up only 33.8 points per contest, a dramatic turnaround of almost 20 fewer points on the defensive side. They're 90 in that stretch, including a 62-31 victory at Santa Clara Tuesday night in the regularseason finale.

McMaster said his team's confidence never wavered during the tough times.

"They always felt they could do it," he said. "They were just unsure of how to turn things around. That's why we went to focusing so much on defense."

Heading into next week's CIFSS playoffs, the Lions' overall record is 14-9. They finished the regular season 102 in the TriValley League, and if Bishop Diego beats Nordhoff on the road tonight, OCHS will be outright league champions.

"We had a lot of new people, and that made things take just a little longer to develop," said junior guard Chelsea Carlisle, who was averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game before Tuesday's finale.

"But now we're playing really well. I think we could beat any team out there right now." Freshman forward Katie Brooks has been a key to the Lions' defensive resurgence. She leads the team in blocks and rebounds, and is third in steals. "It's so great to have everyone out here working and running and playing hard no matter what," Brooks said. "Someone's always going to be there if you make a defensive switch. They'll be there to get the block or pull down a rebound."

Senior guard Michelle Clark, Oaks Christian's second-leading scorer with 16.9 points per contest, praised Brooks' skills in the paint and said she plays with a lot of composure, especially considering how young she is.

"We need Katie. We need her a lot," Clark said. "She's been awesome on the boards."

Clark's already accepted a scholarship to play at Purdue University next season. Because her offensive skill level is so high, Clark often draws loads of attention from opposing defenses that are designed to slow her down.

Carlisle said Clark's presence on the floor allows her and her teammates to get many open shots.

"Michelle is one of the best players in the country," Carlisle said. "It's an honor for me to be able to play beside her. It would be very difficult without her."

Christine Escoto, Jennifer Sterling, Emily Frake and Shannon Armstrong have also played big roles in the Lions' prolonged winning streak, Carlisle said.

While the squad is eagerly awaiting the beginning of the postseason, they are well aware that the competition will be much stiffer than in previous years.

After losing to Marlborough in the Division IVAA championship in 2006, the CIF-SS elevated Oaks Christian to Division II-AA status this season. It's the equivalent of going up four divisions, McMaster said.

"The schools we are going to go up against now are 3,000 to 4,000 students, and our enrollment is 600," the coach said. "So yeah, there are going to be some better teams than we were playing.

"It'll be tough, but hey, you only need one game to beat them."
Tri-Valley Standings
     Overall League
OCHS 14-9 10-2
Nordhoff 16-9 9-2
Fillmore 17-7 8-3
St. Bonnie 13-11 6-5
Bishop Diego 9-16 4-7
Oak Park 4-18 1-9
Santa Clara 3-18 0-10