Agoura in hoops heaven

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers RISE UP—Agoura High junior forward Stephan Hicks leads the Chargers with 17.8 points per game. The Agoura boys will look to rebound from their current twogame losing streak when firstplace Thousand Oaks comes to AHS Friday night at 7:30. Mired in mediocrity no more.

It's not as if the Agoura High boys' and girls' varsity basketball programs have been terrible in recent seasons—the boys' team made the playoffs three of the past four years before being bounced in the first round on each occasion.

But they haven't exactly been playing attention-grabbing hoops, either.

During a fouryear span beginning with the 2004-05 season, the Lady Chargers posted a 35-67 overall record. They won only 15 of 56 Marmonte League games in that time and never had a winning record.

The boys were a bit better, going 50-54 overall and 27-29 in league.

This season, both teams are having much better success.

The Agoura girls enter Friday night's showdown at Thousand Oaks having won 18 of their first 19 contests. The Lady Chargers' only loss of the season was on Dec. 17 at Newbury Park.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers THREE'S COMPANY—The AHS girls' team often uses its depth to wear down opponents. Key members of the squad include, from front to back, Sasha Borenstein, Elizabeth Levy and Brittany Oster, the team's top rebounder and second-leading scorer. Agoura's girls won three preseason tournaments, are 6-1 in league competition and are on a 13-game winning streak.

Despite recent Marmonte setbacks to Calabasas and Simi Valley, the AHS boys' record remains strong at 15-4, 4-3 in league.

Agoura's boys captured a pair of preseason tournaments titles and finished second at another event in Santa Barbara.

"There's a really good energy in our gym right now," said second-year girls' head coach Steve Scifres.

"We practice across from one another, and you can feel that both teams are on a pretty good roll. We support one another, too, and we're grateful for that support."

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers ATTACK MODE—Agoura High freshman point guard Kylie Cunningham has been a tremendous addition to the Chargers' varsity roster. Boys' head coach Joe Riccio said comparing the boys' and girls' teams is like judging apples and oranges—Marmonte boys' teams, as a whole, have enjoyed much more playoff success and state-wide recognition in recent seasons.

Still, Riccio has been impressed with how Scifres has been able to turn the girls' program around. Scifres and Riccio worked closely during Scifres' coaching tenure with the boys' lower-level teams a few years ago.

"Our girls' team is a really talented team," Riccio said. "They have a lot of talent, a lot of depth and a lot of ability at every position. They have done a great job all year."

A trio of players lead the Lady Chargers' high-powered attack— junior forward Brittany Oster, freshman point guard Kylie Cunningham and junior shooting guard Sasha Borenstein.

Oster is the glue, a true team leader who's averaging 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

"Brittany is the best allaround player I've ever coached," Scifres said. "Points, rebounds, blocks, steals, assists; she does it all. Emotionally, she's what makes us tick."

Cunningham is a phenom with unlimited potential, a mental toughness that's already second to none, and ice water running through her veins.

In her first preseason scrimmage with the team this summer, Cunningham hit a game-winning 3-pointer. She leads the Lady Chargers with 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per contest.

"The most amazing thing about her is that, as a freshman, she lives for the big games," Scifres said of Cunningham. "She lives for the last shot, and she's a huge clutch-time performer."

Borenstein is the gunner with a 12.8 points-per-game average and a team-high 47 3-pointers. She's battled back from a serious knee injury suffered last year to become one of the Marmonte's top performers.

"When Borenstein is hot, there's nobody who can stop her," Scifres said. "She's just such a great, pure shooter. . . .

"But the best thing about Sasha is her work ethic. She just works really hard at everything. It's great to see all her hard work paying off and to have her back on the floor."

Sophomores Camille Mahlknecht and Samantha Fisher, along with junior Elizabeth Levy, have also played vital roles for the AHS girls' squad, which has a rematch against Newbury Park next Wednesday at Agoura.

On the boys' side, it's all about bouncing back from the team's first losing streak of the season. AHS will attempt to stop its recent two-game slide Friday night at home against Marmonte frontrunner Thousand Oaks. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

"We just need to get back to playing aggressive ball," said boys' junior forward Stephan Hicks, the team's leading scorer at 17.8 points per contest.

"We have a big game on Friday, and that's our biggest test right now. We need to beat T.O. and go from there."

According to Riccio, Agoura must get back to its bread and butter—feeding big men Michael Hatch, Kevin Graf and Hicks in the post and letting things open up outside for playmaking guards Hasan Khan and Shayan Boloor.

"Our whole goal, every night, is inside-out," Riccio said. "That's our goal. We must do that to be successful."