Led by a pair of double-double performances from sophomore wing Alyssa Rodriguez and freshman post Kelsey Robledo, the Anzar High girls basketball team "turned the page" Wednesday night in San Juan Bautista and delivered a Coastal Athletic League rout with a 52-19 victory over Georgiana Bruce Kirby.
Rodriguez finished with a slightly unorthodox double-double as she compiled 24 points and 10 steals. Robledo contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds for Anzar, which opened the CAL season in similar fashion to last year's 62-22 stomp over Kirby.
"It was definitely a relief getting into the season," said Anzar head coach Aaron Netzel, whose Hawks basketball team took its expected lumps in the preseason with a 1-9 record.
Anzar, the defending CAL champs, is now 1-0 in league, 2-9 overall.
"We did good," the coach added. "I think we're really gonna hit our stride in the next coming week."
While other teams progress throughout the season, the Hawks aren't even at full strength yet.
Nicole Mello, an all-league forward last year, played in her first game of the season Wednesday against Kirby after being sidelined for the entire year to date, while Carly Johnson, who recently injured the pointer finger on her shooting hand, is expected to return to the team shortly.
"We're not at 100 percent and I definitely put that into account," Netzel said.
Despite the adversity, though, the Hawks certainly had enough - and then some - to dispatch Kirby Wednesday.
Mello and Liliana Resendez each pocketed six points apiece in the victory, while Mello filled up the rest of her stat sheet with five steals, four rebounds and three assists.
Kirby simply couldn't keep pace with the Hawks' "peddle-to-the-metal" style of play, and were held to single-digit point totals in each of the four quarters as a result. In fact, Kirby trailed 32-8 at halftime and even 45-12 through three quarters.
"We came right at them," Netzel said. "We never let up."
Netzel even called up Gabby Medina from the junior varsity team, and although Medina went scoreless, she made her presence felt with four steals.
Anzar will play in a non-league match on Thursday at home to Pajaro Valley before returning to CAL play on Monday at Anchorpoint Christian.
Thursday's home game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m., while Monday's bout in Gilroy will begin at 5 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
GBK 4 4 4 7 19
ANZ 16 16 13 7 52
Anzar (52) - A. Rodriguez 7 2 4-6 24, N. Mello 3 0 0-1 6, L. Resendez 0 1 3-4 6, K. Robledo 4 0 2-13 10, A. Baker 1 0 1-2 3, M. Terrano 0 1 0-0 3.
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