Add to the mix standout freshman point guard Nikki Wheatley, who hasn’t disappointed, and you’ve got the makings of a championship-caliber team. 2 seed in the Division 3A playoffs and begin the dance with a home game on Thursday against Palm Springs.īonita entered the season with a veteran team after reaching the semifinals last year. There may be no team under more pressure to have a big postseason than Bonita.Īfter finishing 24-2, the Bearcats were awarded the No. The Falcons have been led by Imari Brown’s 17.9 points per game, but Shereese Cox, Mikayla Tickey and Yasmine Wilson also are averaging in double figures. Anybody can be beat, but after the first round then we’re making a statement.”

We’re not the underdog in the first game. I don’t think the El Segundo is a statement game. “I don’t think they realize what’s going on yet. “The girls are still babies, they’re all just sophomores and juniors,” Smith said. And that’s what we did.īut once his team starts playing in more evenly matched games, that’s when Smith expects his girls to come out with something to prove.

“After the third game of the season, the girls told me they think they can go undefeated the rest of the season. “We’re trying to break down barriers,” Smith said. The Falcons’ record easily eclipses those teams and, coupled with the fact that only one team has been within 10 points at the final buzzer of Duarte during its 21-game win streak, one might have thought a higher seeding was deserved. We have the best record in the division, and I thought we’d be a little higher than that.” “It’s probably because of our past history in the playoffs. “I thought we’d be a little higher than No. 5 seed and a home game with El Segundo on Thursday night. The Falcons have a 23-1 record and 21-game winning streak but were not made one of the top-four seeds in the playoffs. You’ll have to excuse the Duarte High School girls basketball team for feeling a little overlooked this week after the pairings for the CIF-Southern Section Division 4A playoffs were announced.

Mikayla tickey