For the first time this season, the Escalon JV girls played together as a cohesive unit ... and the difference was noticeable in a pair of recent wins.
The girls were 39-28 winners over visiting Oakdale on Monday, Dec. 21 and thoroughly thrashed Downey in a road game on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
Monday, they raced out to a 10-3 first quarter lead and held a 20-7 edge at the half.
"We did really well that night," said coach Sandi French. "It's awkward playing when you don't have school but they handled it well."
French said her team played hard from the first whistle.
"They crashed boards like I've never seen before," the coach noted. "They started playing as a team, got a lot of putbacks."
Leaders were Parker Pilati with 14 points, Kaitlyn Kelly with 10 and Judzaya Davis with eight.
"Judzaya had a good night and Melissa Jackson did amazing, they both did an amazing job."
French said the two were charged with keeping Oakdale's big player under control and did that effectively, helping the team get the win.
Against Downey, French kept the press on for just the first quarter, building up a 14-1 lead. Then she was able to clear her bench and get everyone plenty of playing time.
"We completely functioned as a unit, it was rewarding to be a part of that," she said of seeing the team come together.
Kelly had eight points in what ended as a 38-5 Escalon win. Allison Reichenberg had six points and Pilati five, with nearly every player getting in the scoring column.
Taking a 22-4 lead at the half, Escalon allowed just one point over the final two quarters.
"Everybody pretty much contributed to the win, which is very nice," French added. "We are 7-4 now in the preseason."
After letting her girls take a holiday break, the JV squad will get some practices in this week, getting ready for a return to play on Tuesday, Jan. 5 with a trip to Amador.
The girls were 39-28 winners over visiting Oakdale on Monday, Dec. 21 and thoroughly thrashed Downey in a road game on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
Monday, they raced out to a 10-3 first quarter lead and held a 20-7 edge at the half.
"We did really well that night," said coach Sandi French. "It's awkward playing when you don't have school but they handled it well."
French said her team played hard from the first whistle.
"They crashed boards like I've never seen before," the coach noted. "They started playing as a team, got a lot of putbacks."
Leaders were Parker Pilati with 14 points, Kaitlyn Kelly with 10 and Judzaya Davis with eight.
"Judzaya had a good night and Melissa Jackson did amazing, they both did an amazing job."
French said the two were charged with keeping Oakdale's big player under control and did that effectively, helping the team get the win.
Against Downey, French kept the press on for just the first quarter, building up a 14-1 lead. Then she was able to clear her bench and get everyone plenty of playing time.
"We completely functioned as a unit, it was rewarding to be a part of that," she said of seeing the team come together.
Kelly had eight points in what ended as a 38-5 Escalon win. Allison Reichenberg had six points and Pilati five, with nearly every player getting in the scoring column.
Taking a 22-4 lead at the half, Escalon allowed just one point over the final two quarters.
"Everybody pretty much contributed to the win, which is very nice," French added. "We are 7-4 now in the preseason."
After letting her girls take a holiday break, the JV squad will get some practices in this week, getting ready for a return to play on Tuesday, Jan. 5 with a trip to Amador.
