On Tuesday night the JV Bruins got the better of the Chargers, as they cruised to a 42-19 victory. Santa Clara’s biggest stars on the night were Kallie Rose-Garrett and Aliyah Robles. While both were terrific at the offensive end, easily the play of the game was Rose-Garrett’s hustle play to steal the ball from behind a Wilcox player who was breaking free to the basket. At a full sprint, Rose–Garrett knocked the ball loose, leaped in the air and then saved the ball from going out of bounds by knocking it back towards a teammate to maintain possession.
“She’s probably our hardest worker,” acknowledged Bruins Head Coach Nicole Lomeli. “For her making a play like that is not just for her to get the steal, but more she wants to get the team going. She’s prideful on being the hardest worker. It was a bit shocking to see that amazing play, but then I realized it was her and it wasn’t as shocking. That’s her, she’s just a go big or go home player.”
“[Kallie] is like Speedy Gonzalez out there,” chuckled Robles. “She works the hardest out of all of us. It’s nothing new, we expect her to make plays like that.”
Rose-Garrett led the way at both ends with her hustle and drive, it was Robles who had her outside shot working from start to finish. She finished with 18 points including three threes.
“[Aliyah] has worked a lot on her game, not just at practice but after practice and shoots an extra 50 shots,” remarked coach Lomeli. “She’s constantly asking how she can tweak her shot to make it better. She stays and watches varsity practice too. She’s like a sponge, she likes to absorb everything she can to get better.”
On the flip side, while it wasn’t the result the Chargers were looking for, Wilcox did get a boost in particular with Serena Cadena getting back and being healthy to play. Cadena was an inside rebounding presence, particularly on the defensive end.
“She had been dealing with some injuries in the preseason,” acknowledged Chargers Head Coach Joseph Mosqueda. “We’re just now getting her back into the rotation. She was a big part of our team last year.”
Despite the lopsided score, the Chargers didn’t stop fighting until the end. Captain Haniya Ahmed finished off back-to-back and-one plays in impressive fashion in the fourth quarter.
“I know we’re down by quite a bit there in the fourth, but I honestly don’t care about the score. I just try to make the right play every time. Coach always tells us we have to win the next quarter, no matter the score,” noted Ahmed. “I was just looking to get to the basket and make something happen.”
“Haniya goes hard for us all the time. I never have to question whether she’s going hard or not,” remarked coach Mosqueda on his captain. “She is realizing the game doesn’t end until the buzzer and can set an example for the rest of the team.”
Next up on the schedule for the Chargers is a game at Mountain View on Jan. 26. Santa Clara will next play Jan. 19 at Gunn.