The Los Alamitos High girls basketball team has enjoyed a strong season so far and the Griffins are within striking distance of a Sunset League title and with hopes of making a solid run in the CIF-SS playoffs.
Under new head coach Matt Sargeant the Griffins have jumped out to a 16-5 record and were 4-1 in Sunset League play heading into this week. The Griffins have moved up to the No. 10 ranked team in the most recent CIF-SS Division IAA poll, three spots above league rival Edison. Though the Chargers are currently 5-0 in league play and are the only league team to defeat Los Alamitos so far.
But the Griffins are making noise and Sargeant said it has been the team unselfish play on the offensive end that has sparked their success so far. Defensively, the team is putting a lot of pressure on opponents and playing as a single unit to defend the basket
“Our full court pressure is sort of setting the tempo for the game, we’re trying to play fast that’s our style of play,” Sargeant said.
Sargeant also noted that the team has worked hard at conditioning and he said they have felt like the stronger team in the fourth quarter of every game, even those that they did not win. As the new head coach, Sargeant said he was encouraged right away by the character of the team.
The pieces have come together nicely with Neah Odom emerging as a once-in-a-generation type of player, Sargeant said. Odom has led the team in scoring with nearly 14 points per game and has also led the team in rebounding. But she has played a rounded game that includes all the intangibles.
“She does things you can’t teach … just by being who she is, she’s elevated the level of other girls around her,” Sargeant said.
While Odom, a six-foot freshman forward, has controlled the inside game, senior guard Katelyn McCutchen has sparked the outside game for the Griffins. McCutchen is the team’s second-leading scorer and leader in three-point field goals. “When her feet are set she might be the best shooter in the county in my mind,” Sargeant said.
Dani Iwami and Bayley Hagino have also contributed significant offense so far this season, as have Erika Nilsen and Elise Laws. Laws and Nilsen, both juniors, have also taken on leadership roles for the younger players. Nilsen has led the team by example.
“Every single day she goes as hard as she possibly can and she does a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score and you need girls like that on your team,” Sargent said.
