Lady Bulldogs baffle Esparto for home win

Visiting Esparto managed to grab a 14-13 lead after the first quarter Friday, but managed just 14 points for the rest of the game as the Lady Bulldogs coasted to a 69-28 victory in Los Molinos.

Six of Esparto's seven players in uniform scored in the opening quarter, but the Los Molinos defense thoroughly discombobulated their flow the rest of the way, resulting in the spartan showing the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs found themselves down 8-2 out of the gate, behind four points by Esparto's Sarah Harmon, who led her team with 12, but they closed the gap with the help of a Claudia Pena trey behind a Briana Perez screen, a pair of buckets by Clarivel Castillo, and field goals by Pena and Haley Ables.

The second quarter completely turned the tables, as Los Molinos began the period on a 9-0 run, before Esparto's Brenna Harmon broke the string. Pena's second three-pointer then touched off a 19-0 run that ended the quarter, and sent the Bulldogs into intermission with a sizable 41-16 advantage.

Pena accounted for seven of the Los Molinos points in the quarter, Audrey Gillett scored six of her 10, and Ables and Emily Bailey scored five apiece.

Pena scored eight more of her team-leading 21 in the third quarter, as Los Molinos outscored the Spartans 19-8 and inflated their lead to 60-24.

Mercifully in the closing quarter, a pair or Perez free throws resulted in the 40-point differential that instituted the running clock and an early finish.

Malissa Owensby just missed the double-digit plateau with a nine-point performance, Bailey put up eight, and Ables tacked on seven, including a three-pointer.

Los Molinos upped its mark to 8-12 on the season and evened its Mid-Valley - North record at 2-2.

The Lady Bulldogs battled East Nicolaus at home Tuesday, and play at Biggs Thursday.

CONTACT Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com.