MORAGA, CA – Salesian got off to a strong start against Campolindo, saw the lead dwindle to three, and then poured on the heat as the Pride defeated the Cougars 68-46 in a non-conference battle on Thursday.
Angel Jackson and Haley Van Dyke led their respective teams with whale-like performances. Jackson, the 6-foot-5 Salesian center, had 31 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks. Van Dyke, a Washington-commit and five-tool player, tallied 33 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Van Dyke spearheaded a third quarter rally that bled into the fourth, but Jackson and Salesian responded with a 14-0 run to put the game out of reach.
“I thought our energy really sunk in the third quarter, and maybe in the fourth quarter asked them to pick up things and play Salesian basketball,” Pride coach Stephen Pezzola said. “When we play defense the way we’re capable of, that’s the runs we’ll have in games. We found a rotation that worked…when Angel’s on inside she’s pretty hard to beat.”
In the first quarter, Salesian (11-2) made it clear why they are currently at the top of Prep2Prep’s NCS rankings. Anjel Galbraith scored seven of her 12 points in the period, while Jackson snatched six boards and had two blocks to propel the Pride to a 17-5 lead.
In the second, Campolindo (9-6) got a bit of offense back but Jackson put up eight points and an injury to Cougars’ second-leading scorer and Weber State-bound guard Ashley Thoms took a significant weapon out of the lineup. Yet it also made Van Dyke’s talents all the more appreciated. She rattled home nine of her points and three of her blocks, setting the stage for the third quarter.
Van Dyke netted 15 points in the third to personally outscore Salesian, and showed her diverse offensive skill set by scoring with equal aplomb from two-point territory, three-point land, and the free throw line. As the fourth quarter began the Cougars trailed only by five.
With just under six minutes to play, two Van Dyke free throws made it 47-44 Salesian. Jackson answered with a three-point play, and went on to score 11 points out of the 14-0 run. After a Van Dyke bucket interrupted the run Salesian scored the last seven points.
“We started off really slow,” Campolindo coach Art Thoms commented. “In the second half we came out running, we started moving the ball…there was just more intensity in the second half. And then we just ran out of gas. When you rotate seven girls, it makes it pretty hard.”
Sydni Stewart had a nice all-around game for the Pride with six points, five rebounds, and four steals. Mikayla Edwards and Taimane Lesa-Hardee each dealt four assists.
“I feel like I had to kick my team in another gear,” Jackson stated. “If we keep on pushing on each other we can go to State. Open is our goal.”
For Prep2Prep 6th-ranked Campolindo, Thoms had just five points before hitting the floor on a drive to the hoop early in the second quarter. According to her coach (and dad), she aggravated a previous injury to her wrist.
“It affected us a lot,” Van Dyke said of Thoms’ absence. “She’s our point guard and she’s also one of our leaders.”
“The team is progressing where I need them to be,” Pezzola added. “I’m looking for one or two more players to step up. Tonight Sydni did a great job on Haley.”
