The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
Expectations are high for Lakewood girls’ basketball this season. So much so that a 57-30 win over Millikan in Friday’s Moore League opener didn’t satisfy head coach Eric Oswell, who knows his team is capable of more.
“The first quarter we started out slow and not energetic,” said Oswell after the win. “In the second quarter we picked it up and then in the third and fourth quarter they were comfortable with the lead and didn’t play as hard as they should have.”
Despite the slow start for both teams, Lakewood was able to open up a 17-2 lead after the first quarter and led 32-7 at the half while allowing the visiting Rams to make just three field goals in the first 16 minutes.
Sophomore Nyemah King had 13 of her game-high 23 points in the first half, while junior Cristina Jones scored Lakewood’s first six points on her way to 17 on the night. Sophomore Amy Rubio added 11 for the home team.
The Lancers have now won seven in a row to improve to 9-2 on the season.
“We played as a team and I hope we can continue this for the rest of Moore League and catch some dubs,” said King after the win. “We’re really confident, we’ve been working hard, practicing as a team, and we’re ready.”
There were some bright spots for Millikan in the second half, particularly in the third quarter, which the Rams won thanks to a 12-1 run to make the deficit just 38-19. Sophomore Saryna Bermudez led Millikan with nine points, all coming in the second half. Junior Faith Vergara chipped in six for the Rams.
Millikan will be at Cabrillo on Wednesday for their next league game while Lakewood has a key matchup at Wilson on Monday. Coach Oswell is hoping to see a more complete performance in that game as his Lancers look to challenge for a Moore League title this season.
“If we’re on top of our game, I believe we can compete with anybody,” he said. “As long as we play in the way we play. Today, we played down in my opinion. We’re much better than we showed today.”
