LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — By the time the Flintridge Prep girls' basketball team allowed Mayfield to get on the scoreboard, the rout was well under way.
The Cubs' first basket came at the 2:12 mark of the first quarter. At that point, the Rebels had already staked a 14-point advantage.
The lead only continued to increase, as the Rebels walked away with a convincing 68-23 home win in a Prep League matchup on Tuesday.
"We played defense extremely well," said Rebels junior guard Courtney Robinson, who finished with a game-high seven steals. "We had to come out and step it up immediately.
"Defense makes offense and our defense was perfect."
Perfect on the night was the case, as the Rebels harassed the Cubs into 26 turnovers and didn't allow them to score consecutive baskets the entire game.
Using full-court pressure, the Rebels converted the turnovers into easy transition points.
Guard Jordan Toyama led three players in double figures, finishing with 14 points. Laurel Myers and Robinson each chipped in with 12 points.
In all, eight of the nine Rebels to get on the scoreboard recorded six points or more.
One pitfall of a lopsided game can be getting too comfortable and passive with a lead.
For a brief stretch in the second quarter, the Rebels fell victim to this trap as the Cubs built up some confidence, scoring 12 points in the quarter.
Although the Rebels outscored them by two points in that time span to take a 30-14 halftime lead, their coach was ever wary of a possible letdown.
"It's hard to get them to work as hard if the outcome wasn't settled," Rebels Coach Kenny Fisher said. "The struggle makes them grow. We need to find a way to grow."
The Rebels (16-3, 7-0) responded with a second-half push that rivaled the opening minutes of their first quarter.
This time, using a 20-0 run behind a flurry of steals, the Rebels pushed the advantage to 58-23.
The Cubs (6-10, 2-6) were only able to muster two points in the final 12 minutes of play.
"None of our team plays selfish," Robinson said. "We love defense."
Winners of eight straight, the defending Prep League champs are off to another impressive league start and positioning themselves for a playoff push.
"I don't think we've peaked, but we are getting there," Fisher said. "We have to keep practices intense and competitive and really keep pushing each other."
