SAN GABRIEL — For a young squad like the Holy Family girls’ basketball team, every game presents an opportunity to build for the future.
After putting together a 37-28 road victory over San Gabriel Mission to open Horizon League play on Tuesday night, it seems as if the future may have already arrived for the Gaels.
Freshman forward Gayle Lachica scored a game-high 19 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, and pulled down 17 rebounds to lead the Gaels (4-6) to victory.
“We worked really hard for this win and it shows how much hard work and dedication we’ve been putting into the game,” said junior Adriana Quintero, who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Gaels came out of the gate a little sloppy and trailed Mission, 11-8, after a quarter. But that quickly changed in the second, as Holy Family turned the tide with an 8-0 scoring run to take an 18-13 lead.
After a Mission free throw cut the lead to 18-14, Quintero connected on a long distance jump shot from the left wing to make it 20-14 in favor of the Gaels at the break.
“I don’t know, with these girls, its always a slow start,” said Holy Family Coach Marlene Sandoval, whose team has four sophomores and a freshman on its roster. “Usually it’s one point or [one] player or me saying something and that just sparks it. I’m hoping they continue with that spark and not the slow start.”
The Pioneers (3-12, 0-1) tried to get back in the game in the third quarter, as they pulled to within a point at 24-23.
But Lachica would have none of it. The 5-foot-5 forward scored the game’s next nine points, including the first six of the fourth quarter, to give the Gaels, whose lone league win last season came against Mission, a large lead they would never relinquish.
“She tends to hold back a lot because she’s the youngest player on the team and I’m trying to break her out of that,” said Sandoval, whose club had just three players score. “I just named captains today and she’s one of them. She’s got great ability and I just want her to show it on the court.”
Gaels sophomore Jennifer Fisher added six points and senior Alex Cruz corralled 11 boards.
DYLAN KRUSE covers sports. He can be reached at (818) 637-3252 or dylan.kruse@latimes.com.
