Vintage uses massive second quarter to pull away, beat Napa High in first Big Game of season

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Kyle Foster, photo courtesy of Eric Thomspon (Shamboozled.com)

kfost91197@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews

In a rivalry game, it can be all about staying calm and playing your game. So much of it usually comes down to something as simple as this. 

On Wednesday night, this is what the Vintage girls’ basketball team did as they beat Napa, 61-22, in the first Big Game of the season at Crusher Gym. 

The Crushers (9-5, 2-0 Vine Valley Athletic League) first took control of the game when they went on an 8-0 run to nearly push the lead to double digits.  During this time, they started to force a bunch of turnovers. 

But once Vintage settled in, they took major control of the game in the second quarter. They won this quarter handily, outsourcing Napa 20-2.   

“I think I’ve talked to you about this before, that we’re just young, and this was most of the team’s first Big Game, or varsity-level Big Game,” Vintage head coach Hannah Newman said of her team settling down after an interesting first quarter. “So we knew the first quarter was gonna be a little rocky, and once we got the nerves out and kind of settled down, we were able to do what we wanted to do from the start.” 

However, it also helped that the Crushers had a pair of players end the night in double figures. 

Leading Vintage in the game was sophomore Sammie Kennedy. She finished with a game-leading 16 points and 7 rebounds. Kennedy scored 14 points in the first half of the game. She also made her lone free throw in the game.

“It’s just so awesome to have her on the team, to be so young, and have the court awareness, the calmness about her to be able to do something like that,” Newman explained of Kennedy. “This is her first varsity big game, and to be able to put 16 points up is amazing. She just brings so much to us offensively and then defensively as well. She can lock down some people.” 

Yet the one thing that stood out in the game is the fact that Kennedy scored in all three levels of the floor in the game. After all, she made three shots from the three-point line in the game along with a pair of other jumpers. 

“I think that she finishes really well around the room, which is nice because her size-wise, she’s like, a three or four,” Newman added.  “She’s able to step back behind the three-point line and knock down some big shots, too, which is really good. Depending on her matchup, she’s kind of figuring that type of game out. If they’re playing her too hard on the line, she can get to the basket pretty easy. If they’re going to give her space, she can make some of those shots.” 

Throughout the year, the Crushers have had a number of different people to help lead the offensive effort. This game was no different, as Vintage’s second-highest scoring player in the game was senior Brooklyn Perez. She finished the game with 11 points and 1 rebound. Perez scored 6 points in the second half of the game while making 3 of 4 shots from the free-throw line. 

“I was really excited for Brooklyn to get to be our second leading scorer and just to have a good Big Game for her senior year,” Newman said of Perez. “She’s been so committed, and she worked so hard, and so for her to be able to kind of get us the spotlight in these types of games is really awesome.” 

Others scoring for Vintage in the game were Kennley Price (8 points, 3 rebounds, blocked shot), Maddy Alvarez (6 points, 9 rebounds), Luna Aguilar Loera (6 points, 3 rebounds), Aranza Aguilar (5 points, 1 rebound), Sydney Morton (4 points, 2 rebounds), Sophia Bonetti (3 points, 3 rebounds), and Kaia Sidhu (2 points, 2 rebounds). 

Napa (5-9, 0-2 VVAL) was able to keep this game close early by forcing turnovers. They were unable to capitalize on these turnovers, though.

“They were doing what they are summoned to do, and that’s competing at the end of the day, competing is a win for us,” Napa High head coach Andrew Phillips explained. “Despite what the scoreboard may say, they got to believe that they are a good basketball team – a young, good basketball team.” 

The Grizzlies also had one player finish the game in double digits. Senior center Margaux Bontia finished with a team-high of 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. 

“Margaux is always busy,” Phillips said of the senior standout. “Hard to kind of put Margaux into words, the attitude, the aggression, the passion that she plays with, and wanting to learn, asking questions, putting in work. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I wish I had two or three more Margauxs, but I don’t.” 

Others scoring for Napa in the game were Carolina Servin (4 points, 5 rebounds, blocked shot), Jade Anglin (4 points, 4 rebounds), and Heidi Brucella (3 points, 4 rebounds). 

Vintage will be back in action on Saturday at 4 pm when they visit Petaluma in league play. Napa will have the league bye on Saturday before visiting Albany on Tuesday in a non-league game and jumping back into league play with a game at Petaluma on Wednesday at 7 pm.  

In other VVAL action on Wednesday night, Justin-Siena beat American Canyon 52-32, and Petaluma beat Casa Grande 50-42 in overtime.