HUNTINGTON BEACH – Aliso Niguel coach Lindsey Sundin knew it was going to be an issue as soon as she hit the record button on her video camera and began scouting Long Beach Millikan earlier in the week.
Without a player standing taller than 6-foot on her roster, guarding the Rams 6-foot-4 center Tyler Frierson presented a glaring mismatch.
The Wolverines face-guarded, double- and even triple-teamed Millikan’s skilled big girl throughout Thursday evening, but the Rams senior still proved to be troublesome amidst the added defensive attention.
Frierson dominated in the low block, scoring a game-high 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds as the Rams (11-3) blew past Aliso Niguel after halftime and claimed a 61-33 victory in the championship game of the Larry Doyle/Dan Wiley O.C. Tournament of Champions at Edison High.
The Wolverines (9-4) held a brief two-point lead late in the second quarter, but were outscored 33-9 in the second half, going an ice cold 2 for 32 from the floor in the final 16 minutes of action.
“I think we were so focused on stopping Tyler, we forgot about everyone else,” Sundin said. “It’s tough because we played so hard, but (Millikan) is a good team. They’re an Open Division team for a reason. There’s no reason for our girls to hang their heads. Tyler is an amazing player, and it was great for us to prepare for CIF with this game.”
With Suzette Quinlan, Charlotte Vurgun and Catherine Swanson all taking turns guarding Frierson with a defender behind, Rams guards Cassie Gonzalez (12 points) and Sydney Ross (9 points) cashed in with numerous uncontested layups at the rim.
Aliso’s up-tempo pace kept it within striking distance in the first half, as Abby Miller and Madelyn Brauer made a habit of attacking the rim. Down just 28-24 at the break, the Wolverines looked out of gas in the third and fourth quarters.
A pair of Miller free throws were the only points Aliso would tally in the third quarter, going 0-for-14 from the field and grabbing just two offensive rebounds off its misses.
Miller was the only Wolverine in double figures with 11. Brauer finished with 9. Quinlan and Vurgun – two of the team’s leading scorers – netted just 10 total points, exerting so much energy defending Frierson on the opposite end of the court.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com
