SALIDA -- Facing one of California's elite programs, Modesto Christian High made just a few mistakes.
The problem was that the Crusaders kept making those same costly mistakes over and over ... and over.
"We must have tried to throw that long pass, what, 15 times?" Modesto Christian Robb Spencer asked. "We talked about not doing that, but we came out and kept throwing it up."
The Crusaders shouldn't feel bad, St. Mary's does that to everyone.
The Rams, using a hyper-aggressive press and a hand-on-the-hip defense, grabbed control in the third quarter for an 83-47 nonleague win.
St. Mary's (19-3) has won state titles the last three years, and it's the state's top-ranked Division 2 team.
"They don't suffer breakdowns," said Spencer, whose club is 19-5 and will be a co-favorite with Sacramento in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 playoffs. "They stuck to their system, even when we made a run."
MC got within 27-16 late in the second quarter — 5-foot-10 senior forward Valerie Moore had 16 of her 18 points in the first half — and gained momentum as Rams' star Charise Holloway sat with three early fouls.
Even though MC had broken the press a few times for easier shots, St. Mary's never let up, not even for a moment.
Any time MC broke down, the Rams would turn it into two points — or even three.They hit 3-pointers on three straight trips late in the second quarter, then 6-foot-2 Courtney Range popped in a short jumper for a 37-19 lead — it was 44-23 by halftime.
MC's Taylor Cuthbertson was a primary ballhandler, but it was tough getting up the court with a hand on her hip, another in her face and two more grabbing the ball.
The Rams had four defenders at one end of the court in their press, with Range protecting the opposite basket.
MC repeatedly threw long passes to get over the top of the first four defenders, but the athletic Range would go right and left to steal them. That triggered a break the opposite direction, and the Crusaders had no answer.
"We take a lot of risks in the press, because we want to force a fast tempo and get their guards worried about how many of us there are," said Holloway, who scored 18 points against her former teammates. "Having Courtney lets us take chances. She's difficult to get the ball past with those long arms."
Holloway led the Crusaders to the Northern California Division 4 final a year ago, but transferred to St. Mary's late last school year. She scores 14 a game for the Rams, and finished with 18 against MC. She is St. Mary's top player — and most versatile, with a quick first step. Her ability to track missed shots, using her hips to gain position in the key, helped the Rams collect 18 offensive rebounds in the first half.
The second-best player on the court was Moore, whose combination of size and agility had St. Mary's defense struggling to stay with her.
"Val held her own against everyone at the West Coast Jamboree, and it was her and Holloway tonight," said Spencer, whose club typically has these nonleague battles late in the season to get ready for the playoffs. "We still have some things to do, but we're ready to play."
Sacramento beat MC 56-52 in December and the teams are expected to be seeded 1-2 when the D3 playoffs open.
St. Mary's losses are to potent programs from Florida and Illinois, and the third is to La Jolla Country Day — ranked No. 3 in California. The Rams are ranked No. 6.
"St. Mary's is where we'd like to be, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us," Spencer said. "We began playing them four years ago, and we are still looking for a win."
Holloway said she was impressed by her former club.
"MC was communicating well on the court and I saw a lot of good ball movement," she said. "Our aggressive defense makes it tough for any guards to get comfortable. I saw their guards make some nice plays, however."
Highlights from Wednesday's game
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