Story by Mike Guardabascio and video by J.J. Fiddler

Fans in Poly’s home gym Monday night for the first round of the state playoffs may have mistaken the Jackrabbits for the Harlem Globetrotters.  Facing the 16th-seeded Lady Barons of Bonita Vista, who had to leave their star player behind because of medical reasons, Poly ran wild, romping to a 74-27 victory.  In the state playoffs.  For real.

The stats are as flashy and gaudy as the highlights (above): every player who suited up scored at least one point.  At the end of the third quarter the Rabbits were tripling the Barons, 62-20—that means they continue their defensive dominance, as in their last three games they’ve allowed a total of 50 points in the first three quarters (or about 16 points a game).  They kept the Barons from scoring a single field goal in the entire second quarter.  Freshman Ariya Crook-Williams scored a game-high 14 from the bench.  And of course, the most important stat: they won by 47.  In a state playoff game.  Perhaps more impressive was the fact that stars (and season scoring leaders) Jasmine Dixon and Monique Oliver only scored 4 of those points, while their teammates threw in a staggering 70.  

Poly maintained the physical presence on defense that’s been scaring opposing teams for the last month, knocking the Barons (who give up 30 pounds a roster spot) all over the floor.  Ironically, it was the smallest Baron, Elisa Magracia, the 5’2″ 115-pound senior, who was Bonita Vista’s most impressive player.  Using her surprising speed, Magracia was the only player who could break the Rabbits’ press, and the Barons struggled just to get the ball across the half-court line when she was on the bench catching her breath.  The breaks were well-earned, as Magracia basically had to run wind sprints all game just to give her team a chance to shoot the ball.  She also scored 8 points, second on her squad only to Melissa Howell’s 12, which came primarily late in the game.

Poly’s dominance was demonstrated most emphatically by who was on the court: Coach Buggs pulled his starters about halfway through the first quarter, and kept them out for much of the game, allowing his underclassmen to get some playoff experience.  In addition to the always impressive Crook-Williams, a freshman who’s become a real leader on the court with her speed and ability to shoot from anywhere, sophomore Thaddesia Southall showed the home crowd that the exit of Jasmine Dixon at the end of the school year might not even slow Poly down.  At 6’2″ (and growing), Southall can run well, hit the jumper, and move the ball effectively.

After the game, Coach Buggs said he’d like to see his team shoot better from the field and the free throw line, but with an offense that put up 74 points mostly from bench support (and with a running clock in the second half), he can’t be too unhappy.  The only downside of the game for Poly was that Buggs said Jasmine Dixon’s knee is still nagging her, and Monique Oliver left the game in the second half with a tweaked ankle.  With less than twenty-four hours before Poly takes on a very tall San Clemente team, they’re going to need their twin towers healthy and ready to play.  Stay tuned, sports fans—we’re back in a few short hours with ongoing coverage of the state playoffs.