Canyon Fails Task Against Streaking Hart, 48-40

The task for every girls’ basketball team in the Foothill League is simple this season: End Hart High’s winning streak.

Because this is one of the weakest Hart teams in recent years, the Indians might see their four-season league reign come to an end.

It could have happened on Tuesday night against Canyon, one of the best teams in the league. It didn’t.

The Indians made up for their rebounding deficiencies in the first half by shooting 44% in the second half to claim a 48-40 victory at Hart, its 40th consecutive in league play.

Briana Kentfield and Christina Sanchez scored 18 of Hart’s 24 points in the second half to keep Canyon at bay.

Canyon (9-7, 0-2 in league play) led early, but Hart (8-7, 2-0) closed out the first quarter with a 10-0 run helped by four Cowboy turnovers to take a 16-8 lead. The Indians never trailed again.

“That was a big win for us,” Coach Dave Munroe of Hart said. “That’s the best team in the league. We knew we would have our work cut out for us, but we executed so well offensively down the stretch.”

Canyon outrebounded Hart, 18-11, in the first half, but shot only 29% (eight of 28) and trailed, 24-21, at halftime.

“We’ve been concentrating on our defense,” Coach Paul Broneer of Canyon said.

“We haven’t been working enough on our shooting and the girls haven’t been working enough on their own. But they’ve been working hard and that’s all I can ask of them.”

Kentfield scored 10 of her 18 points in the third quarter, when Canyon made only two of 18 shots (11%) and Hart pulled away, 36-28.

La Tricia Fleming, who transferred from Monroe, scored 12 points and had 12 rebounds for Canyon.