GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER SOPHOMORE CENTER JINCUYAE ANDERSON (NO. 20) SHOOTS FOR TWO IN THE GRIZZLIES’ WIN OVER GUSTINE ON MONDAY NIGHT. Although they were missing two starters, Mariposa’s Lady Grizzlies opened their 2009-10 basketball campaign in Gustine Monday night with a 36-31 win over the host in the annual Foundation Game.

“We can’t score 36 points and expect to win a lot of games,” said fourth-year head coach Al Brondolo, “but we had some good things happen too.”

Senior point guard Brook Barrett paced Mariposa in scoring with 16 points and a pair of 3-point shots. She also recorded 9 steals.

Senior Patricia Schellentrager led Mariposa on the boards with 11 rebounds, and she added 6 points. Sophomore Emily Brossard pitched in 5 points, and Makayla Barrett hit a 3-point shot.

Mariposa was without the services of junior forward Jackie Brondolo, who was out with an ankle injury, and Julie Wurzbach, who strained her back in a scrimmage at Yosemite High School over the weekend. Freshman Khrissy Schellentrager was also out of the lineup with illness.

“We have to work on controlling the ball and not turning it over,” Brondolo said. The Lady Grizzlies had 28 turnovers for the contest. “We missed a lot of shots right under the hoop, or we would have scored 50 or 60 points. We are continuing to work on our fundamentals and shooting.”

Mariposa had 11 offensive rebounds and 19 steals on the game.

The Lady Grizzlies will be competing in the tournament they host on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as the host Atwater, Livngston, and Heritage in the second year of the Mariposa Winter Classic.