With a 15-point fourth quarter burst, Mariposa’s Lady Grizzly varsity basketball team began its Southern Athletic League campaign with a 35-20 victory over the Hawks in Delhi last Thursday.

“We are definitely going to have to score more points, and get jump started earlier, but we are moving in that direction,” said head coach Al Brondolo.

The Lady Grizzlies managed just a paltry 2 points in the first quarter and Delhi reeled off 7 to take the early lead.

Mariposa closed the gap in the second stanza, hitting for 8 to trail by just 12-10 at the intermission.

The Lady Grizzlies managed to knot the score by the end of the third period, and the fourth opened with the contest deadlocked at 18-18.

“Patricia (Schellentrager) hit two early shots for us in the fourth quarter and that kind of sparked the run,” Brondolo said.

Mariposa rolled up 15 points and held the Hawks to just a pair to spread the margin and take the win.

Senior Julie Wurzbach led all Mariposa scorers with 14 points, and she pulled down 7 rebounds. Senior Brook Barrett bucketed 7 points, and her younger sister, Makayla, added 5. Brook also grabbed 9 caroms, and senior guard Emily Darcy controlled 6 rebounds.

Mariposa will leave on Sunday, Dec. 27 for the West Coast Jamboree tournament in San Francisco. Over 100 girls’ teams from all the state compete in the tournament. The Lady Grizzlies will spend Sunday touring San Francisco before they open tournament play against J.F. Kennedy High School of Richmond on Monday.

Other teams in their “opal division” include Rio Vista, Alhambra, St. Vincent, Argonaut, Anderson, and Mission. The teams will play at Liberty High School in Brentwood.

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Mariposa will host a make-up contest against Buhach Colony in the MCHS gym. The Lady Grizzlies will continue SAL play on Monday, Jan. 4, when Waterford visits Mariposa.