MARIPOSA SENIOR PATRICIA SCHELLENTRAGER JUMPS FOR A REBOUND AGAINST A WATERFORD WILDCAT IN MONDAY NIGHT’S SAL CONTEST. THE LADY GRIZZLIES PREVAILED, AND SCHELLENTRAGER RECORDED 6 BLOCKED SHOTS. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER Mariposa’s Lady Grizzlies rode a solid defensive effort to a 33-19 Southern Athletic League win over visiting Waterford Monday evening. The win boosts Mariposa’s league mark to 2-0.

“The girls played really hard on defense,” said head coach Al Brondolo. “If we could convert of those 2-foot shots, we would make things a lot easier on ourselves.”

The Lady Grizzlies bounced out to a 10-5 advantage at the end of the first period, and stretched their lead to 18-10 at the intermission by controlling the defensive boards.

The second half was an instant reply of the first as the Wildcats had trouble moving the ball against Mariposa’s scrambling defense. The Lady Grizzlies held a 23-15 lead going into the final quarter.

LADY GRIZZLY GUARD BROOK BARRETT LAYS IN 2 POINTS AGAINST WATERFORD MONDAY NIGHT. BARRETT HIT FOR 8 POINTS IN THE MARIPOSA WIN. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER Seniors Julie Wurzbach and Brook Barrett paced Mariposa with 8 points each, and they each grabbed 5 caroms. Jin Anderson dumped in 5 points, and Emily Darcy pulled down 7 rebounds to lead in that category. Patricia Schellentrager recorded 6 blocked shots.

Last Saturday, Mariposa pulled out a narrow 38-37 nonleague win over Buhach Colony’s Thunder in a makeup game.

Buhach took a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Grizzlies battled back with a 9-point second period to gain a 19-17 margin at the half.

The Thunder responded in the third stanza and held a 33- 25 bulge entering the final period, but Mariposa’s defense held the visitors to a paltry 4 points in the last quarter while dumping in 13 points for the win.

“Our play in the fourth quarter, along with our free throw shooting, made the difference,” said Brondolo.

For the game, Wurzbach bucketed 14 points, and Barrett added 10. Schellentrager pulled down 5 rebounds, and Anderson grabbed 4 boards.

In their second trip to the gigantic West Coast Jamboree right after the holidays, Mariposa advanced to the championship game in the Opal Division against Argonaut.

In their first tournament contest, the Lady Grizzlies downed Kennedy High School of Richmond, 38-35, with a 16- point effort by Barrett and 10 points from Schellentrager. The second round matched Mariposa against Rio Vista, and MCHS rolled to a 38-19 victory. Barrett had 12 points, and Darcy chipped in 6.

Against the talented Argonaut team, Mariposa was dumped, 60-27. Barrett had 14 points and Hannah Townsend added 3.

“They’re a very good team,” Brondolo said of Argonaut. “They have twin sisters on that team that have both already signed national letters of intent.”

The Lady Grizzlies will host tough Turlock Christian Thursday evening in the MCHS gym. The varsity SAL contest wil begin at 7:30 p.m.