Sierra Canyon girls basketball seizes control early against Oak Park

CHATSWORTH — Balanced.

It’s what the Sierra Canyon girls basketball team has been all season. It was no different against Oak Park on Thursday night in the first game of the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls basketball playoffs.

Five Sierra Canyon players scored in double figures and the Trailblazers did not relinquish a double-digit lead after the first quarter as they defeated Oak Park 77-51.

A trio of seniors led Sierra Canyon in scoring: Emilia Krstevski had 17 points, Jerzy Robinson scored 16 points and Payton Montgomery had 15 points off the bench.

Montgomery, who has flourished as both a starter and a reserve this season, provided a spark off the bench for her team Thursday night.

“She’s really sacrificed for the team. She should be a starter but we like her energy off the bench,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said about Montgomery. “We like her focus, we like what she brings no matter if she starts or doesn’t start.”

Robinson, who will play at the University of South Carolina next year, started the night with a step-back 3-pointer for the first points of the game.

She proceeded to find her teammates for easy buckets throughout the first quarter, smiling wide when one of her teammates would score.

Robinson had five assists in the first quarter, threading the needle with her passes and finding her teammates in the right spots.

“For me the biggest thing has been her growth,” Komaki said about Robinson. “We’ve talked a lot about getting joy out of other people’s success and finding your teammates. She’s going to be able to get a bucket anytime she wants, but she’s making those around her better and she definitely did that tonight.”

Sophomore Rosie Oladokun scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Sierra Canyon. Her sophomore counterpart Cherri Hatter had eight points.

Delaney White, who transferred from Oak Park to Sierra Canyon for her senior season, scored 10 points.

“Passing the ball, moving the ball, we have multiple threats on different levels,” Oladokun said. “Anybody can score. We have so many advantages everywhere. We can’t be stopped.”

After struggling for much of the first three quarters, thanks in large part to Sierra Canyon’s physical defense, Oak Park was able to knock down some shots in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles scored 26 points in the final quarter after scoring 25 points in the first three quarters combined, but it was too little too late. Sierra Canyon’s lead was too big to surpass.

Senior Karisma Flores led the way for Oak Park with 20 points, half of which came in the final eight minutes. Maya Deshautelle scored 10 points.

Sierra Canyon and Oak Park will both face Corona Centennial, the third team in the group, to round out pool play.

Oak Park will be on the road Saturday against Centennial and Sierra Canyon will be at home against the Huskies on Wednesday.