CHATSWORTH — The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team earned its second win in four days against the same opponent by beating Harvard-Westlake, 72-38, on Wednesday night.
“The scores were literally almost exactly the same,” Trailblazers head coach Alicia Komaki said. “We were consistent.”
Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson briefly left the game in the second quarter after a hard fall but still managed to score 35 points and go 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. The 6-foot, five-star recruit has leveled up her skills this year to complement her physical ability.
“She’s added more finesse to her game,” Komaki said. “Just proving more that she can score at all three levels and she has a better 3-point percentage this year. She’s really good mid-range and then just finishing inside. Playing smarter would be the biggest thing.”
The Trailblazers had gained a 31-19 lead at halftime but not without early resistance from the Wolverines.
Harvard-Westlake, which lost 76-38 on Saturday, showed its potential to play in transition but was disrupted by Sierra Canyon’s tough one-on-one defense. Bella Spencer also recorded three personal fouls in the first half, which limited the senior wing’s minutes early.
“They were putting their heads down and they understood,” Harvard-Westlake interim head coach Alex Nailes said. “We watched a lot of film. So from film, the girls were learning like, hey, I could get downhill, go all the way until they stop you.”
Sophomore Hollen Vann made three shots from beyond the arc to lead the team with 11 points and Deanna Thompson chipped in 10 points.
The Trailblazers took to the perimeter as Leia Edwards (nine points) and Jordyn Malek (nine points) hit 3-pointers back-to-back to give Sierra Canyon a 10-4 advantage in the first quarter. Edwards and Robinson’s timely steals and defensive efforts kept the ball in their team’s hands.
Edwards, who is expected to make a college decision soon, was out all of last season with an ACL tear but has resumed her role as a key defensive player this season.
“I spent the year shooting the ball a lot,” Edwards said. “So that’s definitely one aspect of my game that’s helped my versatility. I can see the game differently now. Passing, playing defense and I can also see the game from the offensive point of view on defense so I can make a lot of reads.”
Robinson fell hard with two minutes remaining until halftime but was able to walk off the court without assistance. She visited the training room but returned to the bench a minute later before entering the game with seconds left with no major injury.
She drew a foul with less than a second until the break and made three free throws to extend the Trailblazers’ lead.
“She’s one of the toughest kids mentally that I’ve probably ever coached,” Komaki said. “She’s always in the right mindset, she’s always a killer. That’s what separates her to be one of the most elite kids in the country.”
All of Harvard-Westlake’s second-half points came off of either 3-pointers or free throws as the Trailblazers clamped down defensively in the paint. On the other end of the court, 6-foot-4 big Emilia Krstevski was ready to tip in layups and finished the game with 12 points.
Three Mission League games remain on the Trailblazers’ schedule before the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Brackets will be released at noon on Feb. 8 and Sierra Canyon will likely make another championship run in the Open Division.
“Mainly joy and gratitude,” Edwards said of the motivation to reach a championship. “Our theme this year is lean in and we’re very much leaning into that. We want to have fun with the time we have left and we want to be thankful and show our thanks to everyone by winning.”