Abrie Cabana, left, of Grass Lake High School scored 23 points in a win over East Jackson at home on Thursday
Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
New East Jackson High School girls’ basketball Coach Jerell Sanders told one of his students to “forget everything he has taught her” before the EJ/Grass Lake high school basketball game last night.
She didn’t listen.
Freshman Lexus Bargesser scored 19 points helping the Warriors to a 60-9 win over East Jackson at home Thursday.
The Warriors improved to 7-1 overall, 2-1 in the Cascades Conference with the win.
The Trojans are now 1-7 overall, 1-3 in the conference.
Sanders worked with Bargesser and Grass Lake Coach Andrea Cabana as part of Michigan Premier Basketball this past summer.
“We will be talking about this game,” Bargesser said of one of her instructors following the big win.
Bargesser is learning about the huge jump from junior high basketball to the varsity level.
“There was no such thing as face guarding in junior high,” Bargesser said. “I have been learning how to play through it.”
The Warriors have also learned over the years that defense triggers everything for the team. They mastered that lesson in the first quarter, outscoring the Trojans 26-0.
“Our players know that defense is our number one priority,” GLHS Coach Cabana said. “The players have bought into that.”
Sophomore Abrie Cabana scored 12 points while freshman Gabrielle Lutchka added eight points in the first quarter.
The Warriors led 43-3 at halftime as Cabana tallied 19 points and Lutchka added 13 points in the first 16 minutes of action.
A running clock in the third and fourth quarters slowed everyone, except for Bargesser. She scored 10 points in the second half.
Cabana led Grass Lake with 23 points and Lutchka added 15 points in the win. Faith Patania finished with five rebounds, Andrea Boomer created five steals, and Bargesser finished the night with four steals.
Sanders, a first-year varsity coach, said the Trojans are a work in progress. East Jackson lost three games by 10 or less points to start the season, missing more than a dozen free throws in each contest according to Sanders.
“We could have easily been 4-2 to start the season, but we have to get fundamentally sound,” Sanders said. “Our basketball IQ needs to improve and we need to learn to play the right way.”
Sanders, who played basketball professionally overseas, said the Trojans have not been accustomed to this style of play.
“Learning to be competitive with teams like this is a learning process,” Sanders said. “We are not going to change in just a game or two.”
East Jackson won the junior varsity contest 27-23 in overtime.
Grass Lake High School freshman Lexus Bargesser, left, attempts to drive past Lily Beaman of East Jackson during a home game Thursday.
Photos by Jeff Steers/JTV Sports