By Joe Davidson
Bee Staff Writer
The ingredients to success for the Oak Ridge girls basketball success isn't rooted in 6-footers or national recruits who fly up and down the floor. The Trojans, in fact, have none of this on their roster.
But cohesion, effort, fundamentals and just enough athletic grit? They boast plenty of that.
Using those elements and waves of depth, Bee No. 2 Oak Ridge downed No. 4 Pleasant Grove 66-54 tonight in a Delta River League opener in Elk Grove.
Ali Bettencourt, a 5-10 junior guard, scored 21 points for Oak Ridge (12-2), and Haley Anderson, a 5-8 guard/forward, contributed 13 points.
Shelby Peters, Jenn Hoffman, Nikki Dow, Gabby Flores, Sydney Stigerts and Jenna Ford all had contributions for Oak Ridge, which as a group is an example of superb team play.
Arizona-bound Dejza James, a 6-foot forward, scored 26 for Pleasant Grove, which lost earlier this season to Oak Ridge 75-31 in the Oak Ridge Shootout. The Eagles are 10-4.
Oak Ridge has lost only to out-of-state powers Mater Dei of Santa Ana and Pflugerville of Texas in national tournaments. The Trojans continue to round into form after myriad injuries - feet, ankles, knees, thumbs.
Oak Ridge plays Folsom on Thursday in league play and is at No. 11 Del Oro on Saturday in a nonleague contest.
"We have to credit the girls for their work ethic," said veteran coach Steve White, who has Sac-Joaquin Section titles, and a NorCal and State Division I championship to his credit in recent years. "With this schedule, we've achieved. It's a real tight group that plays for each other, the school and the community. Now we just need to stay the course."
In other games involving Bee Top 20 teams reported to The Bee:
NO. 16 DAVIS 69, ELK GROVE 28 - Sophomore post Emma Stentz' 13 points led the way as 15 Blue Devils (14-3) scored points against the Thundering Herd (7-11) in the Delta Valley Conference opener.
NO. 20 RIVER CITY 59, COSUMNES OAKS 35 - Tori Torres had 17 points and Alyah Brantley added 16 as the Raiders (9-8, 2-0), in winning the Sierra Valley Conference game, extended their winning streak to five games. Maya Hailey led Cosumnes Oaks (5-10, 0-2) with 12 points.
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