Vanden High School Girls Basketball Team Dominates in MEL Play

On January 3, the Vanden High School girls basketball team showcased their dominance as they prepared for the Monticello Empire League (MEL) season. The Vikings spent their preseason traveling to tournaments in Sacramento, Piedmont, and even Las Vegas, building up their skills and strategies.

However, it was on Friday that coach Rodriguez wished the Vikings had never returned to Solano County. In a commanding 67-2 victory against the Mustangs, Vanden held their opponents to just one made field goal, marking one of the fewest points allowed in recent history. This performance is reminiscent of the 91-4 rout of Vallejo on January 31, 2017.

“It’s hard to hold a team to two points, so that was impressive,” said Vanden co-head coach Jake Johnson III. “We’ve been playing against All-Americans, girls that already know where they’re going to college, so aggressively, we’re pretty good.”

A Defensive Masterclass

The reigning MEL champions played their usual brand of suffocating basketball, using a full-court press to force 26 turnovers and give the Mustangs no breathing room. This defensive strategy has been a staple for the team throughout the season.

“We’ve been playing really well. Even in games where we lost, we played really good defense,” Johnson said. The team’s ability to disrupt the opposing team’s offense was evident throughout the game.

Makayla Smith Shines

Junior point guard Makayla Smith led the way for Vanden with 14 points, nine rebounds, and four steals. Smith, who took on the lead guard role this season, looked right at home running the offense.

“I saw it in Vegas. She really embraced, not just being a captain, but being our point guard,” Johnson said. “She’s always been a really good defender, but now she’s orchestrating our defenses. Then offensively, she’s been in complete command of the offense. It’s been fun to watch because she’s completely grown.”

When Smith wasn’t attacking the basket, she was crashing the glass for offensive rebounds, poking away steals, and fighting for loose balls. Smith prides herself on her hustle.

“To get to where you want to go, you have to put in hustle,” Smith said. “To be a leader, you have to show what you’re supposed to do for the JV kids and other kids coming into the program.”

Strong Supporting Cast

Senior co-captain Kaitlyn Garcia and sophomore Kailee Brown each added 11 points. Garcia is one of five seniors helping guide a young Vanden squad.

“This is probably our most inexperienced group that we’ve had probably since we started coaching,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot of new girls, and even though some were here, almost everyone’s role has changed. They’re coming together though. Even today it was just misses, but all the execution was really good.”

Offense Needs Improvement

While their defense was elite, the Vikings’ New Year’s resolution might be to shoot better from beyond the arc. Vanden went 5-for-30 from deep, and 0-for-8 before nailing its first triple with 5:30 remaining in the second quarter.

“Offensively, we missed a lot of easy shots we usually don’t miss so I’m not happy about that, but I’m definitely happy with the defense,” Johnson said. “We know our offense is gonna catch up eventually.”

Key Moments and Execution

The Vikings made up for their lack of shooting by putting a lid on the basket after Ashley Lake converted a layup in the first two minutes of the game. The Mustangs were sent to the charity stripe on three separate occasions to end the drought, but went 0-for-6 at the line.

Smith scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half to give Vanden a 33-2 lead at the break. Garcia and Brown scored nine and six points, respectively, in the second half to close out the victory.

“It’s good, but we still got more things to work on and better things to do,” Smith said.