Basketball: Shorewood girls hoops in San Diego for holiday tournament

Coach Mark Haner talks things over during a timeout
SAN Sports Desk photo

When you’ve got a basketball roster full of high-achieving girls in the classroom, it’s not surprising when they put their collective noodles together and decide to mix business with pleasure on a trip down to sunny San Diego, “America’s Finest City,” over the holidays.

And that’s exactly what Shorewood Head Coach Mark Haner’s girls did.

“Last year the SW boys team took a similar holiday trip to Arizona to play in a tournament,” Haner said after his team was trounced by Alameda (CA) at Scripps Ranch HS Friday afternoon, December 27, 2019.

"Realizing such a dream trip was a possibility for them, our team put plans in motion to make it happen, starting back in April.”

“We’ve got a couple 4.0s (GPA), a couple 3.7s, and some 3.5s. This trip is a reward for their classroom dedication as well as the leadership they demonstrate on campus,” he said.

“And who doesn’t want to enjoy sunny weather with temperatures at least 20 degrees warmer than back home this time of the year?"

Molly Stamey #22 sees her
shot go in
Photo SAN Sports Desk

The team will play three games in four days, taking Sunday off, before heading home the morning of New Year's Eve. They went to the San Diego Zoo Thursday, with a beach hike and pool time planned, as well as a trip up to Disneyland, in the days ahead.

On the court, the good news for the T-Birds is that all eight girls who suited up scored against the aggressive, swarming Hornets from up in the Bay Area.

“We knew coming in that we were likely going to be over-matched, and that was the case today. 

But we’re learning how to respond to pressure defenses and we believe this will benefit us in the long run when we resume play in WESCO after the break."

--From the Sports Desk, on scene in San Diego