Culver City’s girls’ basketball team is quietly building a dynasty. Under the direction of head coach Julian Anderson and assistant coaches Mark Kitabayashi and Tom Nakayama the Centaurs have won 49 out of 50 games in the Ocean league over the past five years. These kinds of numbers remind people of the UCLA days under John Wooden.
Their only league loss in five years was to El Segundo this year. “It feels good,” said Anderson last Thursday after their win over Beverly Hills on the road. “50-0 would be better but I will take 49-1. That one loss was a good learning experience for this team but I like the way our team rebounded from that loss.”
Wooden once said a loss in certain situations can help bring a team closer together. “We are a very close team and we have great chemistry,” said junior point guard Windy Yoon last week. “I think we play very well together. Sometimes we lose focus, so we need to just focus on our goals and go for it.”
As the point guard Yoon realizes she is like a coach on the basketball court. “I always try to stay positive no matter what happens and I always try to make the right calls on the court and stay confident.”
The lady Centaurs will try to continue their winning ways tonight when they face Arcadia from the Pacific league in the first round of the 1AA CIF playoffs at 7 p.m. on the Culver City campus inside the Del Goodyear gym. Culver City enters the playoff game with a 10 game winning streak. Their overall record is 18-7 and their first place Ocean league record is 9-1.
Although the Centaurs have solid leadership in seniors Alexis Arancibia, Kate Suyetsugu and Kailey Tooke they will need their younger players to step up if they expect to be successful in the playoffs. “As a team we are going to play with a lot of enthusiasm and heart because it’s the playoffs,” said freshman Amy Yoon the sister of Windy. “I believe we are going to do the best job we can do.”
