Lady Saxons Win OT Thriller over South  

In a key Pioneer League game, the North High Lady Saxons held off South for an exciting 40-38 overtime victory. What was at stake was sole possession of second place, and the Lady Saxons thrilled the crowd with their intensity and hard work. The game began as a defensive struggle, as each team had to work extra hard to score. But in the second half, North began attacking the basket and got some great scoring from its frontcourt.

The Lady Saxons were led by Kristin Dresser with 13 points, Joslyn Barnes with 12, including the game winner, and Megan Padilla with 6.

Lady Saxons Beat Torrance in Key Pioneer League Game  

The North Torrance Lady Saxons beat Torrance 43-30 on Feb. 6 to avenge an earlier loss. Using some great defense and aggressive, attacking offense, North jumped out to 12-4 first quarter lead and a 21 to 11 halftime lead. The Lady Saxons kept up the “d” and really limited Torrance's 3-point shooting.

North was led by Kristen Dresser with 12 points and Megan Padilla with 11.

Lady Saxons Lose Tough Game to Centennial  

In a key Pioneer League game, the North High Lady Saxon fell to Centennial 47-43. North came out strong and took a 12-8 first quarter lead. Using tough defense, the Lady Saxons took a 22-17 halftime lead. But Centennial came out strong in the third quarter and took a two point lead into the fourth quarter. North rallied but fell just short. The Lady Saxons were led by Kelly Kika with 14 points and Joslyn Barnes and Danielle Quan with 6 each.

Lady Saxons Vanquish El Segundo in League Rematch  

The North High Lady Saxons started the second round of league play with at 45-29 victory over El Segundo. The game was a tight battle, with North taking a 28-21 halftime lead. El Segundo fought hard, but the Lady Saxons used excellent defense and some transition plays to win the battle. North was led by Joslyn Barnes with 11 points, Shay Taba with 9, Megan Padilla with 7 and Danielle Yamauchi with 6.

Lady Saxons Hammer Lawndale to Complete First Round of League  

Wed. Jan 28th the North High Lady Saxons beat Lawndale 59-44 to finish the first round of league with a 3-2 record. It was a tight battle early in the game, but North led by 11 at half. Using tough defense and some timely shooting, the Lady Saxons surged to a lead in the fourth quarter and won going away. The Lady Saxons were led by Kristin Dresser with 10 points and Quashaun Vallery with 7 points and 15 rebounds.

Lady Saxons Beat South in Key Pioneer Showdown  

The North High Lady Saxons beat the South Torrance 50-47 last Friday night in a key Pioneer League showdown. This was a significant win for the Lady Saxons as South has been league champions for the last four years. South came out on fire to take a first quarter lead, but North battled back to make it a game by half. The third quarter was the key, as the Lady Saxons clamped down on defense. With some clutch shooting and solid “d,” the Lady Saxons took and lead and held on for the win. Kelly Kika led the Lady Saxons with 20 points, backed up by Quashaun Vallery with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 5 steals. Great win for the Lady Saxons!

Lady Saxons Lose to Torrance in Pioneer League Battle

In the third Pioneer League game, the North Torrance Lady Saxons fell to Torrance 48-39. The first quarter was close, with North and Torrance going back and forth. But in the second quarter, Torrance pulled away for a 30-15 halftime lead. The Lady Saxons made a run in the third quarter, cutting the lead to seven, but Torrance fought back and held a 39-23 lead at the end of that quarter. North put on a spurt in the fourth quarter, but fell short. The Lady Saxons were led by Megan Padilla with 12 points and Quashaun Vallery with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Lady Saxons Fall to Centennial in Pioneer League Battle

The North Torrance Lady Saxons made a strong comeback but fell short in a Pioneer League game, losing to Centennial 50-42. Centennial came out strong to take a 14-7 first quarter lead and a 26-16 half time lead. But the Lady Saxons showed heart battling back to close to 42-40 mid way through the fourth quarter. Despite a solid effort, the Lady Saxons fell just short. North was led in scoring by Kristen Dresser with 9, Joslyn Barnes and Shay Taba with 8 and Taryn Wong with 7. Next up for the Lady Saxons is a road game at Torrance on January 21 st .

Lady Saxons Open Pioneer League Play With Decisive Win Over El Segundo  

The North Torrance Lady Saxons opened league play with a victory, soundly beating El Segundo 63-33. The first quarter was a battle, with North using some timely shooting and good defensive to open a 11-8 lead. The second quarter was tight, with both teams searching for offensive. North led at the half, 18-15. The Lady Saxons got hot and opened a bigger lead in the third quarter, 35-25. But it was the fourth quarter when the Lady Saxons put it all together, both defensibly and offensively, outscoring El Segundo 28-8. North was lead by Quashaun Vallery with 19 points, Megan Padilla with 11 and Joslyn Barnes with 6 points. Next up is a battle with Centennial on the road at 6:00 pm on Friday.

Lady Saxons Finish Off Non-League Schedule With Big Win Over West  

The North Torrance Lady Saxons finished off a successful non-league schedule beating West Torrance 63-23 Saturday afternoon at West. Playing aggressive defense and with timely shooting, North opened up a 16-5 first quarter lead. North kept the pressure on, making it hard for West to score and built up a 29-10 halftime lead. North executed its game plan to perfected and finished off the game with a big win. The Lady Saxons were led by Danielle Quan with 10, Danielle Yamaguchi with 9, Joslyn Barnes with 7 and Kelly Kika and Quashaun Vallery with 6 each.

North finished the non-league schedule with a solid 10-5 record, including winning the Valley Christian Championship. Next up is El Segundo as league play begins at North on Wednesday, January 14.

Lady Saxons Fall to Serra in Non-League Clash  

The North Torrance Lady Saxons fell to Serra of Gardena 62-45 in a non-league game. North fought hard early in the game, and the score was 12-12 before Serra made a run. The second quarter proved difficult for North as Serra jumped out to a 39-16 halftime lead. The Lady Saxons battled back in the second half, outscoring Serra 15-12 in the third quarter. The Lady Saxons were led by Taryn Wong with 14, Danielle Quan with 7 and Joslyn Barnes and Megan Padilla with 6 each. Next up, West on Saturday at 3:00 pm at West.

Lady Saxons Vanquish Peninsula in Non-League Clash  

The North Torrance Lady Saxons walloped Peninsula 65-42 in a non-league game at North. The Lady Saxons hit a school record 14 three pointers in the victory. North jumped out to 20-5 first quarter lead and led 36-13 at half. Peninsula cut into the lead a bit, with North leading after three 46-30. North finished strong to close out the victory. North was led by Taryn Wong with 15 points on five three pointers, Megan Padilla with 14, including four threes and Shay Taba with 10, including two threes.

Lady Saxons Whip Sinagua 61-27 to Take Third in Arizona

The North Torrance Lady Saxons used great defense to stifle Sinagua of Arizona and take third place in the Nike Tournament of Champions. The Lady Saxons jumped out to an 18-0 lead after the first quarter, harassing Sinagua into tough shots and turnovers and extended that lead to 30-2 at halftime.

North kept up the pressure and dominated the game, winning 61-27 to finish 2-1 in Arizona . The Lady Saxons were led by Sydney Lee with 11, Megan Padilla with 9 and Kelly Kika and Danielle Quan with 8 each. The Lady Saxons resume action next Tuesday at home against Peninsula at 6:00 pm.

Lady Saxons Lose to Corona del Sol, Play for Third Place on Tuesday

The North Torrance Lady Saxons lost 65-50 to Corona del Sol from Arizona on Monday. North came out playing scrappy against a much taller Corona team,but was down 19-13 after the first quarter.  Corona used its size to take at 35-25 lead at half.

The Lady Saxons made a run, cutting the lead down to seven, but Corona build up its lead and closed out the game. North was led by Kelly Kika with 11 points, Joslyn Barnes with 9 and Danielle Quan and Danielle Yamauchi with 8 each.  The Lady Saxons next play in the Third Place game on Tuesday Dec. 30th.

Lady Saxons Beat Desert Ridge in Nike Opener in Arizona

The North Torrance Lady Saxons soundly beat Desert Ridge 57-33 in Round One of the Nike Tournament of Champions Saturday in Phoenix. The Lady Saxons opened up with a 13-9 first quarter lead and extended that to 24-17 at half.

Thanks to  some great rebounding and fast breaks, North broke open the game in the third quarter, leading 39-28.  A strong fourth quarter resulted in a 24 point win.

The Lady Saxons were led by Megan Padilla with 14 points, followed by Kelly Kika and Shay Taba with 7 each.  The win puts the Lady Saxons at 7-3 for the first ten games.  Next game is Monday in Arizona vs. Corona del Sol.

Lady Saxons Beat Gahr for Valley Christian Tournament Championship  

The North High Lady Saxons beat Gahr 57-52 in a thrilling championship game Saturday night at Valley Christian High in Cerritos. The Lady Saxons used solid defense and some timely shooting to take a 12-8 first quarter lead. But Gahr fought back and took at 24-23 halftime lead. The Lady Saxon dug deep and really put the pressure on Gahr, taking at 37-32 lead going in the fourth quarter. Making some timely free throws, North held off Gahr and won the championship in an exciting way.

The Lady Saxons were led by tourney MVP Joslyn Barnes' 12 points…8 points each from Taryn Wong and Danielle Yamauchi and 7 from Kelly Kika. In all, nine Lady Saxons chipped in on the scoring. All star awards were also earned by Danielle Quan and Megan Padilla.

Congratulations to all the Lady Saxons for winning the championship!

Next up, three games at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona right after Christmas.

Lady Saxons Hold Off Valley Christian, Advance to Finals  

In an exciting battle, the North High Lady Saxons defeated Valley Christian 55-47 to win their pool and advance to the finals. North came out with stifling defense and some timely shooting to take a 12-7 first quarter lead. That lead grew to 35-19 and halftime thanks to some sparkling defense and good offensive execution. Valley Christian battled back and got as close as four points in the second half, but the Lady Saxons made some key shots to pull out the victory. Saturday, North plays Gahr High in the finals.

The Lady Saxons were led by Megan Padilla, Kelly Kika and Joslyn Barnes with 10 each, followed by Danielle Yamauchi with 9.

Lady Saxon Swamp Westminster in Valley Christian Tournament  

Using a relentless pressure defense, the Lady Saxons beat Westminster 61-41 in a pool play game at the Valley Christian Tournament. North jumped out to a 22-8 first quarter lead and a 41-19 halftime advantage that's to stellar defense and some hot shooting. The second half was nearly even, but the Lady Saxons still prevailed. North was led by Kristen Dresser with 15 points and 8 rebounds…Kelly Kika with 14 points on 4-5 three point shots, and Joslyn Barnes with 8 points.

Next ups, the host school, Cerritos Valley Christian, Friday night at 8:00 pm.

Lady Saxons Break Open Game, Dominate Mayfair  

In the opening game of the Valley Christian Tournament in Cerritos, the North Torrance Lady Saxon handily beat Mayfair 50-32. Megan Padilla open the scoring with two of her five three pointers and the Lady Saxons took at 10-7 lead after one quarter.

With the help of Joslyn Barnes and Danielle Quan, North opened up at 26-15 half time lead. Then, with some stellar defense and transition baskets, the Lady Saxons opened up the lead. They made many steals and created turnovers, which lead to some easy baskets. North was led by Megan Padilla's 16 points, followed by Danielle Quan with 10, Joslyn Barnes with 7 and Shay Taba with 5.

The Lady Saxon are scheduled to play two more games in their pool this week, with the final game on Saturday.

Lady Saxons Dominate Warren in Big Win

Monday night at North High, the Lady Saxon earned their second win of the year with a resounding 63-39 victory over Warren High of Downey. North came out of the gate fast, taking a 16-6 first quarter lead and a 27-16 halftime lead. In the third quarter, thanks to stellar defense and some hot shooting, the lead grew to 16 points, 42-26. The fourth quarter was the same, as the Lady Saxon played tough in the victory. Leading the way was Megan Padilla with 10 points, and Taryn Wong and Sydney Lee with 8 points each.

Next up: Valley Christian Tournament Dec. 17-20 th in Cerritos .

Lady Saxons Fight Hard But Lose to Lakewood  

In the fifth-place game at the Woodbridge Tournament, the North High Lady Saxons fell to Lakewood, 46-36. The Lady Saxons came out strong, with tenacious defense and good shooting to take a 23-17 halftime lead. But in the second half, the shots were not falling and Lakewood got hot, taking at 35-31 lead into the final period. Unfortunately, the Lady Saxon fell short, losing by ten.

The leading scorers were Danielle Quan and Joslyn Barnes with eight points each…Kristen Dresser with six…and Shay Taba and Danielle Yamaguchi with four each.

Lady Saxons Score First Victory of Season Over Aliso Niguel  

The North High Lady Saxons bounced back from two tough early season loses with a resounding 65-49 win over Aliso Niguel. The Lady Saxons jumped out to an early lead, and won the first quarter 18-12. With tough D and aggressive offensive, North took a 29-24 half time lead. Aliso Niguel started off the second hard on a 10-1 run to take a 34-30 lead, but then the Lady Saxons tightened up the D and took the lead for good. Final score: North 65, Aliso Niguel 49. The Lady Saxons were led by Joslyn Barnes with 17 points and 10 rebounds…Danielle Yamauchi with 11 points and three steals…and Megan Padilla with 8. The Lady Saxons finish the Woodbridge Tournament with a Dec. 6 clash with Lakewood High.

Lady Saxons fall to powerful Villa Park in Woodbridge Tourney  

Wednesday night, the North High Lady Saxons lost to powerful Villa Park, 61-49. The Lady Saxons battled hard, but where down 18-7 after the first quarter. With some aggressive defense and good shooting, the Lady Saxons made a run at Villa Park, only to be down 39-24 at half. Villa Park extended the lead with some great outside shooting, but the Lady Saxons keep up the pace and closed the gap to a 61-49 final score. North was led by Kristin Dresser with 10 points, followed by Joslyn Barnes and Amie Komae with 9 points each and Danielle Yamaguchi with 6.

Lady Saxons Lose Tough Battle to San Clemente Tritons in Woodbridge Classic Tourney

In the opening game of the 2008-09 season, the North High Lady Saxons lost a hard fought battle to last year's CIF runner-up, the San Clemente Tritons by the score of 69-52. San Clemente had three players over 6'1” and towered over the Lady Saxons, but the North High girls used speed, outside shooting and toughness to lead 18-15 after the first quarter. At halftime, it was San Clemente 29 and North 25. The Lady Saxons hit 11 three pointers to keep the game close until the Tritons pulled away at the end using their size advantage. North was led by Megan Padilla with a career high 19 points, Kristen Dresser with 10, and guards Shay Taba (7), Taryn Wong (6) and Amie Komae (5) points, respectively.