By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com
Napa Valley College, with an overall winning record and firmly entrenched in third place in the Bay Valley Conference standings, is playing some of its best basketball of the 2023-24 season.
"We just need to take them one game at a time and continue to play hard and continue to just grind, like we had to grind this game out," coach Paul DeBolt said, after the Storm's 72-61 win over visiting Mendocino College-Ukiah, in a women's game on Friday, Feb. 2.
Riding a two-game win streak and with only four games to go in the regular season, there is something big that the Storm is striving for: making the playoffs.
Brooklyn Giles, a sophomore guard who is averaging 16.2 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, is doing all she can to get the Storm to the postseason.
"Playoffs has always been a goal. That's been a goal of ours since the beginning of the season," said Giles. "That's still on our agenda, and I think we're going to get there. I know we're going to get there.
"I feel like as long as we play our game and we do what we did tonight, in the second half, we're going to be just fine. We're going to do what we need to do to get to the playoffs."
Giles had another super game, scoring 28 points and getting 19 rebounds, to lead Napa Valley past Mendocino. Showing explosive speed, she got several layups, getting past Mendocino's defense.
Giles had eight points in the first, second and third quarters. She was 10-of-15 from the free-throw line.
"Every time I come out, I'm not looking to get my own. I'm just looking to win," said Giles. "I'm just trying to play my game and trying to get my teammates as many buckets.
"I'm definitely a big part of this team. But my teammates are even a bigger part of this team when the other team starts noticing I'm getting loose and starts to shut me down. My teammates always are there to step up, and to take the lead. And that's what we did tonight, especially (Daralonie Sykes). She had a great game."
Giles is having a great season – one of the best by a player in the history of the NVC women's basketball program. She is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 61.4 percent from free-throw line while averaging 3.7 assists per game. She is also an excellent defender, getting steals and contesting and blocking shots.
"She's an All-State player in my mind right now," said DeBolt. "She can take over a game. It's hard to stop her. Her mid-range game is there. She's great in the open court and then she picks her spots. So, we just try to move her around. And when her teammates are getting her the ball in good situations, then she's going to get her points.
"She's outstanding defensively. And she is a great rebounder."
Two other players, Daralonie Sykes and Kamilah Tiongco, each scored in double figures as the Storm came back from an early 12-6 first-quarter deficit.
Sykes, a sophomore point guard, scored 20 points and had five rebounds. Tiongco, a freshman guard, scored 13 points with three 3-pointers.
Alicia Johnson scored nine points.
Napa Valley (13-11 overall, 7-3 Bay Valley Conference) had leads of 15-14 in the first quarter and 39-35 at halftime. It was in the third quarter when the Storm started to pull away, taking a 60-48 lead.
NVC went up by 15 points, 60-45 in the third quarter.
"We just need to get a little more in transition, get to the free-throw line, which we did, and make some 3's, which we did," said DeBolt. "When we score, we can set up our defense."
The key to the third-quarter surge, said Giles, was the increased energy that the Storm played with.
"We played together," said Giles. "I think in the first half we were kind of like not on the same page as far as our offense. But we really put it together. Coach Paul and our other assistant coaches (Zack Cook,
Monica Llyod, Angelita Hutton) really hyped us up at halftime and told us we need to get it together. So. that's what we did."
After Mendocino closed to within one point at 39-38, Napa Valley took charge, going on an 8-0 run and taking a 47-38 lead.
"We ran the same stuff, but we just came out more aggressive this time," said Giles. "The first half, we weren't really getting to our spots, and if we were, we were just not really applying pressure, not really rebounding. But in the second half, we came in disciplined, made sure we rebounded, and made sure we got to our spots quick. That was a difference maker, for sure."
Napa Valley had four 3-pointers and was 20-of-29 from the free-throw line.
Mendocino (3-9 overall, 2-7 Bay Valley Conference) cut Napa Valley's lead to five points, 64-59 with 3:25 to go.
Bella Merritt did not score in the game, but was outstanding on defense for the Storm.
"Bella Merritt sparked us defensively in the second half. Bella played great defensively. We had to get more physical with them. I thought that Bella made a big difference for us in the second half, defensively, and she had a lot of rebounds. She just battled for everything," said DeBolt.
Sykes is having a very good season for the Storm, as she is averaging 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
"That kid is all heart. She had a huge game again tonight. Strong defender. Good rebounder," said DeBolt.
Tiongco was key for NVC in the second quarter, hitting three 3-pointers. Tiongco is averaging 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
"She's a steady player. She's really learned to play at this level," said DeBolt. "She's played really well for us all year, and she's kind of been under the radar. When she's making 3's, it really sparks us. She's a great shooter. She's a great all-around player. We need her in the game."
Eight players scored in the game for Mendocino, which had nine 3-pointers and was 6-of-8 at the free-throw line.
Mendocino's top scorer was Haylee Langdeau with 20 points, including three 3-pointers. Amaya Macandog had 12 points.
NVC's next game is Friday, Feb. 9 at home against Contra Costa College-San Pablo at 5:30 p.m.
"We're going to do what we have to do to get to the postseason, but you can't look ahead. It's just the next game, which is Friday," said DeBolt.
* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.