In a matchup featuring two teams in the Scholastic Series OC Girls Top 25 Coaches Poll, #11 Crean Lutheran leaned on the experience gained in their tough pre-season schedule to defeat #23 Calvary Chapel 60-54 in a fast paced game on Tuesday night. Calvary Chapel came out fast utilizing their pressure defense to speed up Crean Lutheran. The Eagles took a 27-8 lead at the end of 1 after Chloe Zazueta beat the buzzer with her third 3 of the quarter. Not losing their composure, the Saints cut Calvary Chapel’s lead to 29-23 with 4:05 left in the half after Freshman Madison Nguyen’s coast to coast finish. Crean Lutheran outscored the Eagles 27-12 in the 2nd quarter to cut their deficit to 39-35 at the half.

Calvary Chapel’s Chloe Zazueta led all scorers in the 1st half with 20 points, including 4 3’s, while Micaela Hanning added 13 for the Eagles. Sydney Norwood led Crean Lutheran with 14 while Ashely Heyer finished the half with 10.

Crean Lutheran dug their heels in on the defensive end in the 3rd, holding Calvary Chapel to 6 points and took a 46-45 into the 4th quarter. Ashley Heyer hit a big corner 3 late in the 4th and Lizzie Elder, who led the Saints with 9 2nd half points, was 4-4 from the FT line down the stretch to close out the come-from-behind win. Crean Lutheran improved to 10-8 with the win.  Calvary Chapel, ranked #14 in CIF Division 3A, fell to 11-6 but showed they definitely belong in the Top 25.

Leading Scorers and Player Evaluations:

Crean Lutheran

Sydnee Norwood (19): Sophomore forward who can attack off the dribble and finish in traffic. Solid post footwork and has soft hands.

Ashley Heyer (15): Stretch 4 who scores on all 3 levels. Physical player with a quick release.

Lizzie Elder (11): Vocal leader who does all the little things. Tough player who impacts the game on both ends.

Calvary Chapel

Chloe Zazueta (20): Physical player who is a strong finisher. Knocks it down from 3 as she sets her feet quickly with a high release.

Micaela Hanning (19):Sophomore PG with a high IQ and great vision. Skilled, athletic guard who is a crafty finisher in traffic and has a strong off-hand.