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PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: White emerges as Westview's gunner

By MATT NULL - For the North County Times | Thursday, December 4, 2008 10:56 PM PST ∞

Vista High's Sydney Gathright drives against Westview's Denise White on Thursday night. (Photo by Bill Wechter - Staff photographer)

CARMEL VALLEY ---- For the better part of three weeks, Westview High girls basketball coach Bob McHeffey has been searching for a 3-point shooter.

On Thursday, he might have found his girl. Denise White made five 3-pointers to lead the Wolverines to a 55-47 win over Vista in the Eagle-Vaquero Classic at Westview.

White, who led the team with 16 points, was the leading scorer on Westview's junior varsity team last year.

"When I came here, Coach McHeffey said, 'If you want to play on varsity, you've got to make 3-pointers because that is what I'm looking for,' " White said.

White made four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone and now leads the Wolverines (4-0) with 12 in four games.

"She's been shooting well for us this year," McHeffey said. "I'll take a girl averaging three 3-pointers a game any day. And the girls did a great job getting her the ball."

Guard Melissa Peng, who led Westview with six assists and added 14 points, was the player getting White the ball most of the night.

"She was hot all night," Peng said. "So the main key was to get her the ball, and when we did she was the big difference in the game."

Another big difference was the dismal free throw shooting of the Panthers (0-3), who were 8-of-21.

"We've got to make our free throws," Vista coach Jennie Dillon. "Our defense was good enough tonight to get us the win and so was our execution, but in an eight-point game you can't have that many opportunities at the free throw line and miss them. We didn't take advantage of it when we should have."

The game was close until late in the second quarter, when White hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Westview its biggest lead of the first half at 28-17.

The Wolverines went up by 13 in the third quarter before Vista went on a 19-7 run late in the fourth to pull within one point at 42-41. But three straight field goals by Westview, including a Peng 3-pointer, gave the Wolverines breathing room.

Tia Johnson led the Panthers with 14 points and six rebounds. Sydney Gathright added 11 points.

"Vista played hard tonight, and in the end they came back well," McHeffey said. "They are a big, physical team and they pushed us tonight."