Trojans fall in home opener to Char-Houston

Chartiers-Houston continued its dominant season with an emphatic 57-23 victory over California, using a relentless full-court press and balanced scoring to maintain their perfect record.

The Buccaneers (7-1, 2-0) overwhelmed the Trojans from start to finish.

“We knew Chartiers was going to come ready to play — they’re undefeated, and rightfully so,” said California coach Brandi Sutherland. “They played us really well tonight and made it hard for us to get back into the game once we fell behind.”

Chartiers immediately disrupted California’s rhythm and made it difficult for them to get into their offensive sets.

After the Trojans scored the first basket of the game, Chartiers launched a 17-0 run spanning the first and second quarters, fueled by turnovers and crisp ball movement that helped them find their shots every possession.

Chartiers led 9-2 after the first quarter and their advantage ballooned to 31-9 by halftime.

“I thought we played with good energy the entirety of the game, and I was worried about that considering we haven’t played since December 19,” said Chartiers-Houston coach Laura Montecalvo. “I thought we turned up the intensity on both sides of the ball once the game got going. It’s always nice to see such an all-around effort from the girls too, where we spread the ball around and have a more balanced attack. We’re a much better team when we do that.”

California struggled to advance the ball and execute its offense through the Bucs’ press. C-H forced 16 first-half turnovers, many of which led to transition baskets.

Senior Ava Capozzoli spearheaded the offensive attack with 11 points, including two 3-pointers, while Ella Richey finished the game with 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting.

“Ava has worked really hard to get where she is,” Montecarlo said of Capozzoli. “She’s made major improvements from ninth grade to now, and it’s been awesome to see. She has a lot of poise, experience, and confidence in her game. Whether it’s ball-handling, passing, or playing defense, she’s improved in every category, and is a player who’s grown a lot, and we’re super proud of her.”

The Trojans (3-3, 1-1) committed 31 turnovers over the course of the game. Despite the lopsided outcome, Sutherland remained optimistic about her team’s effort and growth potential.

“The turnovers killed us tonight,” Sutherland said. “We need to work on our press break, getting the ball down the floor and passing through the press. We can’t dribble through it like we were trying to do tonight. That’ll definitely be the focus this week.”

In the second half, California showed flashes of resilience, particularly in the third quarter. Addison Gregory provided a spark, scoring six points on putbacks and leading the team with six rebounds. The Trojans managed to limit Chartiers to a 10-8 scoring margin in the third quarter, thanks in part to improved ball movement and effort on the boards.

“At practice, they’re working hard,” Sutherland said of her team. “We’re able to convert those easy shots and make the smart passes in practice where they’re comfortable, but we just have to find a way to translate that to game action.”

Despite California’s brief surge, Chartiers’ depth and balance ultimately proved insurmountable. The Buccaneers had six players score eight or more points, with Ali Wingard, Ava Kolovich and Sophie Palone joining the offensive outburst as well. Pallone contributed 9 points off the bench, including two 3-pointers for the Bucs.

The Trojans are back in section play Monday at home against Bentworth.