Palisades Recreation Center’s Girls Minor Division All-Stars Win Citywide Hoops Championship
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
As the final seconds ticked off the clock and the buzzer sounded, guard Caroline Schinto turned to her bench and pointed her fingers in the air to signify that she and her team were No. 1. For the second straight year, the Palisades Recreation Center’s Girls Minor Division All-Stars won the Citywide basketball tournament with a 21-13 victory over Queen Anne on April 1 at Obama Sports Complex in Rancho Cienega.
It was a satisyfing end to a glorious “March Madness” journey for the local squad of skilled 9 and 10-year-olds and afterwards, Senior Facility Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi presented the first-place trophy and Coordinator Ernesto Diaz brought forth the medals—both of them proud that another banner will hang in the Pali Rec Center gym.
For Schinto and Joey Hansen, both also members of the 2022 title winners, the celebration was double the fun. They joined their teammates for pictures outside—memories that will last a lifetime. “I loved my team both years,” Schinto said after tallying the team’s second basket in the finale. “This makes me so happy!”
Photos by Steve Galluzzo
Having captured the West Region in dominating style, Palisades faced Pacific Region winner 109th Street from South LA in the semifinals and prevailed 24-17 on March 29. Queen Anne, the Metro Region champion, beat Valley Region winner Fernangeles of Sun Valley in the other semifinal.
“Both [years] were the same in that some games were difficult, some were easy,” Hansen said. “My dad’s hard on me and makes me practice everyday, but it’s worth it.”
Despite missing two players for the finals, guard Soy Yoon and forward Sabrina Ma, Palisades overcame a jittery start to take control after intermission, limiting its Mid-Wilshire foe to four points in the last 20 minutes.
Palisades won its five regional games by an average of nearly 20 points and trailed only once—by one point at halftime against Mar Vista in the West Region final. After maintaining a comfortable lead most of the way versus 109th Street, the local girls traded baskets early with Queen Anne.
Throughout Palisades’ magical run one player or another came through when needed most and the City final was Georgia Thomas’ turn to shine.
The forward scored 12 points—10 of them in the second half to spark a 10-0 run that gave her team the breathing room it needed to close out its second straight seven-point win, the only two times in the entire tournament the local girls did not win by double digits.
“I just saw an opening and went for it,” said Thomas, who also plays for the LA Bulls Soccer Club. “We got the momentum and kept it. This is probaby one of my biggest wins.”
Vivienne Kremser’s jumper with 6:16 left put Palisades ahead 19-11.
“One of my specialties is inbounding,” Kremser said. “Our coaches told us before the game even if we don’t win we’ve come this far and we can proud. It’s been my favorite season. I was on the Aces with Joey and I’ve known everyone awhile except for Brinley and Georgia.”
Catie Sterparn provided lockdown defense alongside Schinto, Nicole Sacks, Brinley Long and Hansen.
“I was nervous at the start and the ball was going everywhere but I had confidence,” Sterparn added. “They were tall and shoved a lot.”
Sacks made a basket and added a free throw in the first half, which ended with the score tied 9-9.
“This is bigger because we had a lot more games and won it all,” said Sacks, who teamed with Sterparn on the Palisades Predators, a 10U girls AYSO Extra team that took third at the Western State Championships last month. “This was the toughest game because they were a really tall and aggressive team.”
For Long, the secret to success was chemistry: “We all like basketball, we worked as a team and that’s why we won. Soy’s dad and mine both work for the Clippers. All my teammates are super nice girls. ”
Blake Schinto credited co-coach Brian Hansen, who flew back from the NCAA Final Four, for changing the halfcourt defense for the finals.
“We knew their height was our biggest challenge so our press was key,” said Schinto, who grew up in the Palisades and has also enjoyed coaching his boys’ PPBA and Corpus Christi teams. “What makes this great is that all the girls stepped up. Georgia was in Paris for Spring Break and missed the semifinals, but she came back with a vengeance! I hate to rank them all because every team you coach is unique, but this is one I’m sure I won’t forget.”
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