Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 | 10:27 a.m.
Even when the Centennial girls' basketball team broke its own 4A scoring record twice in its first two games this year, not many people thought this was possible.
But about the same time the Bulldogs began winning by 70 instead of 60 points, it became clear that Wednesday's feat would come sooner than later.
And when sophomore Italee Lucas hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 left in the first quarter of Wednesday's 83-57 win at Mojave High School, it was official -- the Bulldogs are the most offensively proficient girls' basketball team in Nevada history.
In 27 games, Centennial has scored 2,290 points, passing the recof 2,212 points set by Mineral County in 32 games in 2000.
"People keep saying, you're breaking records, setting records," Centennial coach Karen Weitz said. "I personally had no idea we were about to break a record. If it happens, it happens. We still try to do what we want to do."
The Bulldogs have averaged 84 points per game, with at least two games remaining this season. They're now just 223 points behind the Bishop Manogue boys' record of 2,513 for most points by any team of any gender. Centennial could play as many as seven more games this year.
In the process, Centennial has earned national attention, reaching No. 22 in this week's USA Today Super 25 poll.
Weitz said the key to this year's team has been the parity in scoring. She has yet to release scoring averages to the media this year for her players, but it's clear from reported scores that there isn't one go-to player on the Centennial roster.
In Wednesday's game, four of Centennial's players had at least 14 points, led by Ashley Blake's 27. Whitley Cox and Kristina Kline added 17 points each and Lucas finished with 14.
"We teach them obviously, as much as you can teach kids, not to be selfish," Weitz said. "That's why we have four girls, five girls in double digits."
And why Centennial is 183-10 in the past four seasons.
Lucas said Centennial's on-court dynamic is a reflection of the team's off-court demeanor.
"Chemistry, it's all chemistry," she said. "If you don't have it off the court, you're not going to have it on the court."
She also said defense was the key to the Bulldogs offense. While opponents are averaging 44 points per game, the 90-plus point games have generally been on nights when opponents scored less than 35.
Not that the Bulldogs have been perfect. Although their only loss came against a team from Texas that was at one point ranked fourth in the country, Centennial has shown times when it can be slowed. Notable were a 47-38 win at Green Valley in December and a 68-63 home victory against Highland (Calif.) later that month. And, Centennial has yet to play the second- and third-ranked teams in Nevada -- Bishop Gorman and Reed.
Even Wednesday, Mojave kept it close after an abysmal start. Centennial only outscored the Rattlers by nine points after Mojave spotted the defending champions a 19-2 lead with 3 minutes, 45 seconds to go in the first quarter.
"We know what we need to do," Weitz said. "We build a 20- or 30-point lead, and sometimes 20 or 30 is not going to do that."
But, she added, despite Friday's game against Palo Verde having no playoff implications -- Centennial will be a top seed in the Sunset Region playoffs and play host to either Clark or Spring Valley in a quarterfinal game Monday -- she doesn't expect her short roster of now nine girls to take it easy. Whitney Price had knee surgery Tuesday and Sierra Chambers is out with an ankle injury.
"I wish I had that kind of player," Weitz said. "They'll come out Friday and want to do just as well as if it was the first game of the year."
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