Providence Girls Hoops Toys With Rio Hondo Prep

Lia Krumian scores a game-high 37 points and the Pioneers beat the Kares 50-31 in a Prep League game.

0
1803
Providence senior shooting guard Lia Krumian helped lead the Pioneers to a 50-31 win over the Kares after tallying 37 points. (Photo by Austin Gebhardt)

By Rick Assad

On a night when Lia Krumian scored seemingly at will, so complete was her dominance that there were times when the senior shooting guard was unstoppable, and her play helped lead the Providence High girls’ basketball team to a lopsided 50-31 win over visiting Rio Hondo Prep on Friday night.

Officially Krumian scored 37 points and 21 of those points were registered at halftime when the Pioneers dashed in front 23-13 in the Prep League matchup.

Krumian, a slick ball handler who is fast, athletic and a deadeye shooter, nailed 14 shots that included four from three-point range and also added five free throws.

The beauty of Krumian’s game is that despite being the best player on the team, she always tries to get all of her teammates involved in the offense.

Three Providence players did score, and they accounted for 13 points, but the point total could have been higher if a few shots here and there would have dropped through the basket.

The other Providence players who scored were senior shooting guard/small forward Sylvie Demirjian with six points, senior point guard Andrea Ferrer with four points and senior power forward Nicole Kadi with three points.

The Pioneers (10-3 and 2-0 in league) didn’t shoot a high percentage and neither did the Kares.

Senior point guard Andrea Ferrer scored four points for the Pioneers, played solid defense and set up the offense. (Photo by Austin Gebhardt)

Providence connected on 20 of 60 from the field for 33.3 percent and Rio Hondo Prep hit 12 of 47 for 25.5 percent.

The Pioneers did make all of their five free throws while the Kares nailed six of 14 for 42.8 percent.

Krumian, who was coming off a 48-point performance in a 73-20 win over Westridge, scored all of her team’s 19 points in the first quarter as she nailed seven attempts that included two from three-point range and also added three free throws.

Senior Madelyn Van Cleve (five points) accounted for three points in the opening period for the Kares.

Krumian cooled down in the second period as she converted two from the charity line.

Senior Emma Carson dropped five points that included a three-pointer in the second frame for Rio Hondo Prep.

Carson, who led the Kares with 13 points, followed up with four points in the third period.

Perhaps taking a brief respite from a huge scoring quarter, Krumian settled in and canned five shots including two treys in the third period and tallied 12 points and had 33 points heading to the fourth quarter as Providence darted in front 41-19.

Ferrer’s bucket with 4:10 remaining in the third period saw the Pioneers race to a 29-15 advantage and Ferrer’s hoop with 1:30 left in the same frame made it 36-15.

With the contest well in hand, the Kares (9-6 and 0-3 in league) played a lot better in the fourth frame as they outscored the hosts 12-9, with Carson totaling four points in the period.

When sophomore Allie Scott scored her only points with 4:30 showing in the fourth period, the Kares sliced the lead to 41-27 but Krumian answered with a bucket and 3:50 on the clock as Providence pulled ahead 45-27.

    Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center