Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – St. Bernard’s Emma Wilson drives the ball up court during Friday night’s game.

By Ray Hamill — The St. Bernard’s girls got the defense of their Little 4 title off to an impressive start on Friday night, running out to a comfortable 69-32 win at home to Hoopa in basketball.

Freshman standout Saulele Tanuvasa continued to lead the way offensively, scoring a game-high 28 points, while teammate Josie Peterson added 14 points.

The Crusaders led 40-18 at halftime and went deep to the bench.

“We did some things well, and we have some things we could do better,” St. Bernard’s head coach Mark Gardner said. “I was pleased that we were able to limit our turnovers tonight, that has been a focus for us during the break.”

With the win, the St. Bernard’s girls improved to 12-4 on the season and 1-0 in the Little 4.

The ever-consistent Mackenzie Finck also had a big night for the Crusaders, finishing with nine points, while Shelby Jordan added eight.

“We’re starting to execute our offense better,” Gardner said. “Our defense continues to be our strength. We’re playing more disciplined defensively and that will need to continue as we continue through league and get ready for the postseason.”

For Hoopa, K-Lynn Dowd-Swanson continued her impressive season, finishing with a team-high 10 points, while Dawn Van Pelt and Beyonce Bussell each scored seven, with Van Pelt going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.

Hoopa’s K-Lynn Dowd-Swanson

Despite the score, the Warriors grew into the game, especially on the defensive end, and head coach Crissy Robbins is seeing signs of improvement.

“I think we’re bringing more intensity to our game,” the head coach said.

Hoopa’s Naschewen Hunsucker also had a good game and continued to set the tone for the Warriors along with Jada McCovey and Dowd-Swanson.