La Jolla Country Day girls basketball team scores national attention in taking on the best

La Jolla Country Day's Sumaya Sugapong shoots over Etiwanda's Majesty Cade on Jan. 28 during the ESPN BorderBoyz Classic.

The Torreys — ranked No. 6 in the country and No. 3 in California — have faced nine nationally ranked teams this season, and all but three of their first 25 opponents had winning records.

Jan. 30, 2023 3:57 PM PT

The La Jolla Country Day School girls basketball schedule reads like something you’d see on the Travel Channel.

There have been flights to Phoenix, Portland, Ore., and the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

On Jan. 28, the Torreys — ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 3 in California — took a long bus ride to San Ysidro High School to take on Etiwanda, ranked 10th in the nation and fifth in California, in the ESPN BorderBoyz Classic.

Trailing by six points in the third quarter, LJCDS rallied for a hard-fought 70-65 win in a game carried by ESPN+.

The Torreys had three players score 20 or more points. Jada Williams led all scorers with 24, including four three-pointers.

Breya Cunningham finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Sumaya Sugapong had 20 points — all in the second half — and hit four three-pointers.

“We’re used to the big stage,” Williams said. “We do what we do. Basketball is a game of runs. You need to know how to stop them and how to get on one yourself.”

Cunningham played the entire fourth quarter with four fouls.

“I’ve been in that situation before,” she said. “I had to stay down, not give the officials a reason to call a foul.”

Williams and Cunningham will be going to Houston in March as members of the West girls basketball team in the McDonald’s All-American Games.

Etiwanda was the ninth nationally ranked team the Torreys (22-3) have faced this season, with the schedule also including No. 1 Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth, No. 4 Long Island Lutheran (New York), No. 13 Duncanville (Texas), No. 14 Webb (Tennessee), No. 18 Sacred Heart (Kentucky), No. 20 Lone Peak (Utah), No. 23 Conway (Arkansas) and No. 24 Christ the King (New York).

“We’re getting better and better,” Cunningham said. “We want to make a run at a state championship, and the only way you do that is by playing good teams, being tested.”

The Torreys’ three losses are to Sierra Canyon (64-55), Long Island Lutheran (63-50) and Webb (61-41).

All but three of Country Day’s 25 opponents so far have winning records.

“We wanted to play the best,” said Torreys coach Terri Bamford. “We’re not afraid to travel. We’ve been on TV and I love the fact that ESPN is promoting the girls game. We’re blessed to be part of the growth of our sport.”

The Torreys next play on the road against Pacific Ridge of Carlsbad (9-10) at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1.

— La Jolla Light staff contributed to this report. ◆