Olivia Lagao, Windward girls basketball team enjoy comforts of home in Gold Coast League win against rival Brentwood

LOS ANGELES – Windward couldn’t have wished for a more promising start in Monday’s home opener, relying on its defensive pressure to build a 16-point advantage in the second quarter against Gold Coast League girls basketball rival Brentwood.

And just when the Eagles appeared to have withstood the early surge from Windward, closing the deficit to a six-point margin at halftime, Olivia Lagao, Charis Rainey and Samari Bankhead found another gear for the Wildcats to open the third quarter.

Post-game interviews

Despite a game-high 26 points, including 20 in the second half, from Brentwood senior guard and UC San Diego commit Lev Feiman, four Windward players scored in double figures in a 63-54 victory in the first of two meetings for the schools in an eight-day span.

The teams are scheduled to square off again Feb. 3 at Brentwood.

Lagao had 18 of her 20 points in the second and third quarters combined for the Wildcats (11-7, 2-0), including three 3-point field goals, with Rainey adding 14 points and the Central Florida-bound Bankhead contributing 11 points for Windward, which led 20-4 only 10 minutes into the contest.

Lagao continued her momentum for the Wildcats after surpassing 1,000 career points Thursday in a 78-45 league victory against Campbell Hall.

Windward, which remained in front by a 26-20 margin at halftime, scored 29 points in the third quarter and stretched the advantage to a 15-point lead entering the fourth.

The Wildcats hit four of their seven overall 3-pointers in the third, matching Brentwood (18-6, 3-1), which made half of its eight 3-point field goals for the contest in the quarter.

Feiman knocked down four 3-pointers for the Eagles, who also received 10 points from Logan Scott.

Payton Sugar, a senior guard who surpassed 300 3-point field goals for her Brentwood career Saturday, was held to only eight points for the Eagles.

Although Brentwood limited the Wildcats to just two field goals in the fourth quarter, Lagao and Rainey both made a pair of free throws to help Windward preserve the victory.

Amel Cook contributed 10 points for the Wildcats, who prevailed Monday after being swept by Brentwood last year, the first time since 2004-05 that the Eagles won twice in the same season against Windward.