For an opposing girls basketball coach, the Arroyo Grande statbook yields little to nothing.

One thing is for sure, there are 13 players on the roster — but even that’s deceiving, because everything else is mathematically even.

The conversation for an inquiring coach might go a little something like this:

Question: “Who is the top scorer we’ll double-team?”

Answer: “No one scores more than 10 points and there are seven players that average between four to seven.”

Question: “In that case, who’s dishing the ball evenly?”

Answer: “There are six players that average near two assists per game. Guards, forwards and bigs included.”

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They all score. They all attack the rim. They all steal. They all rebound.

And they all made life pretty miserable for the visiting Paso Robles Bearcats on Friday night.

In their league opener, the Eagles jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter, getting everyone involved in what became a 63-27 win.

Sophomore guard Haley MacDonald scored 11. Rachel Ventura scored 10. So did Jenna Sverchek. Madi Ventura had eight. So did Olivia Trudeau. And Jillian Ventura had seven. Three other players had three points.

The AG statbook reveals about as much as a London Guard.

“We have a deep roster,” Arroyo Grande coach Vard Ikeda explained. “I was planning on platooning five and five from the start. It worked out. The girls are hungry when they go in. We were able to get out to a fast start. When you’re making shots, the basket gets real big.”

The lead was big early — the Eagles consistently penetrating, drawing low-post defenders and finding the open player for an easy bucket.

No one personifies the team attitude more than Trudeau — who is quite the basketball player, but does even more damage when the volleyball nets are up. She recently signed a full-ride scholarship to play volleyball at Seton Hall next season.

“Olivia is kind of our go-to person,” Ikeda said. “She guards the other team’s best player. We’re looking for her to score more this year. Since she’s a setter in volleyball, she’s always looking to pass before she shoots. But she’s probably our steadiest player in all phases of the game. She’s a good passer. A good shooter. Super athletic. You don’t get a full-ride Division I scholarship for volleyball without being really good athletically. I’m lucky. I count my blessings that she loves basketball.”

Trudeau’s numbers are nothing special. She scores 6.5, assists two per game, grabs 4.1 rebounds and nabs 2.3 steals.

She does a little bit of everything, like most of the Eagles, who are looking to win another league title after last year’s 11-1 campaign. Atascadero, along with Righetti, promise to be two of the top threats.

Take, for example, Wagner. The senior center scores 7.2 points a game, passes for nearly two assists, snags six rebounds and contributes one steal a game. Brooke Shepard, another senior starter, puts up similar numbers when she plays. She is currently injured. For that matter, so does Jenna Sverchek, who nearly creeps into the 10 ppg category — the team leader.

The unselfish play netted a lot of layups on Friday. The opening stanza was a disaster for Paso Robles, which entered the game 2-9 overall.

First, MacDonald — currently the starting point guard while 3-point specialist Sara Caywood is out injured — knocked down a 3-pointer. Trudeau stole the next pass and converted her layup.

Paso Robles called a timeout ... which delayed a turnover and Trudeau’s assist to Jillian Ventura along the baseline for a layup. Wagner scored on the next possession, via a putback. Then Madi Ventura — one of three Ventura’s on the roster — found Rachel Ventura for a layup.

11-0 Eagles.

And most of it resulted from strong defense.

“I was most happy with the defense,” Ikeda said. “I don’t plan on pitching a shutout. We happened to pitch a shutout in the first quarter. I cannot remember the last time we did that. It was everyone. The whole team. When we play defense like that, no one wants to be the one to let them down.”

The game was in hand early, the Eagles eventually moving to 11-3 overall on the season.

The preseason was a success in Ikeda’s mind, but injuries have plagued the Eagles.

“It was an interesting preseason for us,” he said. “We won 10 of 13 games, but had a lot of injuries — a lot of combination of players. We kept 13 girls on the team. People asked me how I would play 13. Well, it’s been no problem. We had games where we had five girls out. I’m hoping soon we get all healthy. We still had girls in street clothes on the bench tonight.”

Still, most the pain was inflicted on Paso Robles. Arroyo Grande was up 39-11 at halftime and 61-22 after the third quarter.

“We know no one will feel sorry for us with the injuries,” Ikeda said. “People are gunning for you. That’s the way it goes. We have good senior leadership, so I hope that carries us through the close games.”

Boys basketball

AG 50, Paso Robles 41

Tanner Hinek scored 21 points as the Eagles (1-0, 9-5) began their PAC-7 League campaign by winning at Paso Robles.

Kevn Hitchen added 10 points for Arroyo Grande. Lonnie Watson led the Bearcats, who scored two points in the second quarter, with 16 points.

Arroyo Grande made six 3-point shots. Paso Robles sank just two. All of Matt McAustin’s nine points for the Eagles came on treys.

Atascadero 76, Nipomo 61

Logan Allen led three Greyhounds in double figures as the ‘Hounds (1-0, 9-5) began their PAC-7 League season with a win at home.

Trey Norris scored 14 points for Atacadero. Sam Johnson added 10. Jeff McNeil (18 points) and Ryan McNeil (12) combined for 30 points for the Titans (0-1 PAC-7).

January 3, 2009