HUSTLE—Newbury Park High’s Grifyn Flattery, left, and Kayli Vitale of Moorpark race to control a loose ball during Monday’s Marmonte League opener at NHPS. The Panthers won, 73-54. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers The Panthers have their work cut out defending the Marmonte League title.

Fortunately for the Newbury Park High girls’ basketball team, Panther players are willing to do the work necessary to repeat as champions.

Although NPHS is missing five seniors from last season’s squad—including four starters, three of whom are now playing college hoops—the Panthers have six returning players.

They compete by playing hard-nosed, scrappy defense.

“We’re all for playing defense,” said Lauren Hill, a senior co-captain and forward.

“We love defense.”

That formula worked well in the league and home opener against Moorpark on Monday, with the Panthers drubbing the visitors, 73-54.

Hill said the team is working on transition defense, its “Achilles’ heel” in 2008-09.

Newbury Park works on footwork, stutter-stepping to close out lanes and staying in a low defensive stance at practice.

Without a single player over 6-feet tall, the Panthers rely on hounding the ball, and anticipate passes by filling in lanes for tips and steals.

“We’re kind of little. We have to be fast,” Hill said. “Hanna (Burge) is only 5-foot-11-andthree-quarters tall.”

Burge, Newbury Park’s most polished inside-outside scoring threat and a savvy defender, said defense sets the tone.

“We like to play intense and get up in their face,” the junior said. “We like to mix it up defensively.”

Newbury Park head coach Nori Parvin—who is aided by assistants Alex Mallen, Mark Yanauchi and Ron Gellenbeck— said Burge worked this offseason on using her left off-hand more.

Hill said she spent the summer developing a more consistent jump shot, while working out in a local gym to keep up with her teammates.

“Everyone’s fast on our team,” Hill said. “I wanted to be faster.”

The Panthers have a nice blend of outside shooters and slashers.

Hill is an excellent 3-point shooter, but she’s not the only deep threat.

Kamyrn Koga (the other captain), Ashley Ontiveros, Jasmine Polk and Veronica LaPerche can score from the perimeter.

Arianna Roberts and Polk drive the lane well. LaPerche has a nice midrange game.

Micaela Pericone-Kapp and Ontiveros are contributing as freshmen. Alison Dobner and Grifyn Flattery provide depth at guard for the Panthers.

Hill said the team excels when everyone gets involved.

“Everyone has to be team-oriented,” the captain said. “I know it’s cheesy, but there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’ When we come together, it’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Parvin said repeating as league champs will be difficult this year.

“Agoura’s probably the team to beat,” Parvin said. “We can’t win it every year. We’ll give it our best shot and we will definitely compete.”

Parvin expects Thousand Oaks, which is without last year’s standouts Jenna Bandy and Karina Alofaituli, to remain competitive.

The coach said Westlake and Royal could also be tough, while Calabasas has played well in the early going.

Newbury Park has played well without the graduated Sidney Dobner, Doris Park-Sherman and Nataly Brambila.

Dobner, the Marmonte’s coMVP in 2008-09, is playing at San Francisco State. Park-Sherman, the second leading scorer in NPHS history, is a forward at Pepperdine. Defensive specialist Brambila signed with the University of Great Falls in Montana.

Parvin has enjoyed working with this group of Panthers who are playing solid, tough basketball.

“We’re definitely rebuilding, but the girls worked hard in the offseason,” the longtime coach said. “This is a great group of girls. They all get along and the chemistry is there. They work hard.”