GIRLS' BASKETBALL: CANYON CLIMBING IN THE FOOTHILL.

Byline: KEVIN CONNELLY Special to the Daily News

CANYON COUNTRY -- For the past two seasons, the Canyon High of Canyon Country girls' basketball team has been on the verge of breaking through in the Foothill League.

If Friday night's performance was any indication, the Cowboys could be well on their way to challenging five-time defending champion Hart of Newhall for league supremacy.

Cal State Bakersfield-bound forward Nicole Leon scored a game-high 18 points, including 10 in the pivotal second quarter, and Jessica Guerrero added 15 points as the Cowboys upset Valencia 60-52 in a Foothill League game at Canyon.

It was the 11th consecutive victory for Canyon (15-4 overall, 4-0 Foothill), the Southern Section Div. I-A runner-up last season, which has recovered nicely after a 4-4 start.

The Cowboys, whose last league title came in 1973, visit defending Div. I-A champion Hart (17-2, 4-0) on Tuesday with a chance to take sole possession of first place in league.

``This win is huge. It proves how serious we are about competing in this league,'' said Leon, a McDonald's All-American nominee. ``It's my role as a senior leader to score points, but this was a team win. We can't wait to play Hart next week. They're the team to beat, but were playing with a lot of confidence right now.''

Canyon, ranked No. 11 in the area by the Daily News, scored 24 points in the second quarter to take a convincing 35-22 halftime lead. The Cowboys extended the lead to 38-22 one minute into the third quarter, but No. 6 Valencia cut its deficit to 39-36 with 2:12 remaining in the period on a layup by Vanessa Hebert. Canyon responded with a 11-2 rally over the next four minutes, and the Vikings (13-6, 2-2) were unable to get any closer.

``We got a little too comfortable there in the third quarter, but I'm pleased with the way this team played as a whole,'' Canyon coach Stan Delus said.

Leon had a game-high eight rebounds for Canyon, while Brianna Barlow contributed 11points. Danielle Jenkins scored a team-high 10 points for Valencia, which has lost three of its past four games.

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