The girls basketball team fought to victory against the Half Moon Bay Cougars on Friday night, finishing 46-33 and increasing their record to 5-1 in league play.
The game started with many turnovers from both teams, initially making it hard to secure quick points. Scoring the first points of the game, junior small forward Molly Gray put M-A on the scoreboard with a two-pointer. M-A’s defense was high-pressure, causing the Cougars to force many sloppy passes and attempt difficult shots.
The Cougars settled on offense, getting four rebounds and a three-pointer. Half Moon Bay forced turnovers and continued fighting hard for rebounds. The Bears started lacking in defense due to the Cougars’ setup on offense, allowing Half Moon Bay to get many scoring opportunities. Despite this, the Bears played hard and caught up by shooting a three-pointer, but the Cougars still led 9-7 by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started with a quick three-pointer from junior shooting guard Luisa Tava. The Cougars responded with two three-pointers after a turnover from M-A. The quarter progressed with many turnovers from both sides, but neither team scored any points.
Toward the end of the first half, the Cougars managed to bank a two-pointer, putting them in the lead 18-17.
Half Moon Bay appeared to have found life on offense after halftime, drilling a floater and a three-pointer on back-to-back possession. But the Bears matched the Cougars with a layup and a three-pointer of their own. A turnover allowed the Bears to score a three-pointer, and end the quarter with a leading score of 29-22.
M-A continued to pull ahead, with senior shooting guards Avary Sheldon and Eve Amram knocking down multiple shots. The Bears went on a 10-point run, making the score 32-22 by the end of the third quarter.
The defense from the Bears completely took over the game, allowing them to tack on four more points in the third quarter. “Our defense was on point this game because we wanted to win so badly,” junior center Ape Ulukivaiola said.
The Cougars never gave up, still putting up many shots and getting lots of turnovers, but the Bears’ defense was too strong for Half Moon Bay.
The Bears kept adding to the score which was 41-27 with mid-range shots from Sheldon and senior power forward Crystal Guerra Herrera, making it difficult for the Cougars to comeback from the M-A’s 41-27 lead.
With time winding down, the Cougars started to score, but it was too late. The clock expired and the Bears won another game, 46-33.
“We played really good defense. Our coach had a plan, and we executed really well,” Gray said. “We just started off really slow. So we need to work on that.”
The Bears will defend home court against the Mills Vikings on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.
