The girls basketball team triumphed over Hollister Haybalers 53-37 in the CCS Division I championship quarterfinals on Tuesday evening.
The Bears came out strong in the first quarter, with a solid 11-2 lead in the first five minutes. Despite early fouls on seniors shooting guard Eve Amram and power forward Crystal Guerra Herrera, the Bears held on strong and aggressively, ending the quarter 11-6.
During the second quarter, the Haybalers crept up with a series of three-pointers. After a shooting foul turned into free throws, the Haybalers stood 16-19, followed by a quick three-pointer that left the Bears even—19-19 with 3:30 left in the first half.
This is the third time M-A played Hollister, after barely losing both times earlier in the season. “It was kind of like a revenge game for us,” junior shooting guard Louisa Tava said. “It was a close game every time we lost to them.”
Seconds before the end of the first half, Herrera landed a three-pointer, but the Haybalers still held a slight lead. Just after an injury on the Haybalers prompted a timeout, the buzzer rang out with the score 24-25.
During halftime, the Bears refocused, ready to reclaim their lead in the second half. Within a minute of the second half, the Bears pulled ahead, inching past the Haybalers with a series of breakaways and layups. With four and a half minutes left, they solidified their standing 32-27.
“It was pretty close at halftime, so when we came out, we came out fast and strong, and really hustled. We went on a run to start the half, and that was really important. We kept the momentum going for the rest of the game,” senior shooting guard Avary Sheldon said.
The fourth quarter came with a second big push from the Bears, opening with an 11-point lead 41-30 through a series of three-pointers from Sheldon and junior Lita Fakapelea. The game was decided with 2:35 left, 48-31.
“Now we move on to the semifinals, which is really exciting. Our goal from the beginning of the season was to win CCS, and this was the first step,” Sheldon said.
The Bears will face the Evergreen Valley Cougars away on Thursday at 7 p.m.
