The girls basketball team demolished the Carlmont Scots 73-43 in their senior night game on Friday night. Before the game, the team honored its five seniors with friends and family walking them down an aisle lined with dance and cheer team members.
Right off the tip, powerful offensive drives characterized the first minute of the quarter. Senior center Apé Ulukivaiola got the first points on the board for the Bears with a smart putback, but Carlmont quickly responded with a layup to even the score.
Back-and-forth possessions followed, with neither team able to find the basket until senior power forward Lita Fakapelea managed a three-pointer to pull M-A ahead 5-2 with five minutes left in the first quarter.
This opened the gate for the Bears’ offense to heat up, with Fakapelea hitting her second three-pointer just a minute later, causing an intense uproar from the crowd. The Scots fought back with a quick mid-range shot, but a shooting foul on Carlmont sent Fakapelea to the line and added two more points to M-A’s lead. A finish off a fast-break by senior point guard Molly Gray, followed by two Scots free throws, brought the score to 12-6 with 3:15 to go.
M-A was relentless on offense and defense, drawing shooting fouls and forcing the Scots to give up possessions on turnovers. Fakapelea drove to the basket and was fouled on her shot, making the layup and the free throw for an and-one, extending the Bears’ lead to 17-6 with 1:24 on the clock.
A poor pass by Carlmont gave the ball right back to Fakapelea, who finished on a fast break with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Just seconds later, a second steal from Fakapelea made way for another layup, finishing off the quarter with M-A up 21-6 and leaving the packed crowd buzzing with energy.
“I think our vibes were great, and everyone was just pumped up. So I think from then on, it’s just adding more to the fire,” senior shooting guard Luisa Tava said.
M-A came out in the second quarter determined to solidify their lead, but the Scots’ tenacious defense forced the Bears to take difficult shots, most of which didn’t fall. Finally, Fakapelea was able to nail a three-pointer for M-A to end the scoring drought. A quick Carlmont turnover gave the ball to freshman power forward Natalie Roman, who converted on a bucket in the paint to push the Bears’ advantage to 26-8 with 6:30 to go in the second quarter.
Carlmont managed points through free throws and close-range shots, but sophomore center Mary Tava and freshman small forward Bella Gormsen responded quickly for M-A, furthering the score gap to 30-12.
The Bears’ smothering defense frustrated the Scots, and Carlmont’s mistakes led to turnover after turnover. A strong drive by Roman resulted in a definitive layup, and soon after, M. Tava brought M-A up 34-12 with a bucket of her own, leaving 3:20 left on the clock.
Building on the energy of the gym, the Bears secured numerous steals that provided fast-break opportunities and a wide-open three-pointer for L. Tava, which sent everyone to their feet. Momentum slowed as both teams struggled to score for multiple minutes, but a mid-range shot by Ulukivaiola revived the Bears, extending the lead to 41-12 with 52 seconds in the half.
The Scots battled to make a dent in the monstrous M-A lead, but the Bears held strong, finishing off the half up 41-15.
“It felt so good to go into the locker room with such a big lead,” Fakapelea said.
The third quarter continued to showcase the teams’ aggression, resulting in several fouls on both sides. The Bears found another level of intensity, dominating the court with a run that extended their advantage to 53-20 three minutes into the quarter.
M-A remained impenetrable on defense, but the Scots, desperate to get points on the board, finally slipped through to find the basket. They followed with a tip-in to bring it to 55-24 with 2:40 to go.
Gormsen killed Carlmont’s momentum with a huge three-pointer, and on the next possession, M. Tava extended the Bears’ lead by two with an impressive finish, 60-24.
The Bears’ advantage slipped slightly, allowing the Scots to go on a five-point run, which motivated M-A to tighten up with a mid-range shot by Gormsen to send them into the final quarter up 62-29.
“The energy in the gym was actually electric,” senior shooting guard Molly Rosen said. “Everyone was there for the women’s game.”
The fourth quarter began with secure defense that kept the scoring to a minimum. L. Tava broke the silence with a shot that fell in just as the shot clock expired, causing the gym to erupt in cheers with 5:49 to go in the game. Carlmont hurried to respond, leading to rushed shots that gave the Bears numerous offensive opportunities.
M-A, determined to close out the game, dominated the offensive rebounds, which made way for buckets from Fakapelea and Ulukivaiola. Rosen pushed the Bears to 71-35 with a reverse layup, and junior point guard Isabelle Habibi finished with two more points, leaving 32 seconds on the clock.
The Scots managed one more three-pointer, but couldn’t stop the Bears, who shut down the game with a final score of 73-43.
“I always love senior night every single year, and being a senior this year, it just means something super important,” L. Tava said.
“Overall, this has been the best year ever. Playing here at M-A, it’s been so much more fun. The chemistry and senior night has been so much more fun with my teammates, because they’ve been so supportive for us this year,” Fakapelea said.
The Bears will travel to play the Hillsdale Knights on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
