On Saturday, February 20 the Lady Bears traveled to Mills High School for the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Tournament. The Bears defeated the Oceana Sharks, 60-42 and claimed the PAL Tournament Title.
In the first quarter the Bears quickly gained the lead, 16-4, and held the Sharks to 4 points. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the PAL-south division, sophomore Greer Hoyem, secured the Bears lead and scored 13 points in the first quarter.
The Sharks struggled to score in the first quarter, but ramped up the intensity and scored 14 points in the second quarter. Oceana’s efforts did not shake the Bears and they maintained their lead into halftime, 22-18.
Offensive leaders for the Bears were Hoyem with 23 points, junior Ofa Sili with 12 points, and junior Megan Sparrow with 13 points.
The Bears came out in the second half stronger and more determined than before. In the third quarter the Bears scored 16 points and held the Sharks to 6. Both teams increased their intensity during the final quarter of the game.
The Bears capitalized on rebounds and offensive plays in the final quarter, scoring 22 points and claiming the PAL Tournament title, 60-42. Sili helped secure the Bears’ victory, scoring 12 points in the final quarter.
Junior Ilana Baer and sophomore Carly McLanahan were invaluable players with a combined 14 assists throughout the game. Baer consistently drove the ball down the court and set up the offense in a strategic manner.
Baer shared, “Coming out strong to start the game was a huge goal for the team and keeping our composure throughout the game was key.”
Saturday’s game was a testimony to the Lady Bears hard work and team effort throughout the season.
Baer added, “We won PAL last year and we all really wanted to repeat that especially with the boys being in the championships too.”
Be sure to support both M-A basketball teams as they continue on to the Open Division of CCS. The Lady Bears are seeded 5th and will play 4th seeded Valley Christian on Friday at Wilcox High School at 5:30 p.m.
