Story by Aanji Sin
Senior Staff Writer
Photo by Sarah Lee
Staff Photographer
Girls basketball fell, 53-42, to the La Cañada Spartans in its league opener on Friday, Jan. 10.
The Tigers stayed neck and neck with the Spartans throughout the majority of the game, but La Cañada’s hot shooting proved to be too much for South Pas the final quarter. The Spartans led 33-30 heading into the fourth and finished the game on a 20-12 run to seal the win.
The Spartans, last year’s league champions, remain the Tigers’ greatest competitor in the Rio Hondo League, as the team has consistently lost to them over the past few years. The Tigers started strong with a 6-0 lead during the first quarter, battling hard against the Spartan’s physical defense and fast-paced play. Sophomore Allysan Tse and senior Megan Yee aggressively attacked the basket, finishing layups and earning free throws to bring the Tigers to an 11-8 lead at the end of the first.
During the second quarter, the Tigers did their best to keep the ball out of Spartan grasp while keeping up strong, aggressive offense. Tse, sophomore Alyssa Chan, and senior Charlize Kruzic engaged in a flurry of back and forth triples with La Cañada. The scores rose rapidly on both sides, but the Spartans managed to slide past and led 25-24 at the end of the second period.
Scoring onslaught slowed down and came to a halt during the third quarter, as the teams kept each other from scoring and furiously fought for control of the ball.
However, the fourth quarter took a disappointing turn for the Tigers as the Spartans pulled ahead, scoring triple after triple. South Pas attempted a late surge, with senior Emily Newhall, Tse, and Kruzic sinking a few more shots, but time expired and La Cañada earned the 53-42 victory.
“We were all nervous and excited because we know that we’re good enough to beat them,” Kruzic said. “But there were a lot of calls that didn’t go our way, and afterwards we weren’t upset because we knew we gave it our all.”
The Tigers face off against Marlborough High School on Monday, Jan. 14.
