Girls’ basketball battles back to defeat Ontario on Senior Night

Story by Trisha Chakraborty
Staff Writer

Photo by Kaitlyn Lee
Staff Photographer

Girls’s basketball played the Ontario Jaguars on Tuesday, Jan. 28 on Senior Night. The stands were packed with friends and family boasting supportive signs and bouquets of flowers for the team’s seniors: Mia Leach, Katie Chung, Milana Dumaua, Kayla Boozer, Vienna Tan, Maddy Wong, and Annika Selsby.

The first quarter was marked by strong defense from Ontario. South Pasadena consistently recovered control of the ball in the back court, but Ontario’s aggressive defense made it difficult for the Tigers to bring the ball past half court. 

Nearly six minutes into the first quarter, South Pasadena’s first points came from senior shooting guard Kayla Boozer through two free throws. Ontario recovered quickly through multiple interceptions, preventing the Tigers from scoring for the next minute and a half. With 50 seconds left on the clock, Boozer, fighting through three Jaguar defenders, scored two points for South Pasadena. Throughout the quarter, it became evident that the Jaguars had tight defense, yet South Pasadena’s defense still managed to prevent them from scoring too many points. At the end of the quarter, Ontario led 9-4.

Senior point guard Mia Leach opened the first 30 seconds of the second quarter with a clean three-pointer that set the tone for the rest of the first half. Adding onto Leach’s momentum, Boozer and junior shooting guard Emma Jay Johnson both scored additional three-pointers. 

Towards the end of the quarter, Boozer scored two two-pointers while Ontario managed only three points from a combination of a free throw and last-minute two-pointer. The Tigers noticeably improved their response to Ontario’s aggressive defense in the second quarter, increasing their score three times as much as Ontario. South Pasadena closed the second half with a lead of 17-12.

The second half of the game was extremely close. Ontario opened with a quick three-pointer and continued to score through a mix of two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws. The Tigers were agile in their response, with coordinated passes and solid shots. Three minutes into the quarter, senior shooting guard Maddy Wong passed the ball to Leach for an unguarded three-pointer — her third consecutive basket in as many minutes. 

Ontario recovered quickly, and the next four minutes were a back-and-forth battle, with each team trading baskets and repeatedly alternating the lead. The final minute of the quarter proved costly for South Pasadena, with a turnover that led to an easy basket for Ontario. By the end, Ontario led with a score of 38-35. 

The Tigers opened the fourth quarter aggressively, making up for their performance in the previous quarter. Boozer and Wong alternated shots, but Ontario continued to recover quickly, causing the score to never quite break from a tie.  

The last half of the final quarter was marked by a noticeable increase in defense from South Pasadena, allowing Boozer to rack up two two-pointers in a row. In the final 20 seconds, senior point guard Katie Chung scored two points, securing the Tigers’ win with a final score of 53-45.

Despite the team’s rough start, the Tigers were able to come together and secure a victory against the Jaguars, marking the fifth edition to their win streak. 

“Some challenges that we faced with Ontario was their press in their ball pressure, but we overcame that by running our place,” Leach said. “The game taught us to work hard, and [it] positively shaped our Senior Night experience.”

The Tigers will play Temple City at home on Friday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m.

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