Written by Zoe Chen
Staff Writer
Photo by Emiko Essmiller
Co-Design Editor and Staff Photographer
Girls’ basketball faced off against the San Marino Titans in their first Rio Hondo League game of the season. The Tigers dominated the court, and by halftime, it was no longer a question of if South Pasadena would win, but rather, by how much.
The teams readied as the buzzer signaled the start of the first period, and a slight tip from junior shooting guard Kayla Boozer knocked the ball into the Tigers’ possession. South Pasadena easily gained the upper hand, and within the first four minutes, the scoreboard read 17-2 as three-pointers from senior point guard Dylan Tse repeatedly whooshed through the hoop.
The latter half of the period featured many Tiger fouls and out-of-bounds balls. Despite this, skillful Tiger interceptions and coordinated passes allowed South Pasadena to constantly be in possession of the ball — the only points San Marino managed to score during the period were garnered from free throws. With 20 seconds left on the clock, a three-pointer from Tse closed the period with a stunning 36-6 Tiger lead.
The Tigers continued their streak of momentum as they returned to the court for the second period. San Marino attempted to use fancier spin moves and bounce passes to disorient South Pasadena, but the Tigers’ simple yet beautifully executed passes kept them far ahead. The team constantly plowed through the Titans’ defense, and as Boozer and Tse constantly sank shots, the first half of the game ended with 54-13 glowing on the scoreboard.
The third period contained more physical play from both teams, which left players down numerous times. The Titans entered with a streak of energy, gaining possession of the ball far more than they had been able to in previous periods.
San Marino’s stronger offense briefly slowed down South Pasadena, but the Tigers soon bounced back with their interceptions. As shot after shot sliced through the air and dropped cleanly into the hoop, the Tigers expanded their already-pronounced lead to end the quarter 75-19.
The Tigers seemed to lose some motivation with the certainty of their win coming closer on the horizon, but San Marino’s energy soon declined as well, and the Titans missed numerous free throws only to gain three points during the final period. A two-pointer from sophomore guard Brylee Woo ended the game for the Tigers with an incredible 81-22 lead.
“We did good today,” Boozer said. “I was excited, [and] definitely our defense today [was] better than practice.”
The Tigers have been extremely successful this season, knocking down team after team to flaunt a 9-0 win streak. South Pasadena will travel to La Cañada for their second league game on Friday, Dec. 15 at 5:30 p.m.
