By Riley Segal
Staff Writer
Photos by Stephanie Kim
The girls’ varsity basketball team defeated Bassett High School 69-46 at home on Wednesday, December 2nd to increase its record to 3-2. Though the Tigers had a slow start, they were able to increase the intensity of the game and emerge victorious against the Olympians by a margin of 23 points.
South Pas and Bassett remained even for the first half, with the Tigers taking a small 7 point lead. The squad could not find the net, and had trouble adjusting to the Olympian’s playing style on the defensive end. South Pas often was unable to capitalize on the sloppy Bassett defense, but towards the end of the half the Tigers were able to step up with strong defense. Senior Kristen Kafkaloff garnered points for South Pas with many shots and layups, while junior Juliana Tom sank two free throws in the second quarter to bring the score to 27-14. The Tigers closed out the half with a score of 27-20.
South Pas carried such a momentum into the third quarter put on a 20-0 run. Kafkaloff excelled defensively and offensively, with multiple steals that led to layups. The Tiger offensive firepower gave the squad momentum, and Tom and junior Jade Lin also racked up more points for the Tigers. The Olympians were able to sink a few threes, but South Pas would rebound with another basket to further distance the scores. A Tiger three point attempt bounced out of the basket due to a twisted net, but Kafkaloff recovered and sank a three. South Pasadena’s offensive firepower caused Bassett frustration; plays became more physical and more fouls were called on each team. South Pas ended the third quarter with a layup from junior Jalynne Li that put the Tigers up 56-29.
The Tigers entered the fourth quarter strong, though there were a few miscommunications on the court, resulting in turnovers. Though Bassett scored the first basket of the quarter, South Pas was undeterred and Lin soon retaliated with a three pointer. Kafkaloff continued to impress, and drew many fouls from the Olympians. Bassett tried to make runs to close the massive gap, but the effort was unsuccessful. Though an Olympian three point buzzer-beater was the final basket of the match, the Tigers came out on top at 69-46.
“We started off really slow, but we picked it up and were able to dominate for a majority of the game,” Lin said. “There are a few things we could have done better, like boxing out, but by next game we really want to lock down our defense and get another win.”
The Tigers next face off against Flintridge Preparatory School at home on Friday, December 11at 5:15 p.m. South Pas hopes to put another win under its belt to increase its overall record to 4-2.
