By Riley Segal
Staff Writer
Photos by Thomas Forman & Brian Kojima
The girls’ basketball team picked up another victory against Flintridge Preparatory School at home on Friday, December 11, beating the Rebels 56-37. The Tigers were able to overcome their taller adversaries with strong defense and speed. With this win, the team’s overall record stands at 5-2.
Senior Kristen Kafkaloff supplied the majority of the attack in the opening minutes, though the Tigers had trouble finding the basket for the rest of the quarter. The Rebels kept the score even, and the first quarter ended with Prep having a one point advantage. South Pas was able to pick up the momentum in the second quarter, which opened with a three pointer from Kafkaloff. Junior Jade Lin also had many drives to the basket, earning many points for the Tigers. South Pas put the Rebels under constant pressure, both offensively and defensively. Juniors Jalynne Li and Juliana Tom drew many fouls from steals against the Rebels, and once fouled, sank their free throws. Tom ended the first half with a three, leaving the score at 30-23.
Unlike the first half, South Pas came into the second half with an increased intensity that the Rebels could not match. Freshman Lauren Kafkaloff garnered the first two points of the half, and Lin soon followed with a three. Prep grew frustrated as the Tigers score shot upwards, and took to fouling many South Pas players. However, the Tigers took advantage of these opportunities and sank a majority of its free throws. Entering the fourth quarter, the squad led by 11 points. Lin and K. Kafkaloff continued to knock down three pointers, while Li continued to make fast breaks to the basket. The high-pressure defense from the Tigers prevented the Rebels from gaining more than 14 points the entire half. Prep attempted to make a final shot before the buzzer rang out, but was unsuccessful as the game finished at 56-37.
“I think that this was a really big improvement from our previous games. We’re still learning to play with each other, and the work we’ve been putting in really showed through,” K. Kafkaloff said. “Even if we have more rough games, we can only go uphill from here.”
The Tigers next face off against Canyon Country on the road on Thursday, December 17 where South Pas looks to improve its record to 6-2.
