Comeback falls short for La Cañada girls’ basketball in second-round loss
A frenzied fourth-quarter rally was had by the La Cañada High girls’ basketball team.
However, a victory still wasn’t to be had, as the Spartans’ comeback fell short on the road in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2-AA tournament in the form of a 51-46 defeat to Newbury Park.
“We knew going into the game that Newbury Park was going to pose a big challenge,” Spartans coach Sarah Beattie said. “They are a big athletic team. Our goal was to keep them off the offensive boards. We had moments where we were really successful, but at the end, it was a bit much.
“However, the kids never quit [and] our leaders stepped up and kept us in the game.”
With just more than five minutes remaining, the Spartans trailed by 12 and with just 2:19 to go, were behind 45-34. But a Sydney Lew three-pointer began a frantic comeback bid, closing the deficit to eight points with 1:40 left to play. Another long ball by Lauren Scoville cut the score to 45-40.
A pair of Lew free throws brought the Spartans’ deficit to 45-42 with 47.7 seconds on the clock.
Newbury Park went back ahead by six, but Lew sank two more free throws and Tess Oakley-Stilson sank a field goal to draw the Spartans within 49-46 with just six seconds left.
Alas for La Cañada, Newbury Park closed out the victory and the Spartans’ season.
La Cañada (23-5), the Rio Hondo League champion, led 15-12 after the first quarter and 23-21 at halftime. But Newbury Park (15-11), the Marmonte League co-champion, surged in the third quarter, winning it 12-4 and taking a 33-27 lead into the final eight minutes.
Oakley-Stilson led the Spartans with 19 points, Lew had 14 points and four rebounds, Scoville had five points and three steals and Brooke Yasuda had four points, four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.
The Spartans had won 12 straight games before Saturday, which marked the second season in a row in which La Cañada exited the playoffs in the second round.
“Overall, what a season; we played hard, developed across the board. [We] played great teams to close games, won many of them. [We] took home two tournament championships and won the Rio Hondo League,” Beattie said. “But more importantly was the development of these players as young women who learned how to fight through adversity, care for each other and how to be exceptional teammates.
“I am very proud of how we fought back in this game and who these young women are becoming.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
