City 3-A Girls : For San Pedro, the Third Time Is a Charm Against Hamilton

San Pedro High School, using the same type of productive inside play and zone defense that got it to the championship game, more than made up for two regular-season losses to Hamilton by beating the Yankees, 48-35, for the City 3-A girls’ basketball title Friday at the Sports Arena.

Senior forward Karyn Bolger, sinking 6 of 10 shots, and senior guard Tania Reynolds, making 6 of 8, each scored 12 points to lead the Pirates, who now have a 19-8 record. Bolger also had 16 rebounds, twice as many as anyone else.

“I started immediately with the 2-3 defense,” San Pedro Coach Joseph Orona said. “It’s what got us here and I decided to stay with it. We tried to plug up the inside.

“I talked about doing a lot of things, using a full-court press or a one-on-one. But that’s what I call psychological basketball. I just didn’t want the other coach to know what I was going to do.”

Orona’s plan to shut down Hamilton center Andreanna Cannon, and thereby shut down the Yankees, worked well. Cannon had only nine points, far below her season average of 17, and five rebounds.

Senior guard Krystall Cade led Hamilton (12-10) with 16 points.

San Pedro led after the first quarter, 6-3, and gradually increased the cushion. It was six by halftime, 21-15, up to 13 after a layup by Reynolds and finally 14 with 4:46 left in the game.

The Pirates shot an impressive 57% from the field, compared to 25% for Hamilton, and outrebounded their opponent, 50-28.

San Pedro had not won a City title since the 1972-73 season. This was the first time Hamilton had made it past the first round.