Title out of Prep’s reach

GLENDALE — As if Bonita’s size and skill weren’t enough for the Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team to deal with, the Bearcats seemed to have luck on their side, as well, on Saturday night.

Bonita hit half-court buzzer-beating three-pointers to end the first and third quarters, but that’s just the kind of night it was for the Rebels, who suffered their first loss of the season, 52-36, in the championship game of the San Marino Tournament at San Marino High.

“You just know it’s not your night when stuff like that happens,” first-year Rebels Coach Todd Frost said.

Deanna Watson led Prep (3-1) with 16 points and four blocks, but Megan Musashi was held to just seven points on a night when the Bearcats (4-0) used their size to defend effectively.

A deep buzzer-beater to end the first quarter put Bonita up, 20-9, before a second quarter in which the Rebels scored just two points saw the Bearcats take a 32-11 advantage.

“We had a tough time scoring against them early,” Frost said. “It was just tough going. The stuff that had been working the first three games didn’t work for us tonight. We weren’t attacking the basket like we have the last few days, weren’t getting the calls we’ve been getting, so it just didn’t go our way.”

Prep got the Bearcats’ lead down to 40-26 late in the third quarter, but Bonita countered with another half-court bomb that gave it enough momentum to close out the game in the fourth.

“[The Rebels] played better in the second half,” said Frost, whose team begins play in the Poly Tournament on Tuesday. “They didn’t give up.”