Rebels stopped by Cubs

BURBANK — Some coaches in the same league aren’t proponents of playing against each other before league begins. Count Flintridge Prep girls’ Coach Todd Frost and Mayfield’s Kevin Yamamoto in that group.

Be that as it may, the Flintridge Prep and Mayfield girls’ basketball teams, who are members of the Prep League, found themselves pitted against each other Wednesday in a consolation game of the 15th annual Pioneer Shootout at Providence High.

Behind some clutch fourth-quarter shooting from Erika Lin, Mayfield posted a 36-30 victory against Flintridge Prep.

“For the most part, I don’t like it, but you get to see what the other team is doing,” Yamamoto said.

Frost agreed with Yamamoto’s assessment.

“There’s always pluses and minuses when you go to a tournament in that there’s always a chance that you will play a league opponent,” Frost said. “The upside is that you then have some more information on the other team.”

Lin scored nine fourth-quarter points, including a rare four-point play, to help the Cubs (5-4) turn aside the Rebels (3-6) in the first of three head-to-head meetings this season.

Lin, a guard, made a three-pointer before subsequently being fouled and then made the free throw to give Mayfield a 27-19 lead with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter.

“When I hit the three-pointer, I didn’t know I was fouled,” said Lin, who finished with a game-high 12 points. “It’s very rare to get a four-point play and it boosted my confidence and the team. ... We were able to build off it.”

Flintridge Prep could get no closer than four points twice during the remainder of the game.

Lin made a three-pointer to give the Cubs a 34-27 lead with 52 seconds remaining.

“Those shots gave her a momentum boost,” said Yamamoto, whose team held a 17-13 halftime lead. “It’s a confidence boost because she’s going to be a key asset for the team.”

Mayfield overcame its early shooting woes, as it missed all nine of its shots from the floor. The Rebels made two of their 10 shots from the floor to hold a 5-3 advantage.

Mayfield regained their composure the remainder of the game with Flintridge Prep trying to stay close and mount a comeback threat.

“We battled back in the fourth quarter and then they hit a couple of free throws,” Frost said. “It’s a simple game and a complicated game.

“They just did some things better than us.”

The Cubs got a game-high six steals from guard Juliana Zovak, eight points from guard Melissa Venegas and seven rebounds from center Mary Baggott.

The Rebels received a team-high eight points from guard Tyler Faulkner and six from forward Kinsey Thompson.

Flintridge Prep will meet Holy Family in the tournament’s 15th-place game at 9:30 a.m., followed by Mayfield against Canoga Park in the 13th-place game at 11.

Flintridge Prep will play host to Mayfield Jan. 7 and the teams will close out the regular season Feb. 9 at Mayfield.