Archbishop Mitty and Pinewood have met in the Central Coast Section Open Division championship game in nine of the last 10 years, so it’s no surprise to see the two perennial powers on a collision course for another high-stakes showdown.
Both the Monarchs and Panthers are rounding into form as league play gets going. Mitty is finally at full strength after the return of five-star recruit and Iowa commit McKenna Woliczko earlier this month from a torn ACL and meniscus. Pinewood has a young roster, with three freshmen and four sophomores among its 11 players, and is trying to make sure its bench can keep up with its starters.
“We play chess. Other teams play checkers. Or ‘Sorry!’ Or Go Fish,” Panthers head coach Doc Scheppler said. “Ours is a very intricate system that takes a while to get used to in terms of ball movement. It was flying around. It’s a different type of play that we play with, and that’s why were good.”
Pinewood (11-0, 1-0 West Bay Athletic League) is good, even though Scheppler was still voicing his frustration with his players in the second half of Tuesday’s 68-31 win at Notre Dame-Belmont. Specifically, Scheppler was frustrated about the drop-off in performance when the Panthers’ second unit was on the floor.
Their two senior captains, Andri Wilkinson and Caitlyn Kramer, played well on both ends of the floor. Wilkinson, committed to Division II Point Loma Nazarene University, led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Kramer stuffed the box score with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Sophomore Abigail Yew nailed three 3-pointers in the first half on her way to 17 points.
“We don’t play (to) the score. We play to get better,” Scheppler said. “The people coming in off the bench, you’d better perform to our level of expectations or you’re not going to play. That’s our standard. You’re playing for playing time, you’re playing for greatness every single second you’re on the floor. That’s the standard we have.”
Even though Pinewood’s shots weren’t falling from outside, the Panthers crashed the glass and created extra opportunities for themselves, particularly with Wilkinson in the post. Their ball movement was crisp as usual, and their defense held the previously-undefeated Tigers (11-1, 0-1) to just 10 made field goals. Freshman Audrey Kinney led Notre Dame with 11 points, and Mika Cary added 10.
Pinewood hosts Priory on Friday night as Scheppler’s team continues its path toward another WBAL title and deep playoff run.
“It’s important for us to keep going strong throughout the whole game, no matter how much we’re up by,” Wilkinson said. “We’re going to be playing a lot of great teams this year, so we have to stay on point on everything. It’s not just about these games. We still have to be our best all the time.”
Mitty holds SI to 10 points over three quarters
St. Ignatius was trading the mighty Monarchs basket for basket in the first quarter Wednesday night in San Francisco. But Mitty’s defensive pressure soon became too much for the Wildcats, and a close game quickly turned into a clinic for Northern California’s top team.
Led by 17 points each from Woliczko and sophomore Maliya Hunter, the Monarchs rolled to a 66-26 victory. They broke a 16-16 tie after eight minutes, steamrolling SI 50-10 over the remaining three periods.
“It was definitely a tough game at first,” Woliczko said. “Our coaches slowed us down, told us we just had to keep up, play Mitty’s ball game, and that’s what we did.”
Woliczko still needs regular rest, but is playing without any restrictions while on the court. She hit the floor hard on a couple of occasions while tangling with other bodies underneath the basket. And she found herself wide open from just beyond the free throw line on an inbound play right before halftime, sinking a jumper to give her team a nine-point lead.
Emma Cook led the charge defensively, orchestrating the Monarchs’ devastating full-court press. She forced many errant passes leading to steals and easy baskets on the other end, and if the 10-second rule to get across half-court was in place, SI would have turned the ball over even more often.
Hunter scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter as Mitty (13-2, 2-0 West Catholic Athletic League) kept its foot on the gas until the final buzzer.
The Monarchs were coming off two games last weekend at the Kay Yow Classic in Orange County, including a double-overtime loss to national power Ontario Christian, so they had a quick turnaround as they returned to WCAL play. Sophomore Lulu Giometti had 13 points to lead the Wildcats (12-3, 1-1).
Mitty is back home Friday night to battle Riordan, while SI faces rival Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Bruce-Mahoney game at Chase Center — home of the Golden State Warriors and Valkyries.
