PALO ALTO – In the first round of Open Division Central Coast Section playoffs, Pinewood (24-1) faced St. Ignatius (14-10) at Gunn High School. With superior defense and phenomenal outside shooting – totaling 14 three-pointers for the Panthers –, Pinewood breezed past the Wildcats with a 72-39 win.
“The main thing we always focus on every game is getting stops and flowing together on offense,” Pinewood senior Brianna Claros said. “That’s exactly what we did tonight.”
Despite securing a strong lead early on in the game, Pinewood ended the game with a final quarter full of outside shots, totaling five three-pointers in their 19 points. St. Ignatius also began with a strong shooting-based offense, but was ultimately unable to keep up with the Panthers as Pinewood exceeded a thirty-point lead three minutes into the quarter.
Pinewood grabbed the first possession and immediately established their dominance of the court with fast-paced offense and tight defense. As they moved the ball outside the key to create open threes and dropped the ball back door to their inside players, the Panthers quickly racked up several points and secured a strong lead as St. Ignatius struggled to keep up. Junior Klara Astrom was a key scorer with several strong takes to the basket while serving as an aggressive defender on the other side of the court, ultimately finishing with 11 points.
“I like to be a leader out there,” Astrom said. “Hannah [Jump] is a great shooter so [other teams] often deny her. That just leaves opportunities for us to step up and shoot, and we can hit them too.”
Freshman Olivia Williams was key defensive player, grabbing several rebounds that allowed Pinewood to execute their rapid fast break, while also contributing 2 points. For the Wildcats, junior Madelene Ennis was a key defender while also using her size to establish dominance in the paint, but St. Ignatius was ultimately unable to match Pinewood’s speed as the Panthers finished the quarter at 20-6.
The second quarter got off to a fast-paced start for both teams as they racked up points from inside and outside the three-point line. St. Ignatius senior Rachel Harvey led the Wildcats as their aggressive point guard, using her strong command of the ball to push their fast breaks and drive through Pinewood’s defense. Pinewood did not falter in matching this intensity as junior Hannah Jump took control of the ball on offense, moving it around quickly enough to create open shots for teammates such as Astrom, who was a key shooter in the second quarter.
“[Jump] can pass and see the game,” Scheppler said. “She finished some plays and got some offensive boards. She applied her responsibilities on what we wanted her to do, and she did a great job.”
Jump also proved to be a strong defender, never stepping back from Pinewood’s tight man-to-man defense. The Wildcats’ short run at the beginning of the quarter quickly came to a close as Pinewood entered halftime with a 38-12 lead.
The second half saw an improvement in outside shots for St. Ignatius, led by senior Alyssa Downs, who contributed a trio of threes. Sophomore Diary Khin was also a key shooter, finishing with 8 points which included a pair of threes, while Ennis continued to put up shots down low as the Wildcats fought to catch up to Pinewood. Pinewood senior Brianna Claros stepped up as a scorer in the second half, using her strong ball handling skills to run the Panthers’ offense in both her own and her teammates’ favor as she created multiple shot opportunities while also dropping her own, ultimately finishing with a game high of 17 points.
“[Our offense] is mostly just about what the defense gives,” Claros said. “If [the defense] is going to sag off on the drive, then I’m going to shoot it. If they’re going to close out on the shot, then I’m going to get to the rim.”
Jump also continued to shine on offense, contributing 14 points including a pair of three-pointers, along with junior Kaitlyn Leung, who finished with 9 points.
“We have a lot of girls to go to,” Scheppler said. “They can all shoot the ball really well.”
Leung was also a key defender at the top of the key, pressuring the Wildcats and forcing turnovers throughout the half. As the Panthers pushed ahead, their steady lead only grew larger as they entered the final quarter at 53-26.
Pinewood will be facing Presentation on Tuesday at Santa Clara High School.
“Our focus is always the next game, either Presentation or Menlo,” Astrom said. “But we’re definitely hoping for a rematch with Mitty this year.”