SACRAMENTO, CA - The Salesian Pride defeated the Miramonte Matadors 78-64 to win their third straight NorCal championship on Saturday at Sleep Train Arena.
What appeared early to be a rout turned into a game by the end of the third quarter, but in the final period the Pride re-established itself and coasted to the title.
The game was notable for another reason, too — Mariya Moore only attempted four field goals and scored seven points. While Moore passed instead, recording an Open Division record nine assists before getting into foul trouble - Kian McNair, Deja Stallworth, and Mariya’s younger sister Minyon Moore took the offensive load upon their shoulders.
McNair scored 18 points, Minyon had 13, and Stallworth was 6-of-7 from the floor and scored 12. Mariya and Stallworth shared the team rebounding high with seven apiece. For Miramonte, Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points (also an Open Division record) and six rebounds, and Bre Alford tallied 11 points and seven boards.
Salesian started the game on a tear. Correal scored right off the opening tip, and after Megan Reid’s three-pointer made it 4-3 Salesian with just over six minutes to play in the quarter, the Pride went on a 16-0 run. Many hands were involved, but the highlight was three straight buckets by Stallworth down low, each on an assist from Mariya Moore. Meanwhile, the Mats appeared out of their element, and wore their frustration on their sleeves. During the run, they committed seven turnovers and an offensive foul. By the end of the first period, Salesian built a 24-5 lead.
Said Miramonte coach Kelly Sopak: “Our focus obviously was on Mariya, we were very happy with that in the first quarter. We were just letting other people get too many easy baskets.”
Moore made a gorgeous no-look pass to Correal and went coast to coast on a layup (her first field goal) in the second, but midway through picked up her third foul. Miramonte stayed even with Salesian in the quarter, making it 42-24 at the half.
When the third began with a Correal bucket and a sister-to-sister connection by the Moore sisters, it looked as though Miramonte was already done. But with 5:53 to go, Mariya was hit with her fourth foul. Ionescu scored eight points — including two three-pointers— during a 20-9 run that lasted until 1:15 to go, when Correal was whistled for her fourth foul as well.
With Salesian ahead by seven, McNair swished what appeared to be a rally-killing three from the baseline. But then Seals raced upcourt and sank a three of her own as the buzzer sounded. As the teams came off the floor, it was 58-51 Salesian.
Salesian coach Steve Pezzola: “(At the start of the fourth) the way the fouls were being called and the defense we were in, a matchup zone, it was really tough for us to defend. So we just tried to extend it a little bit and have everyone crash the boards a little bit harder.”
The Mats were displaying the kind of energy they had virtually the entire game against Carondelet in the regional semifinal. And things looked even rosier when Alford started the quarter with a pair of free throws to bring Miramonte to within five. But the Mats air-balled their next two attempts, Alana Horton converted a three-point play off a Minyon Moore pass, and Mariya made a three, her only one of the game, all of which gave the Pride a 69-58 lead with 3:23 remaining. Salesian made plays the rest of the way while the Mats missed four shots from distance.
Sopak: It takes a lot of energy to make a run like that. I think we were kind of running on fumes. And they did a good job capitalizing on offensive rebounds. They seemed to answer every run with an easy two-point basket. You gotta give them credit. All their role players stepped in and made shots.
Megan Reid: I don’t think we were quite ready, we had a little jitters. We’re a young team, but ultimately we’re a team that never quits and in that aspect I’m very proud of everyone. I think we just relaxed a little bit and found ourselves playing our game a little bit more.
Mariya Moore: “Right before the tipoff I told my team 'Every rebound, every loose ball.' And if we do that then I don’t think they’ll have a chance. And that’s basically how the first quarter went. (It was) definitely a relief that we were able to stick it out, fight through. I wish that I hadn’t got so many fouls, so I could help them maintain the lead, but they maintained it fine.”
Pezzola: “I love these girls. I love this team. They really act like a family. In some ways this is more special. When we started the season in November, I don’t think anyone expected us to be NorCal Open Division Champions, but on our board, it says ‘Open Division Champions.’ We put that it in in November. And the girls mess with my board all the time, but they did not change those three words.”
