SAN FRANCISCO - The sixth-seeded Sacred Heart Cathedral girls basketball team paid a visit to rival No. 2 St. Ignatius Monday night looking to avenge its two losses earlier in the season, including in the historic first edition of the Bruce-Mahoney girls basketball game. But, the third matchup proved no different from the first two encounters, as the host Wildcats dominated in a 61-36 victory.
“This is our third time playing them,” said SI head coach Maya Fok. “That helps a lot in terms of scouting reports. We knew all their sets, we knew what they wanted to run, what they were looking for, and that helped us a lot.”
The Wildcats took charge from the opening tip-off. Led by SJSU commit Sabrina Ma (19 points), the Wildcat offense found a steady rhythm, scoring efficiently throughout the night. Ma showed just why she’s so dangerous, knocking down numerous shots from outside the arc as well as forcing her way to the basket.
Seniors Claire Untalan and Soon Ja Elzey only made her job easier, as they towered over their Irish counterparts, accounting for priceless second chance opportunities. The duo accounted for 18 points, ultimately too much for the Irish to handle. The 'Cats also found ways to spread the wealth, as Ma was one of six players to record at least five points, valuable experience for the two massive games next on the schedule.
“We’ve been working on that all season,” said Fok. “Little by little, building up our bench players to be more confident. It was the silver lining of having injuries, our bench players had to step up. We had seven players against Mitty, we had six against Valley Christian, that really helped them build confidence. Then our first five can build confidence in our bench, and it just builds confidence as a team. Collectively it helps a lot.”
The Wildcats never allowed the Irish to settle, forcing turnover after turnover. The Irish were never able to find the answer to SI’s half court trap, as they got ensnared time and again, giving up easy points in transition. The ‘Cats played with high intensity, keeping the same level of focus even as the lead steadily grew. They allowed just 11 points in the middle quarters, as the leading quintupled over that span of time. Much like the first two encounters, the Wildcat defense never allowed the Irish to even think of winning the game.
“It happens,” said SHC first-year Irish coach Demetrius Jackson. “They just did a great job pressuring. The girls hadn’t seen that look before, so it took a bit for them to get adjusted to it. We’re young, as we get older we’ll become familiar with more looks, and we’ll be able to make adjustments a lot faster.”
In a game where nothing seemed to go right for the Irish, they kept their heads held high. They fought from start to finish, but in the end came up well short to simply a better and more deserving team. The Irish will look to finish their season on a positive note with a victory over seventh-seeded Palo Alto, as they host the Vikings Wednesday at 7 pm.
The Wildcats will face off against No. 3 seeded Pinewood in their final group stage matchup that serves as essentially as a CCS Open semifinal. The two teams met in an enthralling clash just over two months ago, when Ma’s 34 points led the ‘Cats to a 59-54 victory, and Pinewood’s only loss. With a full regular season under their belts, they’ll be roaring to go at each other once again in McCullough Gymnasium Wednesday at 7 pm. After both teams delivered crushing defeats to Sacred Heart Cathedral and Palo Alto, Wednesday’s matchup is a do-or-die, with the winner moving ahead to the CCS Open Division championship.
