SACRAMENTO - The Miramonte girls basketball team took home the CIF NorCal Open Division title with a win over Pinewood in the Sleep Train Arena on Saturday.
With a remarkable win against the No. 1 team in the nation St. Mary’s-Stockton under its belts, Pinewood was hoping to pull another miracle, this time against the undefeated Matadors, to whom they lost in February.
However, the Panthers could not keep up with their mighty and well-prepared opponent, and the Matadors prevailed, 73-40.
Miramonte (32-0) was able to eliminate the two key factors which the Panthers (24-6) had relied on in one of the biggest upsets in state history against St. Mary’s: tight defense and remarkable three-point shooting.
“We’ve played Pinewood already, so we were a little more familiar with what they were going to come out with,” said Miramonte senior Sabrina Ionescu, ESPN’s top-rated guard in the nation and No. 4 player overall. “We [already knew] what we were going to do against them.”
From the first possession, there was one team which was setting the pace of the game and successfully executing both defense and offense - Miramonte. While Pinewood’s shots weren’t dropping, the Matadors played with a smooth rhythm on the court that their opponents simply could not keep up with, making this a game without any turning point.
Miramonte claimed the first possession and immediately attacked the Panthers’ defense inside and at the three-point line, acquiring a quick lead.
Pinewood junior Erin Poindexter-McHan, who was recovering from a recently sprained ankle, hit a 3-pointer soon after, bringing the score to 5-3 for the Matadors. For the Panthers, this was the last time they came within one possession of their opponent.
Pinewood struggled to keep up with Ionescu, who the Panthers could neither stop from driving to the basket or from pulling up with an outside shot. Ionescu led all scorers with 29 points, including five 3-pointers.
Other key players were sophomore Clair Steele, who hit 4-of-7 3-pointers and finished with 14 points, and Eastern Washington commit Uriah Howard, who put up 10 points from inside.
“They’re definitely a better shooting team,” said Pinewood junior Akayla Hackson to Contra Costa Times. “All their shots were going in.”
Ionescu and junior Elle Louie were able to cause several turnovers by cutting off the Panthers’ cross-court passes, and the entire team kept up strong defense in the key which allowed the Matadors to out-rebound Pinewood and keep the ball on their own court.
The Panthers struggled both inside and on the 3-point line, scoring no more than eight points in any of the first three quarters.
Freshman Hannah Jump led the team in scoring with eight points, which came from free-throws and one 3-pointer. Hackson and freshman Klara Astrom each finished with seven points including one 3-pointer apiece.
Astrom and senior Chloe Eackles fought well in the key throughout the game, Astrom contributing eight rebounds and Eackles grabbing 10. Normally dependent on their stellar 3-point shooting, Pinewood could not recover from the absence of outside shots, as the Panthers hit a total of only five 3s.
As the Matadors were building their lead at the pace of approximately 10 points each quarter, they reached a decisive 40 point lead midway into the final quarter, which was when both coaches decided to bring in some players from their benches.
The Matadors ended the game cheering and embracing one another as the opportunity to claim the CIF State title came closer than ever. The Matadors will be facing Chaminade, which claimed the SoCal title, in the state championships on March 26.
\“Last year, when we lost, we made a pact that we were coming back,” said Miramonte head coach Kelly Sopak. “We were determined to get back here, and we got here. We wanted to win, and we won.”
