(No. 14) Chino (22-5): 10-09-08-21=48
(No. 3) Great Oak (21-6): 08-08-10-05=31
CHINO – During the COVID season of 2021, Great Oak’s girls’ basketball team won just two games and playoff appearances were a dream. Two years later the Wolfpack won a Southwestern League championship and had dreams of a deep run into February.
Unfortunately, a cold shooting night on the road combined with 18 points from Cowboys senior Kimberly Day ended Great Oak’s dream of that run on a chilly Saturday night.
It was a defensive first half as both teams struggled to get shots to find the bottom of the net. After 16 minutes of play the Cowboys held a 19-16 lead.
Great Oak got on the board first with a basket from Bri Thomas before the Cowboys went on an 8-0 run to lead 8-2 with 5:00 left in the first quarter. Great Oak then responded by scoring six of the quarter’s final eight points to trail by the two-point margin. The push was culminated by Alyssa Schutze’s layup on an assist from Payton Curtiss.
“I feel bad for our seniors because even though they get to hang a league championship banner in the gym we thought we could go on a deep run,” Great Oak coach Jared Curtiss remarked. “We took good shots that just didn’t fall tonight and to their credit they hit theirs.”
Schutze gave the Wolfpack their first lead of the game (11-10) by converting a three point play a little more than a minute into the second quarter and Curtiss made it a four-point lead by connecting on a three pointer. Day scored the next five Cowboy points, putting back an offensive rebound and connecting on a three pointer to make it 15-14 Chino with two minutes to intermission. Chino took a 19-16 lead to halftime.
“At halftime we said we were doing everything right but just not together. Once we got together it clicked and we were able to find a way to win,” Day remarked. “Being at home was huge for us. We heard all the support tonight and it definitely made a difference when things got tight.”
Curtiss’ steal led to a Bri Thomas layup which closed Chino’s lead to 23-22 with 4:25 left in the third quarter. However, back-to-back baskets from London Gibbs restored a five-point lead at 27-22. The Cowboy lead was one point at 27-26 after three quarters.
Coming out of the third quarter intermission Chino went on an 8-1 run which stretched the lead to 35-27 on Jasmine Santana’s putback with 5:09 left. The Cowboy lead reached ten points on Lyndsey Valverde’s basket with 2:15 left and from there Chino went nine for 13 at the free throw line to seal it.
“Whatever offense we were able to get started with our defense and I was really pleased with our effort on that end tonight,” Cowboys coach Sandra Van Embricqs remarked. “Offensively we just kept telling them to keep attacking the basket and they’d get shots to fall.”
Chino Scoring:
- Day – 18, L. Valverde – 10, M. Johnson – 9, L. Gibbs – 8, J. Santana 3
Three pointers: Day – 1
Great Oak Scoring:
- Schuetze – 13, P. Curtiss – 11, B. Thomas – 5, A. Smith – 2
Three pointers: Curtiss – 1
