SANTA CRUZ — Archbishop Mitty looked to be in trouble. Pinewood had extended a three-point halftime lead to 12. Mitty called its second timeout of the third quarter.
But then it all changed. Makayla Moore took over.
The 6-foot senior came off the bench and scored the next 10 points of the game. Siena Guttadauro, who finished with 13 points, knocked down a 3-pointer and the Monarchs had the lead as the quarter came to an end.
And the run had only just begun. Mitty ended up turning a 12-point deficit into a 12-point final margin of victory, 66-54, in the Central Coast Section Open Division girls basketball championship game Friday at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.
That 13-0 run to end the third quarter lengthened to 31-7 by the time the Monarchs first went up by 12 at 61-49. Moore, who came into the contest averaging 6.6 points per game, scored 20 of those 31 points and had a game-high 25 overall on 11 of 12 shooting.
“I was feeling it all day,” Moore said. “Like I couldn’t miss.”
Ever felt that way before?
“On the weekend I take a thousand shots every day,” she said.
It was Mitty’s seventh title in the 10-year history of the CCS Open Division and an incredible 30th section championship overall for the program.
Mitty (27-1) had won five Open titles in a row, all against Pinewood, before the Panthers ended that streak, 50-48, in June of 2021.
“Me and my teammates were sending emails to each other in class saying, ‘Let’s go, we don’t want to end with a loss,”’ Moore said. “We lost to Pinewood last year and it was a devastating loss for the seniors.”
Pinewood (22-2) was making its eighth consecutive appearance in the Open Division championship game.
“That lead disappeared so fast on hustle plays and putbacks,” Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler said.
Ah yes, the putbacks. The Monarchs were the much bigger team and used their size to crucial advantage. On one possession at the beginning of that run they had four offensive rebounds and took five shots before one went in. Mitty had 15 offensive rebounds for the game to one for Pinewood.
“That to me was the mentality of our group today,” Mitty coach Sue Phillips said. “Relentless.”
In addition to its huge rebound advantage, Mitty also used its aggressive trapping defense to force numerous miscues by Pinewood’s smaller guards. Vision problems ensue when two 6-footers trap a player a half foot shorter.
Pinewood star Elle Ladine scored 13 points in the first half, five in the third quarter and went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
“She had to be exhausted,” Phillips said. “Haley Hernandez was blanketing her the whole game. With her length and athleticism, she’s a phenomenal player. She got attention, not just from one person, but our entire team. The way she’s been playing, you have to make her a priority.”
Ladine, who is headed to play college ball at Washington, went into the game averaging 23.3 points and 15.2 rebounds, She had 32 points and 19 rebounds Wednesday against St. Ignatius. Forced to play more of a ball-handling and playmaking role against Mitty, she finished with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds.
“Asking her to do so much, it was hard to get her some rest,” Scheppler said.
Pinewood led 29-26 at the end of a first half that featured 12 lead changes. Then the Panthers started the third quarter on a 13-4 run as Ladine fed Skylar Chui for back-to-back baskets, scored on a drive, hit a 3-pointer and passed to Alex Facelo for another hoop.
But then Moore heated up and the game changed in a couple of eye-blinks.
“This was a great atmosphere, a great experience for the girls,” Scheppler said. “They’re disappointed now, but in time they’ll look back and say, that was real cool.”
Photos: Archbishop Mitty 66, Pinewood 54
(Photos can be purchased here)
Source: www.mercurynews.com