In their second game of the new year, the San Marino High girls’ basketball team hosted Temple City as the Titans looked to keep pace in the race for a top spot on the Rio Hondo League leaderboard.
In a game in which the Titans never seemed to get in sync, the visiting Rams played with confidence on both ends as San Marino fell 49-35 in league action Jan. 12 at home.
“I think we came out a little bit flat in the beginning and struggled to get back in the game,” San Marino coach Elizabeth Reuter said. “Ten-point game at half, but we just couldn’t put together a few good runs and stops, and that kind of wore us down mentally a little bit today.”
Temple City took control from the start, doubling up the Titans on the scoreboard by the end of the first quarter 18-9. Rams junior Kristi Huynh matched the hosts with nine points in the period on the way to a game-high 25 points. The visitors finished the opening frame on a 7-0 run that included Huynh catching a full-court inbounds pass and making a layup as the horn sounded.
Just after the midway point of the first, Titans sophomore Lily Mata, playing on her 16th birthday, banked in what would turn out to be the hosts’ only 3-pointer of the contest. In contrast, the Rams would finish the win with seven makes from beyond the arc.
San Marino (10-7 overall, 2-2 in league) was led by senior Malia Yu with 16 points and six rebounds. Senior Chloe Lin contributed eight points and grabbed five rebounds. Kailey Woo scored four points. Mata and freshman Giuliana Reitzell each scored three points, while Chloe Linden had one.
“I think we came in with a certain mentality and there were things we could control, but we just couldn’t execute,” Yu said. “Though I am pretty disappointed, this could be a turning point for our season and hopefully we come back next week stronger.”
In the second quarter Temple City (9-9, 2-2) continued to execute its offense to set up quality looks, although it did not convert them at the same pace, as San Marino struggled to find quality shots. At halftime, the Titans trailed 26-16.
The third quarter saw Temple City close the door, taking the frame 18-7. Midway in the period, the Rams went on a 10-0 run to push the lead up to 20 for the first time. The visitors carried a 21-point cushion into the fourth quarter, which marked the biggest lead of the contest. Huynh had 10 points in the third, including two threes.
San Marino cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, but despite taking the frame 12-5, it was too big a mountain to climb. Yu had six points in the quarter and Lin four.
“We were hoping to get the ball into the paint a little bit more and we did do that towards the end; that was a focus for us,” Reuter said. “Hopefully, next game, we shoot better. It always goes easier when we shoot better, but we’ve just got to move on to the next one.”
A crisis of confidence for the Titans may have played a role, as memories of last season’s two losses to the Rams, by 11 and 30 points, may have still lingered. The teams will play again Jan. 30 at Temple City.
“I think we can definitely beat them if we are in more control next time,” Lin said. “We were definitely rushing a lot today. I think we were just nervous because we knew what happened last year and we let it affect us this year.”
SAN MARINO 70, BLAIR 15
It was a completely different story two days before hosting league foe Blair High of Pasadena in the Titans’ first game back after the winter break. In the rout, San Marino allowed just three points in the first quarter and a total of four in the second half.
“Blair was a good game,” Reuter said. “We talk to our girls about confidence a lot, and I think our girls were confident in that game that they could win and be the team that was in control. We’re just trying to get them to have that same confidence every single game.”
Against Blair, Linden had 13 points and seven steals. Reitzell shared game-high honors, also scoring 13 points while adding six rebounds. Woo had 11 points, five rebounds and five steals, while Yu matched her with 11 points of her own and also added seven rebounds, six steals and five assists.
First published in the Jan. 18 issue of the San Marino Tribune
