Fit and feisty Panthers win their first state Division V girls crown with stirring comeback win.
Eastside College Prep celebrates its first state championship.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
girls basketball coach Donovan Blythe said he didn’t sleep a wink heading into Thursday’s state-title game with
Village Christian (Sun Valley).
“Just kept thinking about the game,” he said. "I was too excited. We had some unfinished business to take care of.”
Alayah Bell, Eastside Prep
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Boy, did the fit and feisty Panthers finish.
A year after losing the final Division V game of the season, Eastside College Prep overcame a slow start against the taller Crusaders with an impressive 57-50 victory at Sleep Train Arena.
Alayah Bell, a 5-foot-4 sophomore, and 5-3 freshman
Zion Gabriel had 16 points apiece for the Panthers (20-11), while
Kayla Tahaafe, a 5-6 sophomore, who guaranteed a 2016 championship last year, added 15 points.
This trio helped Eastside overcome an early 25-12 deficit with a 16-4 run to start the fourth quarter to key its first championship win. That despite being outrebounded 46-27.
“Our girls are in shape,” Blythe said. “I knew if they just kept playing, sooner or later we’d wear them down. That’s what we did.”
It helped that 6-4 senior
Mercy Odima (15 points, 19 rebounds) picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter.
Odima and the shooting of
Leslie Aguilar (15 points) and inside work of
Micaela Cacho-Negrete (12 points, seven rebounds) had led Village Christian to the big early lead.
But Eastside’s constant pressure – it forced 24 turnovers – and fearless play to the bucket keyed the win.
“It’s so exciting,” said Tahaafe. “The whole team had to finish it off. We just had to get to the end of the game. We left everything on the court.”
So did Village Christian, which was the eighth seed in the Southern Region, but won four straight road games, three decisively.
“We weren’t even supposed to be here,” Aguilar said. “Sadly we didn’t get the ring today, but we had a great season. Losing today is only going to fuel our fire for next season.”
Just like it fueled Eastside all year and on Thursday.
