Girls’ Basketball Wins Tight Victory Against Woodbridge
Junior and small forward Kalynne Abraham Mendez makes a free-throw during the second quarter, bringing the score to 27-25. in favor of Woodbridge High, on Jan. 31. The Bulldogs and the Warriors were neck and neck throughout the game.
Girls’ basketball (22-6) won its league game on Jan. 31 in the gym against Woodbridge High’s Warriors with a tight score of 53-50. Girls’ basketball’s next game is a CIF game against Tesoro High on Feb. 9 at Portola, starting at 7 p.m.
“It was a really close game, just like it was when we played them away a few weeks before,” senior, point guard and co-captain Moka Saiki said. “We knew our assignments, we knew what to do both offensively and defensively. And I think we just executed well, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Small forward and junior Kalynne Abraham Mendez scored the first shot 56 seconds into the game. Mendez then scored another shot and three-pointer by the end of the quarter, giving the Bulldogs a lead of 18-11.
During the second quarter, the Warriors caught up to the Bulldogs, ending with a score of 27-25. The Warriors were able to make seven shots into the net compared to the Bulldogs’ five. By the end of the third quarter, they managed to surpass the Bulldogs with a score of 39-42. Saiki scored 10 points in this quarter, which allowed the Bulldogs to keep up with the Warriors.
“Well, every season comes with a lot of challenges,” head coach Brian Barham said. “It’s how you handle them, and we’ve answered the call throughout the entire journey. And that’s one of the things that I’m the most impressed with. We really have not had a lapse. We’ve been able to continue to grow and get better as the season progressed.”
A main challenge during the game that the Bulldogs faced was their height, according to junior, point guard and co-captain Kira Watanabe.
“Even though we got some new people that are taller, our team is still on the shorter side compared to other teams,” Watanabe said. “So I think we mainly focus on pushing the ball up the court and being and just playing at a faster speed than the other teams.”
In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs edged out the Warriors with a free throw from Watanabe. Saiki was the highest scorer with 28 points over the course of the game.
“Well, every season comes with a lot of challenges,” Barham said. “It’s how you handle them, and we’ve answered the call throughout the entire journey. And that’s one of the things that I’m the most impressed with. We really have not had a lapse. We’ve been able to continue to grow and get better as the season progressed.”
Currently, the team is on its way to competing in CIF playoffs. This season has been the most successful in their program’s history, according to Barham.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Portola High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Maitri Allani is the Media Director and a Business Manager for her second and final year of Portola Pilot. She loves to write and read, especially horrible...
Claire Chan is the front page editor and news photo editor for her second and final year on the Portola Pilot. She is looking forward to making the best...
