Carlmont varsity girls basketball displayed their endurance in a home game against the Mills Vikings but came up short in a 49-47 loss.
The game started off discouraging for the Scots. The Vikings seemed to have control of the game until Carlmont senior Willow Ishibashi-To stole the ball and then sank a layup. Ishibashi-To had five steals throughout the game. The Vikings kept the pressure on, putting up 16 points to match Carlmont’s nine points at the end of the first quarter.
“We really came in here, fighting for our entire team, especially our seniors, knowing that we only have two games left with them in league,” said junior Emerson Barajas.
Mills put Carlmont’s defense to the test, driving to the hoop nearly every possession. The Vikings took a few long shots, making it appear as if they had a plan of attack long before the game.
The first half ended with Mills up 23-15. However, the Scots were far from backing down. Even though their energy was lacking, the gym was filled with cheerleaders and passionate fans who kept them pushing.
“Second half, we really picked up the energy, and we played just a lot harder,” Ishibashi-To said.
The Scots were far from giving up. They came back out on the court stronger than they had been. Sophomore Sky Yee threw up the ball to score a 3-pointer, which fired up the Carlmont bench. This gave the Scots the push they needed to fight back, slowly catching up with Mills.
The fourth quarter is where the Scots truly showed their endurance. With each shot, the crowd got fired up even more. With 12 seconds left, the Scots had caught up to Mills at only a basket away from tying the game. The Scots came close but were unable to shake the Mill’s defense for a clean shot.
“We don’t give up. During this game we were down 10 points, and we came back and had them within two points. I think that just not giving up is definitely a key factor that keeps us in games,” Barajas said.
The Scots have one last game this season, a home quad game against Hillsdale, who are ranked second in the Peninsula-Bay League. The Scots played them previously but lost 58-39.
“I hope that we can win and can send our seniors out with a win. It would be a very good game and a good win for us, but I just want them to play hard and have a good game,” said assistant coach Jen Sze.
The Scots have a very close bond on and off the court, which has contributed to the success of the team. Ishibashi-To has been a part of the varsity team for the last four years, scoring over 1000 career points. Even though she is leaving, she hopes the community of Scots basketball will stay the same.
“I really hope the culture that we built here at Carlmont really continues because that’s the biggest thing. All of us are friends off the court, and I hope to see that for them going forward as well,” Ishibashi-To said.
