CIF: SAINTS MARCH INTO CHAMPIONSHIP!
It's not uncommon to hear a school sing their alma mater after a basketball game—but it's never quite as special as the first time a group gets to sing it after winning a championship. That was the moment the Saint Anthony Saints girls' basketball team got to enjoy together after defeating Montclair Prep 57-47 in the CIF Division 5 championship game Thursday evening at Mater Dei—a moment none of the players or coaches is likely to forget.
"This one is special," said head coach James Anderson, who won his seventh CIF championship ring on Thursday, but his first coaching at his alma mater. "It's real special because it's home. To do it with these kids, who sacrificed so much…I'm glad for the school, but overjoyed for them." It was the Saints' first CIF title since a win in 2000.
Junior leader Jourdan Cooper, who scored a team-high 12 points, said the final buzzer was an emotional moment for her. "You just think of everything…all the games we lost, and all the games we've won. It's been such a long journey to get here—I'm so happy for the seniors."
Senior Rina Towne, one of the girls Anderson has worked with his entire tenure at St. Anthony, was red-eyed coming out of the locker room. "It's just very exciting," she said. "Just…yeah."
The Saints certainly asserted their will in the game, which served not just to affirm their top-seeded status in the bracket, but to get some revenge on Montclair Prep, who blew them out in the quarterfinals last year. From the opening tip, it was obvious the Saints were the taller, faster, deeper team—the Mounties suited just seven players for the game.
The Saints went down 2-0 to start the game, and would never again trail till the finish, playing an intelligent game that worked to their strengths. For one, once they saw the refs were calling a tight game (to say the least—four girls fouled out and two more finished with four fouls, in a 42-whistle affair), St. Anthony made the effort to drive into the paint and draw contact. Towne in particular helped create separation in the third quarter by picking up fouls. The Saints also shot the ball well from the stripe, going 13-19 while their opponent was just 14-29.
They pounded the ball inside effectively too, as the Cooper sisters and post player Natalie Williams combined for 27 points in the paint (Williams had a game-high 11 boards, too). St. Anthony players were smart about keeping the ball high after pulling down offensive boards (they had 16), allowing a lot of easy second-chance points.
After opening up a 13-point lead after three quarters, the Saints let the Mounties back in in the fourth, as it narrowed to 51-44, before they sealed the game with good free throw shooting.
"We wanted to be patient today," said Anderson. "We did some good things, and some real stupid things...your heart can get you through a half, but your head gets you through a game." It's a sign of how good things look at St. Anthony right now that there are aspects of a championship performance to improve on—happily, the Saints will get their shot next week, as they're guaranteed a berth in the state playoffs, which will begin on Tuesday.
Written by Mike Guardabascio
Mike Guardabascio has been a fan of Long Beach sports since he was a kid, playing soccer, basketball, and football in the city's parks. He's been writing professionally for seven years and has published in over 25 newspapers, magazines, and websites. He loves what he does.
LPPost.com video highlights of the game with commentary by J.J. and Mike:
It's not uncommon to hear a school sing their alma mater after a basketball game—but it's never quite as special as the first time a group gets to sing it after winning a championship. That was the moment the Saint Anthony Saints girls' basketball team got to enjoy together after defeating Montclair Prep 57-47 in the CIF Division 5 championship game Thursday evening at Mater Dei—a moment none of the players or coaches is likely to forget.
"This one is special," said head coach James Anderson, who won his seventh CIF championship ring on Thursday, but his first coaching at his alma mater. "It's real special because it's home. To do it with these kids, who sacrificed so much…I'm glad for the school, but overjoyed for them." It was the Saints' first CIF title since a win in 2000.
Junior leader Jourdan Cooper, who scored a team-high 12 points, said the final buzzer was an emotional moment for her. "You just think of everything…all the games we lost, and all the games we've won. It's been such a long journey to get here—I'm so happy for the seniors."
Senior Rina Towne, one of the girls Anderson has worked with his entire tenure at St. Anthony, was red-eyed coming out of the locker room. "It's just very exciting," she said. "Just…yeah."
The Saints certainly asserted their will in the game, which served not just to affirm their top-seeded status in the bracket, but to get some revenge on Montclair Prep, who blew them out in the quarterfinals last year. From the opening tip, it was obvious the Saints were the taller, faster, deeper team—the Mounties suited just seven players for the game.
The Saints went down 2-0 to start the game, and would never again trail till the finish, playing an intelligent game that worked to their strengths. For one, once they saw the refs were calling a tight game (to say the least—four girls fouled out and two more finished with four fouls, in a 42-whistle affair), St. Anthony made the effort to drive into the paint and draw contact. Towne in particular helped create separation in the third quarter by picking up fouls. The Saints also shot the ball well from the stripe, going 13-19 while their opponent was just 14-29.
They pounded the ball inside effectively too, as the Cooper sisters and post player Natalie Williams combined for 27 points in the paint (Williams had a game-high 11 boards, too). St. Anthony players were smart about keeping the ball high after pulling down offensive boards (they had 16), allowing a lot of easy second-chance points.
After opening up a 13-point lead after three quarters, the Saints let the Mounties back in in the fourth, as it narrowed to 51-44, before they sealed the game with good free throw shooting.
"We wanted to be patient today," said Anderson. "We did some good things, and some real stupid things...your heart can get you through a half, but your head gets you through a game." It's a sign of how good things look at St. Anthony right now that there are aspects of a championship performance to improve on—happily, the Saints will get their shot next week, as they're guaranteed a berth in the state playoffs, which will begin on Tuesday.
Written by Mike Guardabascio
Mike Guardabascio has been a fan of Long Beach sports since he was a kid, playing soccer, basketball, and football in the city's parks. He's been writing professionally for seven years and has published in over 25 newspapers, magazines, and websites. He loves what he does.
LPPost.com video highlights of the game with commentary by J.J. and Mike: