On a night where the Trojans outscored their opponent in the closing moments of the game, a late San Mateo three pointer and a missed opportunity on the final possession gave the Bulldogs the eventual 38-42 victory. Skyline is now 1-2 in conference play.
The Trojans were aggressive early, taking advantage of their starters’ quickness leaving CSM scrambling on defense. Skyline opened the game with an 8-2 run, forcing an early timeout. With just under 15 minutes to play in the half, this marks the moment control shifted in favor of the Bulldogs.
A quick three-pointer started a 12-0 CSM run giving the visiting Bulldogs a 15-24 half time lead. The Trojans endured eight scoreless minutes until a free throw from Becky Laguardia disrupted the Bulldog run.
Skyline rediscovered its game in the second half with a 6-0 run engineered by freshman, Malia Elliot-Tufono to cut the deficit to 5 points. Team defense kept the Trojans close on a night where their jump shots weren’t dropping. CSM’s
turnovers led to opportunities in transition, building momentum going into the final minutes of the game.
Skyline regained the lead on a fast break led by Stephanie Del Bianco, which gave the Trojans a 38-37 advantage with 1:30 left to play. CSM held the ball as the clock wound down and converted on a contested jumper, giving CSM the lead with only 15.9 seconds to play. Skyline failed to score on the game’s final possession, ending the game on a questionable no-call leaving freshman Jessica Garrett roughed up under the basket. Skyline and CSM will meet again on Feb. 8 in San Mateo.
“You have to give CSM credit. They always play hard,” Head Coach Chris Watters commented after the game. “We played hard and did a lot of great things but just didn’t hold on in the end. They did a good job keeping us to a low score”
Wednesday marked the first time this season that Skyline was held under 40 points.
“We’re a little frustrated,” shared Del Bianco. “It definitely wasn’t our best game but we shouldn’t just look at that last play. We should’ve played harder throughout the game.”
When asked about the final possession, freshman and former Lincoln High standout Jessica Garrett considered the no-call “understandable.” Garrett added, “Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don’t. Basketball is a physical game and
the refs can’t catch everything.”
The Trojans will play City College of San Francisco on Jan. 23 at 5pm.
