Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep bench looks on as Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 looks on as Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep center Clarice Akunwafo #24 passes against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 drives to the basket against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep center Clarice Akunwafo #24 shoots against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 drives to the basket against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep center Clarice Akunwafo #24 rebounds against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 drives to the basket against Menlo in the second half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Menlo won 70-63. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep bench looks on as Menlo celebrates after defeating Rolling Hills Prep 70-63 to win the CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep center Clarice Akunwafo #24 rebounds against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 drives to the basket against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Natalie Valvo #22 shoots against Menlo center Sharon Nejad #44 in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep center Clarice Akunwafo #24 rebounds against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Naya Stroud #15 drives to the basket against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep head coach Richard Masson looks on against Menlo in the second half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Menlo won 70-63. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Alyssa Maxey (C) #2 shoots against Menlo in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Alyssa Maxey (C) #2 drives to the basket against Menlo center Sharon Nejad #44 in the second half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Menlo won 70-63. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Prep Natalie Valvo #22 shoots against Menlo center Sharon Nejad #44 in the first half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Menlo fans cheer against Rolling Hills Prep in the second half of a CIF State Division II girls championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday, March 09, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Menlo won 70-63. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
SACRAMENTO – Rolling Hills Prep shot so poorly out of the gate it was playing catch-up all afternoon against Menlo of Atherton in Saturday’s CIF State Division II girls basketball championship game at the Golden 1 Center.
Unfortunately for RH Prep, it could never get over the hump, trimming a 17-point lead to three points late in third quarter and again early in the fourth, but it could never push ahead, losing to Menlo 70-63.
The Huskies (27-5) were trying to win back-to-back state titles.
It was RH Prep’s third consecutive state finals appearance, having won the Division IV championship last year and losing in the Division V final in 2016.
For Menlo, it was its fourth state title and first since winning three straight Division V titles from 1989-91.
“I’m proud of my kids, we fought and we had the game down to three and four points with an opportunity to make it very interesting, but we just couldn’t shoot the ball well today,” Rolling Hills Prep coach Richard Masson said. “But all the credit goes to the other team mixing up their defense and making it difficult for us. They competed well and shot well.”
Both teams let it fly and fly often from distance in an old-fashioned shootout, combining for 68 3-point attempts between them. Menlo drained 10 of 33 and Rolling Hills Prep hit just 7 of 35.
But the difference was Menlo started hot while Rolling Hills Prep was cold, and by the time the Huskies started hitting from distance, it was too late.
Rolling Hills Preps Alyssa Maxey finishes with 14 points and 14 rebounds but it wasn’t enough in a 70-63 loss to Menlo pic.twitter.com/5UKqAV1l43
Menlo had four players in double figures, led by Coco Layton, who hit five 3-pointers to finish with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Avery Lee scored 15 points and Sharon Nejad finished with 12 and 10 rebounds and Maeia Makoni ended with 10 points.
Lee was the player Rolling Hills Prep had to watch, but Menlo showed it had much more than just her.
“We felt if we neutralized (Lee) it would make it tough for them to win, and I thought in the first half we did, but other players made shots for them,” Masson said. “And then she got a little more comfortable and we had to help less on other people and it made it tough to guard her.”
Clarice Akunwafo paced Rolling Hills Prep with 17 points and seven rebounds and Alyssa Maxey had 14 points to go with 14 rebounds. Naya Stroud also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Maxey thought the poor start was the key, too.
“It was very difficult considering we got down and we lost our confidence and me being a shooter I kind of lost my confidence as well,” Maxey said. “Some started to go in and we played catch-up before, but today we just couldn’t pull it out.”
The Knights came out on fire with five 3-pointers in the first quarter with Makoni nailing three, including one she banked in, and Layton with two more for a 19-6 lead.
Finally, after missing their first 12 3-point attempts and falling behind 17 points, Maxey drained one for the Huskies, and they slowly started to chip away.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by the Huskies’ Rylie Akahiji and Madison Yamada to close out the half cut the Knights’ lead to 34-25 at the break.
After letting the Knights stretch their lead back to 14 points early in the third quarter, the Huskies answered again with three straight 3-point baskets, the last a corner 3 by Maxey, cutting the Knights’ lead to 39-34 and they were as close as three points before trailing 51-46 going to the fourth quarter.
“I think the first year we came here three years ago, the other team couldn’t miss and we fell behind early as well,” Masson said. “It’s difficult because early in a game is key because it’s about confidence sometimes. We missed our shots and never really got our confidence going from the outside.”
Even though it lost, getting to the state final a third consecutive time was a big accomplishment for the Huskies. They suffered a tough loss to Orange Lutheran in the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship game, but battled back to defeat Keppel in the CIF State Southern California Division II regional final on the road.
And RH Prep had dealt with adversity all season with Macy Pakele out with a torn ACL since December and Maxey playing on a bad ankle. And the Huskies had dedicated their season to Maddie Yamada’s father Scott, who passed away before the playoffs began.
“I’m very proud. In our fourth game we lost our best defensive player (Pakele) to a torn ACL, and four weeks ago my point guard’s dad died suddenly of a heart attack,” Masson said. “These girls have been resilient all year and a joy to work with.”
