Girls Basketball:

La Salle claimed its second consecutive CIF-SS championship last night.

The Lancers, the top seed in the CIF-SS Division 2AA bracket, defeated Hart, 63-54, at Mira Costa High School.

La Salle used a 19-11 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Indians.

Kaden Cortes has really played big in this postseason run.

The Lancers’ sophomore led the program in scoring in the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship game.

Cortes had a game-high 21 points on Saturday, and went 7-of-13 from the field.

Cortes also had three rebounds and four steals.

Casey Higgins chipped in with 19 points, a team-high seven rebounds and two assists.

Hart’s Morgan Mack led the Indians with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Laney Grider contributed 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.

La Salle went 14-of-18 from the free-throw line, while Hart converted on 3-of-5 from the charity stripe.

Audrey Chen had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for the back-to-back champs.

Up next: The Lancers will get their first-round state opponent tonight (Sunday) at www.CIFState.org.

Quotable:

La Salle coach, Scott Wiard: “I thought we played excellent defense in the fourth quarter and really made them work for every basket. Offensively, we had several kids make baskets and then we finished the game by making free throws. There were several key moments, but Ellie Chen and Kaden Cortes each hit a three in the fourth quarter that were huge plays. I thought our balance was a key factor in the game. Kaden is so explosive with the ball. She used her quickness to generate a lot of layups and her teammates put her in good spots on the perimeter. Casey Higgins was excellent inside. We posted her up a lot more in this game than most of the season and she responded in a big way. Audrey Chen was big as always. She kept us in the game in the first half and while she didn’t score in the second half, she generated a lot of good looks for her teammates and never forced anything. Reese Wong and Ellie Chen as senior guards helped keep us calm in a big game. You don’t win big games without leadership like theirs.”

La Salle freshman, Casey Higgins: “I want to give credit to my teammates and my coaches for our success. Our coaches helped me get better and understand the game a little bit more. They also prepared me and the rest of the team for moments like these. The key for me to the victory was to listen to my coaches, the scouting report, and watching film. Coach Wiard and the other coaches pushing us in practice helped us a lot. My individual role last night was getting rebounds and playing good defense. The offense for me came later in the game. Also, my role was to support my teammates the whole game as well. You are right stats don’t matter to me either, but the two teammates that were crucial in the game was Ellie and Reese. Their two 3’s were big for us and they helped us get a lead on Hart as well. Also, I would say the bench as well like Aubrey, Avery, Meghan, Aliyah, and etc. Those people brought the energy to the game. They had energy throughout the whole game giving us motivation to lead us the victory.”

La Salle junior, Audrey Chen: “I am very ecstatic of winning the CIF title back-to-back, especially with the same group of people and the freshman. Moving up to Division 2 has definitely been more of a challenge, but our team has worked hard to get to this point. Winning 2 times back-to-back is something not many teams are able to accomplish, so being one of those few teams is very exciting. The key was to trust my teammates and play together as a team. Trusting my teammates was definitely important for this game. I knew that I could make the extra pass and that my teammates could finish it. Our coaches also prepared us for the game which helped us know what to expect and feel more comfortable. Last night I saw my role as making plays and getting the best shot for our team. I think another role I played was guarding and playing good defense on a couple of their top scoring players. Honestly, we couldn’t have gotten this win without the whole team. Everyone is always so supportive of each other, and we enjoy hanging out with each other. Having such a supportive bench helped the energy a lot because they are always so encouraging no matter what. There were also crucial moments in the game where we needed that three which Reese and Ellie executed. Even though their stats weren’t huge, their presence and direction on the court helped us do even better.”

La Salle sophomore, Kaden Cortes: “If you had told me at the beginning of my freshman year I’d had 2 CIF titles under my belt, I wouldn’t have believed you. This kind of opportunity is extremely hard to come by and I’m grateful I got to experience with the people I love. Our defense was key. Hart has talented offensive players. I knew if we were able to get down in a stance and guard them, we’d have a chance at winning the game.  My role was just being a well-rounded basketball player. I knew I needed to contribute to the defensive and offensive sides of the court. I’d first like to mention our seniors on the court. Ellie Chen and Reese Wong. Even though they didn’t put on the best statistical game, their leadership on the court played an important role in keeping us organized and calm throughout the game. You don’t see leadership like theirs too often, so I’m grateful to have them leading us on the court. Next, I’d like to mention the rest of our amazing team: Meghan Christensen, Lauren Cardenas, Aubrey Ramos, Avery Ward, Julianne Tan, Aliyah Casas, and Catherine de los Reyes. Even though they didn’t get the chance to play, their high energy off the court motivates the rest of us on the court. Their energy is truly unmatched and I’m glad to have people like them on the team.”

Box Score:
H: 20-12-11-11-(54)
LS: 17-17-10-19-(63)

Hart scoring: Morgan Mack 20, Laney Grider 15, Vanessa Zavala 7, Arleigh Eav 6, Elyse Mitchell 6

La Salle scoring: Kaden Cortes 21, Casey Higgins 19, Audrey Chen 11, Reese Wong 6, Julianna Tan 3, Ellie Chen 3

Team Stats:
3-pointers: Hart (7-22); La Salle (5-9)
Free-throws: Hart (3-5); La Salle (14-18)
Rebounds: Hart (25); La Salle (26)
Field goal percentage: Hart (48); La Salle (49)
Turnover: Hart (13); La Salle (8)

Records: Hart (28-4); La Salle (30-3)