Girls basketball defeats Westview 61-54 and advances to second round of state playoffs

Wyatt Robb

Staff Writer

In a crucial game, Mira Costa girls basketball team defeated Westview High School 61-54 on the road Wednesday to advance to the second round of state playoffs. The Mustangs were able to bounce back from their loss in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship only four days earlier.

Costa’s defense played a key role in its ability to stay ahead of Westview. Both teams battled on offense, but the Mustangs did a better job of suppressing Westview’s shooting. The team also capitalized on offense, outscoring the Cougars in the first half.

“Our guards, especially Halle Maeda, played great defense against Westview’s three point shooters,” junior forward Mia Finney said.

Costa started off strong, leading 18-12 by the end of the first quarter. However, Westview began to claw its way back in the second quarter. At halftime, the Mustangs only led by two points, 29-27.

“In the first half, we came out with a lot of energy, but we had a difficult time getting used to Westview’s style of offense,” sophomore guard Haley Herdman said.

The Mustangs were neck and neck with the Cougars in the second half. Going into the fourth quarter, Costa led Westview 44-43. However, the Mustangs began to run away with the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars by six points.

“In the second half we began to figure out who their shooters were, making it easier to cut down on their ability to get open shots,” Herdman said.

On offense, Costa’s solid ball movement helped them find open shooters. Early in the game, the Mustangs executed more on their open looks. According to Herdman, this increase in scoring helped the team gain momentum.

“We were able to score a lot early in the game,” Herdman said. “Gaining a lead like that helped us boost our confidence for the rest of the game.”

The 23-9 Mustangs will face Cajon High School on the road Saturday in the third round of state playoffs. The game will begin at 6 P.M. in San Bernardino. According to Herdman, the team will continue to work on defense in order to prepare for this important game.

“As a team we will need to work on our pressure on defense because Cajon is a very aggressive offensive team,” Herdman said.