Knights defeat Jaguars in Overtime 22-17
By David Boldt
The Cambridge girls junior varsity basketball team advanced into the championship round Monday afternoon, but only after getting the scare of their young lives from a Cooperative squad in an overtime contest played at Cambridge.
The Jaguars, who had won only one game previously, actually appeared to be on the road to an upset victory against the League-leading Knights until the very end of regulation time.
At the end of a hard-fought first half in which neither team seemed to be able to find the scoring range, the Jaguarettes held a 7-4 lead, with all seven points scored by Giuliana Varalta. The Jaguars quickly widened that lead to 11-5 in the opening minutes of the second half on scores by Naomi Andrade and Cristiani Zurita.
Cambridge rallied to tie the game at 12-12 on baskets by Mako Ueno, Nicole Fermin, and and Josefina Rodriguez, but Cooperative’s surged again to take a 17-14 lead.
Zurita hit on a long set shot from the right side, then made a foul shot, and scored on a long driving lay-up. Fermin responded with a basket for Cambridge, but Cooperative seemed to be in the driver’s seat with only a few minutes to go.
Cooperative was playing much better than in the past on both offense and defense, but also benefited from the fact that Cambridge was having a frigid day on offense, with several shots actually seeming to pop out of the basket, and with heart-stopping misses on several short range chances.
But in the final minute Rodriguez hit a foul shot and Fermin swished in one of her patented pop-up lay-ups to tie the game at the end of regulation play 17-17.
Several Cooperative players had either fouled out or were in danger of doing so at this point, and Cambridge was able to take charge in the overtime period, outscoring Cooperative 5-0.
Ueno hit on a quick turn-around jumper, then Fermin made a foul shot and closed out the the scoring by popping in another lay-up to make the final 22-17.
For the Knights, Fermin had 14, Ueno five, and Rodriguez three.
For the Jaguars, Varalta had eight, Zurita seven, and Andrade two.
JV Girl Eagles Beat the Griffins in Semifinals 19-16
By Jesse Mann, SCCLC
