SANTA CLARA – Archbishop Mitty referred to as a timeout with two minutes remaining in an in depth Central Coast Part Open Division ladies basketball title sport, its as soon as 23-point lead having evaporated to simply six after Pinewood guard Vallory Kuelker dropped in a 3-pointer.
The Monarchs desperately wanted a spark … they usually discovered it in sophomore guard Tee McCarthy.
She slalomed into the lane for a nifty mid-range jumper on the primary play out of the break, inflicting Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler to name a timeout of his personal.
She then proceeded to attain six extra factors within the ultimate 100 seconds to assist hold Pinewood at bay.
“I was not nervous at all,” stated McCarthy, who scored 16 factors. “In practice, we work hard so in that moment, we can execute.”
When the ultimate buzzer sounded and signaled the tip of Mitty’s wild 59-51 victory, McCarthy and her teammates lifted this system’s tenth Open Division title and thirty third part championship trophy general.
Archbishop Mitty’s Tiera McCarthy (12) is all smiles after defeating Pinewood throughout their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
“It just feels amazing to celebrate these moments with my teammates,” McCarthy stated.
Regardless of battling sickness, Mitty’s Corridor of Fame coach, Sue Phillips, couldn’t assist however smile when speaking about her staff’s resilience en path to yet one more CCS crown.
“CCS champs, it never gets old,” Phillips stated.
On the opposite facet of the courtroom was Pinewood’s famend Scheppler, who had seen his staff scrap its means again from a 27-7 first-quarter deficit. Mitty’s Ze’Ni Patterson scored 14 of her game-high 17 factors within the body.
It was additionally a run through which Scheppler didn’t name a timeout till his Panthers have been down 18-3.
“We needed to save our timeouts for the end, and I let them get away,” Scheppler stated. “It was too much, and I should’ve have called timeout earlier.”
Archbishop Mitty’s Tiera McCarthy (12) celebrates together with her teammate whereas holding the primary place trophy after defeating Pinewood throughout their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Being down huge to Mitty was not a brand new frontier for Pinewood.
Mitty had confronted Pinewood eight instances earlier than within the Open ultimate, all in a row between 2015-23, till St. Ignatius snapped the streak final season.
The Monarchs have dominated the sequence, with Pinewood’s solely victory being a 50-48 victory in 2021. To the Panthers’ credit score, additionally they earned an epic triple-overtime win over Mitty within the 2018 NorCal Open Division ultimate as effectively.
One other sport like that seemed unattainable, even given Mitty’s high-profile absence in ahead McKenna Woliczko.
Phillips’ San Jose powerhouse started the season wanting like – and being ranked as – the very best staff within the nation.
Any thought that Pinewood would be capable of benefit from her absence – Woliczko cheered on her teammates whereas sporting a knee brace from the bench – was seemingly dashed early as Mitty confirmed off their new-look athleticism.
“We’re athletic, incredibly athletic, and we can defend fairly well when we need to,” Phillip stated.
Phillips thought that her staff took its foot off the fuel within the second quarter, and it confirmed when Pinewood outscored the Monarchs 12-10 over these eight minutes after which 14-10 within the third quarter.
“I think that when we jumped out to a 27-7 lead, I think the kids thought it was going to be that easy, and it wasn’t,” Phillips stated. “So there was a little bit of a slippery slope with how we attacked the basket, got on the glass. We knew they were going to fight back, and then we just really pressed offensively.”
The lead grew to 32-9 earlier than Pinewood composed itself.
Archbishop Mitty’s Devin Cosgriff (24) is guarded by Pinewood’s Jolyn Ding (12) within the second half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Jolyn Ding and Kuelker mixed for 31 factors and fueled the Panthers’ 9-2 run to start the fourth interval.
“It took a while to settle in, and the first quarter was the difference in the game, but once we started to see some shots go in, that translated,” Ding stated.
By the point Kuelker made her time-out inducing triple, she couldn’t assist however let loose a fierce scream as Pinewood (23-4) virtually got here all the way in which again. The Panthers outscored Mitty 44-32 over the ultimate three quarters.
“That’s an example of the grit of Pinewood,” Scheppler stated.
However it turned out to be too huge of a mountain to climb. Each time Pinewood would rating, McCarthy answered with a bucket or free throws to clinch this system’s fourth consecutive Open title.
Up subsequent for each groups is regional play, the place Mitty – and certain Pinewood – might be positioned within the NorCal Open bracket.
Phillips made it no secret that she believed her Monarchs (25-3) ought to be seeded No. 1.
“I mean, three signature wins in the Top 25 in the country, and the only three losses are to Ontario Christian, Sidwell Friends and Morris Catholic, all top 10 teams in the country,” Phillips stated. “I’m not sure anyone else in the field has those three wins.”
Pinewood’s Vallory Kuelker (3) reacts after scoring a 3-point basket in opposition to Archbishop Mitty within the second half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
Archbishop Mitty’s Devin Cosgriff (24) drives previous Pinewood’s Vallory Kuelker (3) within the first half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
Archbishop Mitty head coach Sue Phillips coaches her gamers in opposition to Pinewood within the first half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood head coach Doc Scheppler coaches his gamers in opposition to Archbishop Mitty within the first half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
Archbishop Mitty’s Devin Cosgriff (24) shoots a basket in opposition to Pinewood within the first half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
The Archbishop Mitty bench reacts to a basket in opposition to Pinewood within the second half of their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group) 
Archbishop Mitty’s Tiera McCarthy (12) celebrates their win with teammate Emma Cook dinner (13) after defeating Pinewood throughout their CCS Open Division ladies basketball championship sport at Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Archbishop Mitty defeated Pinewood 59-51. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
