LOS ALTOS HILLS — As the ultimate seconds ticked off the clock in No. 2 Pinewood’s CCS Open Division semifinal win over No. 3 Priory, the chants commenced.
“We want Mitty! We want Mitty!”
The Panthers will get their shot on the No. 1 Monarchs on Friday after pulling away from Priory within the second half en path to a 48-32 win. Now, the preparation begins in earnest for Pinewood, which has been working and constructing towards this chance all season lengthy.
“They’ve been pointing to that all year, so that’s where we wanted to be,” Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler mentioned. “We’re here.”
Pinewood’s Vallory Kuelker (3) celebrates her basket and foul with Pinewood’s Sloane Parenti (33) towards Priory within the third quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
The Panthers (23-3) final knocked off Mitty within the Open closing in 2021. The Monarchs have gained 9 of 12 titles because the Open Division was launched in 2013.
Pinewood had some hassle placing away Priory (22-5) early on, scoring simply eight factors within the first quarter and main 25-19 on the halftime break. However the Panthers turned it on within the third quarter, taking a commanding 38-24 lead and guaranteeing the ultimate eight minutes had been drama-free.
So will it’s adequate to dethrone the mighty Monarchs on Friday evening at Santa Clara College?
“They’ll step up,” Scheppler mentioned. “We didn’t play a really fluid game offensively, but when you bank two 3s, that’s good luck. I’m really proud of the girls. Defensively, we took away all their stuff. We did a great job forcing them to take tough shots.”
Priory’s Ugreat Daniels (12) loses management of the ball towards Pinewood’s Caitlyn Kramer (1) within the first quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Pinewood should make some enhancements to match Mitty’s degree of play. The Monarchs are too prolific offensively to be held to 5 factors in 1 / 4, which Pinewood did to Priory within the first and third frames.
The Panthers additionally held Priory to 4 factors within the fourth quarter earlier than substituting all of their starters. However Scheppler is aware of the problem forward requires a stronger efficiency throughout the board, particularly from Pinewood’s patented 3-point proficiency.
“We got clean looks, and we didn’t really shoot the Pinewood way,” Scheppler mentioned of Wednesday’s effort. “When you bank a couple 3s, sometimes it helps to be lucky. Offensively, we weren’t flowing well. I mean, it was too splotchy out there. Credit to their defense and their game plan. I thought the shots we were getting were good shots at the rim and our 3s, and they weren’t falling.”
Pinewood’s Jolyn Ding (12) scores a 3-point basket towards Priory within the fourth quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Scheppler mentioned the Panthers may have an “NBA-style” mild observe on Thursday and relaxation up for the problem Friday’s sport presents. They’ll must be energized and play their greatest 32 minutes of the season to beat the top-seeded Monarchs at Leavey Heart, despite the fact that Mitty famous person ahead McKenna Woliczko is out with an ACL harm.
“Really happy for our girls,” Scheppler mentioned. “They deserve it. We’re looking forward to Friday. That was the goal. We’ve been – not game planning for Mitty. But that was – if you’re in our section, that’s the game you want to get to, because you know they’re going to be there. And they’re so good. I want them to experience the CCS final at Santa Clara.”
Senior ahead Katherine Garr was a person standout for Pinewood, blocking 5 pictures and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Pinewood’s Katherine Garr (14) defends towards Priory’s Natalie Neumann (2) within the first quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
The Pinewood pupil part reacts to a play towards Priory within the fourth quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood’s Vallory Kuelker (3) scores a 3-point basket towards Priory within the third quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood’s Jolyn Ding (12) tries to get a shot off towards Priory’s Nani Tuigamala (25) within the third quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood’s Jolyn Ding (12) takes a shot towards Priory within the third quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood’s Katherine Garr (14) takes a shot towards Priory’s Adelaide Chan (1) within the fourth quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood ladies basketball head coach Doc Scheppler coaches towards Priory within the first quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Priory ladies basketball head coach Buck Matthews coaches towards Pinewood within the first quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group) 
Pinewood’s Abigail Yew (30) takes a 3-point shot towards Priory within the fourth quarter for his or her CCS Open Division playoff sport at Pinewood Faculty in Los Altos Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
