GIRLS BASKETBALL: Vikes Down Taller Aragon

The Score: Mills 46, Aragon 41.

The Star: Mills High sophomore point guard Kristen LaStofka scored 14 points to pace her team to its second Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division win.

The Turning Point: Mills made big plays down the stretch, getting steals and cashing in from the line to seal away the victory.

The Quote: “We won this one, but we’re still slumping.” – Mills coach Dave Matsu, on his team’s performance since the start of league play.

What’s Next? Mills will host league-leading Terra Nova in a key game on Friday at 6:15 p.m. “They were one of the best competitions we had last year and I’m sure they’ll be again this year,"  LaStofka said of the Tigers. "They have really good shooters, so it’ll be a battle.”

The Bottom Line: Mills’ guards outdueled Aragon’s forwards and combined for 11 free-throw attempts (four more than Aragon as a team). Their ability to get to the line and make plays down the stretch with defensive pressure made the difference in the five-point win.

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The Mills High girls basketball team survived Aragon’s frontcourt onslaught with a 46-41 win in its third game of the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division season.

Mills (11-5, 2-1 PAL Bay) kept a fair lead for the first half but was tested in the third quarter when the Dons’ rebounding prowess gave the visitors a three-point lead.

Aragon (3-11, 0-3) established its gameplan of rebounding and boxing out consistently, keeping the game close in its entirety but ultimately falling short in the fourth quarter.

A smaller Vikings squad started off strong, hitting the open shot and scoring on team effort plays. Mills grabbed a 9-7 lead after a handoff assist from center Lexi Chierici that found point guard Kristen LaStofka for the go-ahead layup.

Aragon didn’t fall far behind, using its size and physicality to limit Mills’ inside scoring. The Dons rebounded ferociously, getting most of their scores on put-back baskets and kick-outs to open shooters on the wings.

The Vikings went to halftime with a four-point lead.

Aragon had its best scoring output in the third quarter, rallying behind center Make Ahoia, who made three consecutive baskets, including a three-point play to give her team a 29-26 lead.

Ahoia and forward Nichole Kwee anchored a physical frontcourt that was able to cut into the deficit and grab a small lead.

LaStofka put an end to the Aragon run, scoring a buzzer-beating left-handed layup to give Mills a 32-31 lead going into the fourth quarter. She finished with 14 points.

Mills’ plans going into the final period were clear – press the ballhandler and do not surrender offensive rebounds. The Vikings executed; outscoring their opponents 14-10 in the last quarter as well as making big defensive plays and forcing key turnovers.

A charge taken by Bryana Sui and two steals in the backcourt swung the game on Mills’ favor, as the hosts went 3-for-5 from the line in the last minute to prevail in a hard-fought game.

“Bryana did a great job on forcing steals and going hard to the basket. She really stepped it up in the fourth quarter,” said junior forward Priscilla Siu.

“We won this one, but we’re still slumping,” said Mills coach Dave Matsu. “I don’t feel we did as strong as we should have. Our best win came against Notre Dame, where we limited them to 33 points.”

“You hardly ever see PAL teams doing that to a team that averages 50 points a game. We gotta play like that if we wanna win league this year,” added Matsu.

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Mills 46, Aragon 41

A -- 9 8 14 10 – 41

M -- 11 10 11 14 -- 46

A: Kubo 3 2-2 9, Dito 3 0-0 6, Mangaoang 1 0-0 2, Joyce 1 0-0 2, Kwee 6 0-0 12, Ahoia 4 2-3 10. Totals: 18 4-7 41.

M: LaStofka 5 4-6 14, Chierici 2 1-2 5, Sui 4 0-1 9, Del Bianco 3 2-2 8, Siu 1 4-6 6, Chin 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 11-17 46.

3-point goals: A: Kubo. M: Sui.

Records: Aragon 3-11, 0-3 PAL Bay. Mills 11-5, 2-1.