The Lady Dons (12-7 overall, 5-2 Peninsula Athletic League) faced off against Mills (12-7 overall, 4-3 PAL) in the third of four quad games on Friday, Jan. 27. Aragon fought a tough match against Mills, ultimately winning a 40-38 nailbiter.
Freshman point guard Lydia Manu led the team with 16 points and 5 steals, while junior guard Kinako Miyake had 9 points.
Although the Lady Dons played strong offensively, their defense was what secured the victory, as they recorded 11 steals throughout the game and held Mills to just five points in the first quarter.
“Our mindset was just [to] go play hard and to press really hard and force them to their left,” says Manu.
Manu scored eight of her team’s 11 points in the second quarter. Her shooting touch shined as she drained two three point shots while the Mills fans booed.
Mills went on an eight-to-one run late in the third quarter, giving them a 25-19 lead. However, Aragon was not phased by the deficit.
“We’ve been playing together since preseason and we’ve been down by 20 and come back and cut down the score a lot,” says junior forward Kelsey Dobbs.
The Lady Dons took over in the fourth quarter and shut down Mills, outscoring the Lady Vikings 11-4 and forcing five turnovers.
In the end, free throws won the game for Aragon. Up 39-38 one with 1.6 seconds left, Manu got fouled and hit one of two free throws to put Aragon ahead by two. Mills had just enough time to get off what would’ve been a game-winning three point shot, but the ball was off the mark, sealing the victory for the Lady Dons.
Riding a two-game win streak, the girls are set to travel to Belmont take on Carlmont (13-6 overall, 5-2 PAL) on Feb. 1st.
