All photos courtesy of Howard Fukunaga.
On Jan. 24, the girls basketball team (3-3 Peninsula Athletic League) dominated the Capuchino Mustangs (1-4 PAL) with a final score of 57-31.
During the pre-season, the Dons faced off against the Mustangs in a competitive game that resulted in a narrow Aragon win of 45-40. Thus, going into the game, head coach Sam Manu hoped that his team’s improvement in the month since their match and their study of the Mustang’s tactics and plays would lead to a more secure win.
The game got off to a vigorous start with the Dons scoring almost immediately after it began, taking a quick 2-0 lead. From there, they would go on to gain a 12-point lead before the Mustangs scored, forcing Capuchino to take an early timeout.
Yet, Capuchino’s first basket would be the only points they scored in the first quarter as the Don’s starters completely controlled the game throughout the entire quarter. The quarter ended with the Dons having a 15-2 lead over the Mustangs, a lead that they would never give up throughout the rest of the game.
“We know we’re a fast team,” said senior shooting guard Maddie McGinty. “We play fast, [and] we know that they have not very many subs, [so] they are not as fast. We really played to that advantage.”
The second quarter proceeded in similar fashion to the first, with the Dons adding to their lead off the back of dominant possession from their starters.
Throughout the entirety of the first half, the Mustangs were completely shut down. The Dons’ defense was unstoppable, resulting in many steals and full court drives and conversions by senior point guard Maya Yoo. The Dons’ strong offense was also due to many well coordinated drives and passes to the Dons’ center and small forward, as well as many three-point shots from McGinty, the team’s top shooter from range on that night.
Because of the overwhelming control of the game and fluidity as a team, the Dons ended the half with a 33-6 lead over the Mustangs, their largest lead of the night.
Going into the second half, with a firm 27-point lead and tough game against the league’s current leader, Menlo Atherton (6-0 PAL), the following day, Manu opted to rest a majority of his starters throughout the second half.
While Capuchino managed to gain a bit more counter play than they had against the Don’s starters, Aragon was able to hold their lead throughout the third quarter ending the quarter with a firm 49-15 lead.
“I knew that [the starters gave] us a great lead,” said freshman point guard Lauren Pong. “So I knew that if I messed up a little bit, it’d be okay. And that allowed me to play freely.”
“I knew that [the starters gave] us a great lead. So I knew that if I messed up a little bit, it’d be okay.”
With Pong at the helm and the support from the starters on the bench, the Dons kept their lead throughout the rest of the game. With a few minutes left to play a few fouls against Capuchino, the Dons maintained offensive possession and ultimately secured their 57-31 win over the Mustangs.
While the Don’s supremacy on the court led to their win on the scoreboard, what can’t be seen on the scoreboard was Dons’ energy as a team coming from both the players on the court and on the bench. Whether a starter or a sub, each player was getting involved in the game even when they were not on the court.
“We cheer each other on,” said starting senior and small forward Grace Nai. “[We’re also] coaching from the bench … to guide the people that are coming onto the court and trying to help them see things that they don’t usually see. And [we] just [give] them that energy that they always give us.”
“[We’re also] coaching from the bench … to guide the people that are coming onto the court and trying to help them see things that they don’t usually see.”
This energy transferred between players would not have been possible without the bonds and inclusivity the team has tried to build throughout the season.
“We have a rule that whether you’re a senior or a freshman, if you see each other in school, you want to make that connection,” Manu said. “Fist-pump, say hi, so that we don’t have [form] cliques. We don’t have, ‘I’m a starting senior … and you’re a freshman.’”
Looking forward, the Dons look to take the momentum from this win with them through the rest of the season. After winning such a critical game, the team is hopeful about their chances to qualify the Central Coast Section.
Currently sitting in fifth place in the PAL South division, the Dons are well on their way to achieving this season-long goal. However, each and every win is important to the overall success of the team.
“In order to make CCS, you have to be six and six,” McGinty said. “And we’ve kind of scattered out what those six wins look like. And this was the most difficult of those wins, [so] this was a really big game for us.”
While there is definitely still work to be done, Manu is proud of his team’s strong work ethic and the results that their hard work brings.
“We were going to find out today who had improved more,” Manu said. “And it was just so rewarding for me to see that work hard [pay off].”
The team’s next home game is against Sequoia (2-3 PAL) on Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.
