By Uy Pham
The Fountain Valley High School girls’ basketball team (15-12 overall, 1-4 league) defeated the Corona del Mar Sea Queens with a score of 49-42, securing their first win in the Sunset Surf League. The Barons had previously lost to the Sea Queens in a 47-25 away match, along with three other losses to Los Alamitos and Edison for four consecutive losses against Sunset Surf competition.
The Sea Queens (13-13 overall, 3-2 league) hoped to secure their second win against the Barons, maintain a positive record and challenge Los Alamitos (22-5 overall, 5-0 league) for the league title. For the Barons, the win proved key in maintaining the Barons’ chances of qualifying for the CIF-SS playoffs through an overall positive record.
“We have a positive record, we should be at-large. Winning the league, yeah, that’s what we go for,” head coach Marianne Karp said. “ [But] Los Alamitos, Corona del Mar are so good [so] us coming in and [winning] this [game] tonight and just playing amazing basketball … the players deserve this and should be proud of themselves.”
Before the game, seniors Lujane Alani, Ysovie Thantrong, Grace Latto, Melody Nishi, Samantha Nguyen and Lizzie Fast were recognized as a part of Senior Night celebrations. Alani, Thantrong, Latto, Nguyen and Fast started both halves for the Barons.
Throughout the game, junior Candice Tran and sophomore Sophie Hsieh helped to facilitate the offense for the Barons, in addition to recording key points and assists to secure the victory. Junior Karley Waite dominated rebounding on both sides of the game, and captain Thantrong played crucial minutes, providing leadership and crucial plays for both the Barons’ offense and defense.
“Thanstrong came in and played really, really tough, and we didn’t even think we’d get her back for the season,” Karp said. “So for her to go in and do what she did tonight—tough defense, getting rebounds. It was really impressive.”
The game began with strong defensive performances from the Barons, with Latto securing two blocks and Nguyen one of her own. The Sea Queens shuffled the ball around the court during offense, but turnovers proved to be the obstacle for both teams. Three minutes into the quarter, the Sea Queens broke the scoring drought with a free throw and layup.
With 3:41 left in the quarter, the Sea Queens sank a three-pointer, but junior Dasani Pham responded with a three-pointer to open the scoring for the Barons (3-6). The Sea Queens converted an additional two free throws, but Pham responded yet again with another three-pointer. However, the quarter ended with a layup and three-pointer from the Sea Queens for a 6-13 lead.
Starting the second quarter, Thantrong and Pham played solid defense for the Barons, securing steals and maneuvering the Sea Queens’ weaving movements. Tran faked a pass to the perimeter and instead drove to the basket for a layup (10-13).
Soon after, floaters by Tran and Hsieh secured the Barons’ first lead, but the Sea Queens quickly responded with a three-pointer, with 4:34 remaining.
Thantrong fought for a rebound, drew a foul and scored a free throw. On the defensive end, freshman Kaylie Sasaki poked the ball from a Sea Queen player, allowing Pham to drive to the basket for a layup. The Sea Queens scored another layup, but Waite answered with a free throw to end the half with a tie game, 18-18.
The seniors, who returned as starters for the third quarter, quickly jumped in on the scoring action. Nguyen scored a pull-up, Alani converted a three-pointer and Latto secured an and-one play for a 26-23 lead.
Attempting to respond, the Sea Queens finished two three-pointers, but Waite replied with a put-back and Hsieh converted two free throws after a technical foul.
With 44 seconds remaining, Hsieh secured a steal and dished the ball to Tran, who scored a layup and free throw. The Sea Queens drew a foul for two free throws, but Tran drove to the basket to close the quarter with a layup and a 36-28 lead.
“My thoughts [going into the fourth quarter] are to use timeouts wisely, stay composed, and talk to them on the bench. I reminded Hsieh when she was shooting a free throw, ultimately it was a win-win,” Karp said. “She made it, we got the point, or if she missed it, the clock would start right away.”
The Sea Queens initiated a scoring run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, including free throws, a layup and three-pointer to close the score gap to two points. Waite secured another rebound and put-back, but the Sea Queens completed a free-throw.
Taking advantage of the missed shots and turnovers by the Barons, another scoring run for the Sea Queens ensued, with a put-back and three-pointer putting the Sea Queens in a 38-40 lead. Thantrong and Tran soon answered with a three-pointer each, recapturing the lead.
A crucial rebound by Thantrong assisted a Hsieh layup, and the Sea Queens’ quick drive for a layup placed the score at 46-42 for the remaining two minutes. The Barons scored several free throws and evaded the Sea Queens defense for a final score of 49-42.
“This energy when I started all the seniors and again in the second half—all the kids pulled together because of that and gave us that burst of energy we needed,” Karp said. “I am so proud. The other team battles back, and we’re like, ‘No, we’re not going to let you.’”
The Barons play their final regular season and Sunset Wave league match away against Edison High School on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
“You always want to beat Edison. I hope they have a really good time and bring the same energy,” Karp said. “Whether or not we have a crowd, our players should take this game and everything that came with it and carry it to Edison.”
