Third time’s a charm.
However, this was not the case in Saturday night’s game, as a brief halt was put on the women’s basketball team as its season came to an end.
The Warriors had no answer for the Pasadena City Lancers’ high scoring and league leading offense, despite having played them twice in the regular season.
The Lancers’ (26-1) defense held the Warriors to 54 points while their offense provided the customary 79 points, three points away from their season average.
“They (Pasadena) played and shot very well,” coach Steve Shaw said. “They deserve all the credit to be ranked No.1 as they just simply played an outstanding game.”
The difference in this game from the previous two was that the Lancers played with a zone defense which threw off EC’s game plan early into the battle.
“Their defense took away our inside game, causing us to shoot from the perimeter,” Shaw said. “Unfortunately, we did not have a good shooting performance, especially in the first half.”
The Warriors had trailed by as much as 18 points going into the half.
They were able to make a run getting as close as 10 points during the fourth quarter; however, the Lancers’ offense proved to be too overpowering for the Warrior’s defense, as they managed to run away with the game in the end.
EC’s Chloe Grinn did everything a leader is supposed to do, as she went eight of 12 from the field scoring 20 of the 54 points.
She also contributed with six rebounds and two blocks.
Tawny Whiting was able to provide the team with 14 points and five assists in the loss.
The women’s basketball team finishes the year on a positive note, knowing that four of its top freshmen prospects are returning to finish off what they started.
With the progress of this basketball team, it has shown that the past couple of years have been building blocks to what would eventually lead this women’s team to a conference championship.
“We have a good group of women returning, all of whom were a factor this year,” Shaw said. “Along with some good recruiting, we should be able to do as great as this team did next season.”
Despite falling one game shy of the state championship, the women’s team leaves behind a productive and record-setting season.
The Warriors finished the year with an overall record of 20-8, 7-1 in conference play.
Adding to their resume is their first ever South Coast Conference championship and a their victory during the playoffs, which some may say is the best season this women’s basketball program has ever had.
“I’m not only proud of this team for winning its first conference championship, but also for their ability to be solid in the classroom,” Shaw said. “It’s a full package thing, which was pretty nice to have as a coach.”
