On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Mills girls varsity basketball team defeated the Santa Cruz Cardinals 35–30, taking home the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division III Championship. With this victory, the team made Mills girls basketball history by winning back-to-back championships for the first time. This was the team’s fifth consecutive championship appearance, sixth in the last seven years, and their third CCS title in four years.
The championship game was held at a neutral site at Santa Clara High School, which was the same site where the Lady Vikings won the CCS championship the previous year.
After beating Notre Dame High School in the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 26, girls varsity head coach Justin Matsu noted that the team’s mindset heading into the championship was grounded in trusting their leadership instincts and experience.
“Just rely on our leadership,” Matsu said. “They do a great number of things. We’ve been in these moments before, and so having that experience really helps us.”
The game tipped off at 3 p.m., and a packed house filled with both Mills and Santa Cruz fans cheered the athletes on. The game started slowly as both teams’ defenses limited scoring opportunities. However, that was short-lived as Mills was up by five at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, Mills led by four points with a score of 17–13.
In the third quarter, Santa Cruz struck back and they tied the game at 22. The defenses for both teams were stifling and both went scoreless for four minutes. Santa Cruz made a layup to take their first lead of the game with under a minute left, but Mills answered back to tie the game at 24 to end the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Santa Cruz took a one-point lead, but Mills responded with a three-pointer by senior Kelly Ho to capture a 27–25 lead. Santa Cruz fired back with a 3-pointer of their own, once again taking a 28–27 one-point lead. With 4:30 left in the game, Mills forward Layla Wong (12) knotted the game up with a free throw at 28.
Santa Cruz scored again, putting the Cardinals up 30–28 with two minutes left in the game. Mills countered with a midrange shot drained by freshman Ellie Chow, evening the score at 30. With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Mills point guard Kaylee Huynh (12) sank a turnaround midrange jumper to put the Vikings up 32–30. Santa Cruz went to the free throw line after a Vikings foul, but missed both shots. During that stretch, Amaya Moore (12) had a key block on a layup attempt and 3-point shot, helping Mills control the game.
Now with under a minute left in the game, Wong tied up a Santa Cruz player on the ground for a jump ball, giving the Vikings possession. A foul by Santa Cruz sent Ho to the free throw line, where she made one out of two. The tight defense by the Vikings forced Santa Cruz to miss their shot and Mills got the defensive rebound. Santa Cruz had to foul again and Huynh sealed the game with two made free throws. After she drilled both free throws, she was hugged by her teammates in joy at midcourt. When the final buzzer sounded, the bench stormed the court in jubilation and they all jumped up and down in celebration. The game ended in a 35–30 Vikings victory over Santa Cruz.
After the game, Mills was awarded the CCS Division III Championship trophy and medals. Some players were overcome with tears of happiness. The team celebrated their triumphant victory in the locker room by dumping cold water on Matsu.
For some of the returning seniors, this was a familiar moment for them as their third championship with the team in just four years.
Huynh thought back to the moment she was at the free throw line and shared, “I knew I had to make one of them and I made sure I stayed composed through it all.”
Huynh added on how the team overcame injuries and the challenges they faced this season saying, “At the end of the day, we just had to all stick together and be there for each other.”
Wong, who had the huge offensive rebound said that she was going to fight for that rebound no matter what it took. “We had to get it no matter what and we’re going to win, whether that was going to take me diving on the floor.”
Wong also talked about the challenges she had this season with a dislocated knee. “The knee injury was a huge one. I basically got my senior season taken away from me, but I can be a good teammate, be there for my team, and be a captain,” Wong expressed. She continued on to say, “I came back with a lot of energy and I wanted to win. I knew I could come back for the playoffs, even though it can still dislocate. Still worked really hard and tried to get the team back together.”
While still in the electric postgame atmosphere, Matsu gave a speech addressed to the players and their families outside the front of the school. “[It] hasn’t been easy this whole year with injury and a bunch of new kids, but these kids battled each and every day,” Matsu began. “They learned, got better, and stuck with the process. We got great leadership all year long from our five returning kids, and the young kids have been through a lot of yelling and screaming but you guys just take it, run with it, and get better each and every day.”
Matsu said it felt “awesome” winning the championship and he’s super proud of the girls on the team.
“I’m just so happy for this group of kids. They’ve been through so much this year,” Matsu exclaimed. “They work so hard every day. The long hours of practice, the grinded days, the good days, the bad days.”
Makena Hoover (9), one of two freshmen that made varsity this year, said it was fun being a part of this team. “I feel really good. A lot of people have been through this before and it’s just great to learn and be in this atmosphere,” Hoover commented. Hoover reflected on what she has learned this season, saying, “Patience and how important it is to stick together when times are tough.”
Resilience. Relentless passion. Unparalleled team chemistry. Grit and grind. These are the core qualities that allowed the team to overcome a multitude of challenges this year. These are the core values that will allow them to continue dominating the court for years to come.
“This team needed this one and this is the definition of Ohana,” Wong emphasized.
