Girls Basketball beats Willow Glen High School 75-46 in its first CCS game
Matadors move onto quarterfinals with a win after receiving a bye for the first round
Sophomore Miya Kosakura drives into the paint while WGHS players surround her inside.
February 20, 2023
7 p.m. in the Bettancourt Main Gym. The energy was high, from both the audience watching from the bleachers and the players warming up on the court. For the players of MVHS, this was their first game of CCS, meaning this game determined if they would continue on to the quarterfinals, or if their season would be ended here, immediately. An intense game ensued, and MVHS emerged victorious, every player beaming with smiles as they celebrated their first win of this tournament.
Varsity Girls Basketball won against Willow Glen High School 75-46 on Saturday, Feb. 19 in the second round of CCS Division II playoffs. The Matadors were the No. 6 seed and had a first round bye.
MVHS ended the first quarter of the game with a strong lead of 23-2, which senior Emi Kosakura says created the momentum that allowed the team to remain ahead throughout the game. MVHS remained more than 20 points ahead of WGHS through each quarter, ending halftime 45-23, third quarter with 59-37, and ultimately securing a 75-46 victory.
“I’m very excited about this win,” Kosakura said. “[It’s the] second [game] out of CCS, our first game of CCS, and I’m proud of how everyone played. Everyone played really well, and everything from practice translated to today’s game.”
Similarly, senior and captain Julianna Kimm attributes the team’s win to its energy, which she says was “really high throughout the whole game” and allowed the team to earn this win. She also finds the difference in scores between MVHS and WGHS to be “really good” and says that all the MVHS players contributed greatly to the game. Kimm mentions that she felt that the team was able to move quickly and have fast breaks.
“There was just this hustle and aggressiveness from us,” Kimm said. “I remember this one time I got a pass from the corner, and I shot a [three-pointer], and then the next time we stole the ball as they were inbounding it, and then I got another three after that.”
MVHS will continue on to the quarterfinals of CCS and will next play Hillsdale High School on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Kimm says she’s hopeful for the next game and is bringing the same winning mindset.
“This is my last CCS playoffs [and] I really want to enjoy it and play well with my team,” Kimm said. “I hope we can continue to bring the same energy that we had yesterday night into the rest of our games in the season and hopefully go to NorCal and be state champs, if we’re really lucky.
