UPDATE: In a heart-stopping finish, junior guard Mila Conn secured a dramatic victory for Santa Cruz High’s girls basketball team, defeating Los Altos 45-44 during the opening round of the 12th annual Aptos High/Santa Cruz Warriors NorCal Invitational at Kaiser Permanente Arena on December 11, 2023.
This thrilling contest came down to the wire. Just moments after Los Altos senior guard Ella McFarlane hit a corner 3-pointer to give her team a slim 44-43 lead, Conn executed a perfect give-and-go with Nadia Delgadillo. Conn drove the court and sank a critical pull-up jumper with only five seconds remaining, sealing the stunning comeback for the Cardinals.
With this victory, Santa Cruz (7-4) not only celebrated a hard-fought win but also secured a .500 win percentage necessary for qualifying for the Central Coast Section playoffs. Coach Todd Trowbridge expressed his pride in the team’s resilience, noting, “It was a big win for us… to be able to finish this game the way we did, I was very pleased.”
Santa Cruz faced a challenging start, trailing 20-13 at halftime before rallying with a dominating 20-9 performance in the third quarter. Conn finished the game with 17 points and 7 rebounds, while senior forward Karolina Espinosa added 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.
On the opposing side, McFarlane shined for Los Altos (7-2), leading her team with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. Freshman guard Taylor Ware contributed with 12 points and 4 assists, but the Eagles fell just short in their desperate attempt to reclaim the lead as time expired.
Santa Cruz will now advance to face Half Moon Bay (6-2) in the semifinals on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., where they aim to continue their momentum from this exhilarating win.
As the tournament progresses, fans are eager to see how the Cardinals will carry this thrilling energy forward. Will they maintain their winning streak against Half Moon Bay? Stay tuned for more updates as the competition unfolds in this high-stakes invitational.
