The Washington Generals girls basketball team fell to the Verdugo Hills Dons 43-50 in the City Section Division I girls championship. Accurate three-point shooting was key for the Dons throughout the matchup.
“It was a very tough season, we fought hard to get to where we were,” said Washington prep junior Jay’la Ray. “The losses is not a loss but it’s a lesson learned.”
Both teams tied four times in the first quarter. Despite struggling with turnovers, the Generals went on a six-point run.
A three-pointer by sophomore Amiyya Castanos gave Verdugo a 14-11 lead. Castanos hit three consecutive three-pointers to start the second phase, giving the Dons a 12-point lead.
Related Stories
Lakers Rain Threes, Secure Win Over Clippers
USC Triumphs Over UCLA to Secure Big Ten Title
“We’re probably a better three-point shooting team than a two-point shooting team, said Verdugo Hills girls basketball coach Kevin Peterson-Henry. “We’re real aggressive, We communicate pretty well when we’re playing well. We find everybody, we help everybody.”
Washington Prep seniors Jaleyah Lucien, Jay’la Ray, and Dereon Conant contributed to a 9-2 run. Scoring accuracy by Verdugo Hills kept them ahead, resulting in a 31-23 lead by the half.
A concentration on defensive rebounding helped the Generals during the third quarter. Washington Prep outscored Verdugo Hills in that time frame 11-8.
With 4:52 left in regulation, Washington Prep was within two points of Verdugo Hills. One minute later, Ray hit a shot to tie the game at 41. It was one of two ties the Generals made in the final minutes.
“To come back and tie it up means that we were playing smart basketball,” Ray said. “Making good passes and setting screens, doing what we needed to do.”
Dons senior Rayleen Castanos battled on the offensive end to ensure a victory for Verdugo Hills.
Reaching the championship round took hard work and sacrifice for the Generals.
“We had to believe in ourselves, believe in each other,” said Generals senior Dereon Conant. “Play good defense. Listen to our coaches, play hard every game.”
Washington Prep was ranked second in the Coliseum League with an 8-2 record.
“It helped me be disciplined and to know that I could win any game as long as we believe in each other and play hard,” Conant said. “We faced being slow in our rotations, sometimes we move too fast or move too slow and play sloppy and we improved it.”
