
By Robert Balajadia
The Academy Cougars secured their home floor as the venue for ISA Girls Basketball Championship game after defeating the JFK Islanders 30-22 in the semifinals Tuesday evening. The Cougars locked up the league’s number one seed by finishing the regular season unbeaten which meant hosting the title game was theirs to lose.
After a slow start in their semifinals game, the Cougars found their offense and buckled down on defense to move past JFK for a title shot Friday. Meeting them there will be the St. Paul Warriors, who defeated the Okkodo Bulldogs 53-51 in the other semifinals game.
“This is home and more is at stake because it’s at home. We have to defend this with everything we got,” said Taitano on being able to host the Championship Game.
Cougars guard Mia Taitano had 12 points to lead her team with defense fueling their big win.
The Cougars got the better of the Warriors for the preseason title and also in their regular season meeting. This will be the teams third meeting this season, but their fourth straight battle for a league title!
Cougars defense fuels run
The Islanders looked prime for an upset early after quickly getting a 9-1 lead on the Cougars after a Laila Smart three pointer from the wing midway through the opening period. The Cougars didn’t get their first field goal of the game until the 56-second mark of the 1st quarter on a Myka-Jo Terlaje bucket off a Taitano feed, but managed to get within 9-5 before the quarters end.
Academy quickly took control of the game in the 2nd, capturing a 10-9 lead off an Oriana Sevilla three-pointer and didn’t look back. The Cougars would render JFK scoreless in the 2nd, taking an 18-9 lead into the half.
“It took everyone giving their full effort. We know this is a win-or-go-home game and we want to win; we want to win it all. We came together on defense which got our offense going,” said Taitano on turning the game around.
Academy would stretch their lead 23-9 into the 3rd before a pair of buckets from Islander Philicita Rivera ended the Cougars 22-0 run. Rivera would convert on a jumper in the lane and a three-pointer from the wing, the Islanders only points in the period, to get her team within 29-14.
JFK started to mount a comeback in the 4th after three buckets from Golopin Choay, and a jumper from Jada Han, got the Islanders within 29-22.
Neither team could capitalize on fast breaks in the final minute with a free throw from Taitano in the final seconds icing the contest 30-22.
“We just needed to keep our composure and keep up the defensive intensity. Both teams were tired, but we wanted it more so we had to show it,” said Mia on the tense final minutes.
Terlaje and Sevilla scored six points each for the Cougars while Golopin scored a team-high 10 points for the Islanders.
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GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

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