PETERS GUIDES KNIGHTS TO BIG 2ND HALF

By Shania Bulala

The St. Paul gymnasium buzzed with energy Friday night as the St. Paul Warriors and St. John’s Knights went toe-to-toe in the IIAAG/ISA Girls Basketball League. The Knights managed to pick up the win on the road, defeating the Warriors 67-34 to remain undefeated. Leading the charge for the Knights was superstar Jia Peters, who put on a stellar performance by dropping 30 points, while defensive specialist Amara Del Carmen chipped in with 19 points.

All this after holding a slim 23-21 halftime lead and coming away with their first ever win at the St. Paul homecourt.

First Quarter: Fast Start for Both Teams

The match kicked off with both teams racing to put points on the board. The intensity was high right from the tip-off, with both squads playing aggressive and fast-paced basketball. The Knights, led by Peters, found the early edge with quick baskets by using their up-tempo style to build a small 9-5 lead.

Del Carmen was an absolute force in the defensive zone, anchoring the Knights’ defensive full-court press while Zahna and Zoe Whitehead were at the tip of that press, trying to disrupt anything that came their way. Despite the Knights’ aggressive defense, the Warriors didn’t back down. They were able to remain in striking distance with their signature half-court press led by seniors Sazzy Quintanilla and Kimora Charfauros. The quarter ended with the Knights in the lead, 13-5. 

Second Quarter: Warriors Fight Back

When the second quarter began, the Warriors came onto the floor with a renewed sense of urgency. Quintanilla, the spark for her team, exploded with back-to-back steals that she quickly converted into points. The Warriors, riding high on her momentum, managed to close the gap, trimming the Knights’ lead to 19-13.

The Knights found themselves in foul trouble during the quarter, with Peters picking up her third personal foul. Knights coach Fred Peters was forced to take her off the floor for the remainder of the quarter, giving the Warriors an opening. The Warriors seized the opportunity by aggressively driving to the basket and drawing fouls to bring them in the bonus and shoot for free throw opportunities. With each successful basket, the Warriors closed the gap even further.

As the clock wound down in the second quarter, Charfauros stunned the crowd with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, making it just a two-point game at 23-21 going into halftime. 

Third Quarter: Knights Regain Control

After a tense and competitive first half, the Knights kicked off the third quarter with a renewed sense of purpose. Peters immediately made her presence felt, hitting easy back-to-back baskets to start back up the Knights’ rhythm. Del Carmen and the Whitehead sisters managed to join in on the scoring pattern to give the Knights a cushioned 31-21 lead. 

“It was for sure rough coming out of the 1st half with only a 2-point lead,” said Peters. “The locker room talk from our coaches really flipped our mindset, and we came back on a run, and from there we just kept pushing that momentum.” 

From that moment forward, the Knights’ defense shut down the Warriors. They held the Warriors scoreless for the first six minutes of the third, pushing their lead to 35-21. With Del Carmen continuing to be a dominant force on both ends of the floor and Peters finding her rhythm again, the Knights began to pull away. By the end of the third, the Knights had built a commanding 49-28 lead.  

Fourth Quarter: Peters Steals the Show

The final quarter was where Jia Peters really flexed her scoring muscle. Showing off her deep shooting range, she drained three three-pointers, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Warriors. By the time the dust settled, Peters had dropped 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, adding to her impressive 30-point performance. 

With the Knights’ defense continuing to stifle the Warriors’ offense, they sealed the game with a 67-34 victory.  

“I know we started off scared… our school has never won a game here in this gym. But after our coaches had spoken some sense into us, we were pumped and ready to show all those watching what we bring to the table,’ added Del Carmen. “We went over everything that they [St. Paul] were going to possibly run, and it was just up to us to execute it.” 

Peters and Del Carmen give credit to their teammates for stepping up in the crucial moments and most especially to their coaches for guiding them to the victory.  

The victory was a bittersweet one for the Knights, however, as assistant coach Argie Flores is expected to leave the team for the remainder of the season to take up a coaching position in Australia.

OTHER GAMES

Sanchez 56, GW 27

JFK 64, Notre Dame 20

Academy 69, Southern 55

Guam High 82, Tiyan 20

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