The Verdugo Hills Dons started their postseason with a bang, with a statement 57-32 win over the Marshall Barristers. The Dons have not lost a game at home since December, and the win adds an eighth tally to Verdugo Hills’ undefeated run. The top seed in the CIF LA City Section Girls’ Division 1, Verdugo Hills continues to prove that they’re the team to beat. Though Marshall’s tournament run has come to a close, their showing against the Dons demonstrated improvement from their 83-28 defeat in their season opener. 

Lilly Opper ignited Verdugo Hills’ offense early with back-to-back threes to open the first quarter. The Dons’ off-ball movement consistently resulted in open looks at the post. Elaine Oh led the bench unit, setting the tone by driving through defenders and finishing at the rim. Marshall’s offense struggled to overcome the heavy pressure the Dons’ applied to their ball handlers, and Verdugo Hills took a ten point lead after the first. 

Marshall’s Bea Codinera dominated the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds, and her put backs resulted in the only five points the Barristers scored in the second quarter. Verdugo Hills’ offensive was triggered by their defense, as the Dons came up with 14 steals in the first half. The takeaways led to easy baskets off the outlet pass. The Dons’ lead was a comfortable 34-13 at the break. 

Verdugo Hills didn’t slow down in the second half, opening the third quarter with a 10 point run before Amaya Yanagita put 9 quick points on the board for the Barristers with three consecutive threes. Despite the offensive boost, both teams’ bench units closed out the game, with the Dons’ lead unwavering, resulting in a 57-32 final score. 

The win advanced the Dons to the quarterfinals, where they faced the 8 seed Franklin on Friday. Verdugo Hills bested the Panthers 81-55. The Dons will host the 4 seed Kennedy Golden Cougars on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm for their semifinals matchup.