Lady Huskies’ 11-0 fourth-quarter scoring run changed the game in the win over the Lady Bears 

The Rolling Hills Prep Lady Huskies did the unthinkable as they knocked down a heavyweight when they defeated the John Burroughs Lady Bears in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A Semifinals by the final score of 57-45 behind an 11-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter. . Both the Lady Bears and Huskies came off wins in the quarterfinal rounds with Burroughs coming away with a 58-48 victory over Pioneer and Rolling Hills Prep defeating Sonora 55-45. 

Mariam Fahs got the Lady Bears off to a strong start with back-to-back layups to give Burroughs a 4-0 lead to start the opening quarter. Leah Sasaki got Rolling Hills Prep on the board with a three-point basket following Fahs’s layups. Burroughs then responded with a three-point basket by Izzy Amoroso along with Valentina Morales’s two-point bank shot to give the Lady Bears a 9-3 lead over the Lady Huskies. Brooklyn Hall recorded a two-point basket to make it a 12-7 game with Burroughs leading by five at the end of the opening quarter. 

Grace Barton and Isabella Amayakyan scored the first two baskets in the second quarter to extend the Lady Bears’ advantage. Barton nailed a three-point basket and Amayakyan recorded a two-point bank shot to give Burroughs a 17-7 lead. The Lady Bears continued to have momentum throughout the second quarter and entered the second half with a 23-15 lead. 

Both Burroughs and Rolling Hills Prep began the second half by trading points. Hall recorded a two-point basket and Amoroso made one of her two free throw attempts at the foul line. The Lady Huskies overcame a 24-30 deficit with Regan Enright nailing both her free throws to end the third quarter with a 38-37 lead over the Lady Bears. 

Rolling Hills Prep went all out in the final quarter of play as they had a parade of points by going on an 11-0 run to start the fourth. Mia Fernandez, Hall, Keli Quan, Kaydee Tani, and Enright all chipped in with the scoring for the Lady Huskies. Fahs finally stopped the scoring run in hopes of an epic comeback, but Rolling Hills Prep controlled the final quarter to seal the upset victory. 

“The third quarter really hurt us and it carried well into the fourth quarter,” said Vikki Oganyan. Oganyan admitted that there is still something to be played for in the CIF State playoffs when asked about the team’s chances of still winning a championship despite the Lady Bears’ surprising loss to Rolling Hills Prep. 

The Rolling Hills Prep Lady Huskies will take on Rosary Academy in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A Championship on Friday, February 28th at 7:00 p.m. with the location to be determined. The Burroughs Lady Bears will continue their pursuit of a championship and they will be a part of the CIF State Playoffs beginning with the regional rounds beginning on Tuesday, March 4th with an opponent to be determined when the CIF State Playoff brackets are released in the late afternoon on Sunday, March 2nd.