GIRLS BASKETBALL: Dons Fall Just Short at Mills

The Score: Mills 46, Aragon 41.

The Star: Aragon High junior point guard Justine Kubo finished with nine points and four assists, keeping her team under control most of the game despite a five-point road loss in a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division game.

The Turning Point: Aragon made a solid comeback in the third quarter, but a buzzer-beating layup to end the period by Mills point guard Kristen LaStofka put an end to the Dons’ momentum.

The Quote: “We did a lot of good things today -- we played hard, we hustled and our chemistry was great.” – Aragon point guard Justine Kubo, on her team’s spirits after the game.

What’s Next? Aragon looks to get its first PAL Bay win when it hosts Menlo-Atherton on Friday at 6:15 p.m.

The Bottom Line: Despite a strong comeback in the third quarter, Aragon did not make enough plays down the stretch to pull a win against a Mills team that got to the line 17 times, collecting points late in the fourth.

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The Aragon High girls basketball team fell short of a comeback win against host Mills, losing 46-41 in a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division game on Tuesday night.

Aragon (3-11, 0-3 PAL Bay) established its gameplan of rebounding and boxing out consistently, keeping the game close in its entirety but ultimately falling short in the fourth quarter.

Mills (11-5, 2-1) kept a fair lead for the first half but was tested in the third quarter when the Dons’ rebounding prowess gave the visitors a three-point lead.

The smaller Mills squad started off strong, hitting the open shot and scoring on team effort plays, grabbing a 9-7 lead after a handoff assist from center Lexi Chierici that found point guard Kristen LaStofka for the go-ahead layup.

Aragon didn’t fall far behind, using its size and physicality to limit Mills’ inside scoring. The Dons rebounded ferociously, getting most of their scores on put-back baskets and kick-outs to open shooters on the wings.

“Our goal was to box them out and rebound the ball,” said Aragon junior point guard Justine Kubo.

The Dons went to halftime trailing by four.

Aragon had its best scoring output in the third quarter, rallying behind center Make Ahoia, who made three consecutive baskets, including a three-point play to give her team a 29-26 lead.

“We tried hard to get back into the game. If we got closer going into the fourth quarter, then anything can happen,” said Ahoia.

Ahoia and forward Nichole Kwee anchored a physical frontcourt that was able to cut into the deficit and grab a small lead.

LaStofka put an end to the Aragon run by scoring a buzzer-beating left-handed layup to give her team a 32-31 lead going into the fourth quarter. She finished with 14 points.

Mills’ plans going into the final period were clear – press the ballhandler and do not surrender offensive rebounds. The Vikings executed; outscoring their opponents 14-10 in the last quarter as well as making big defensive plays and forcing key turnovers.

A charge taken by Bryana Sui and two steals in the backcourt swung the game in Mills’ favor – the Vikings went 3-for-5 from the line in the last minute to prevail in a hard-fought game.

Aragon only had nine active players for this game, with two girls injured.

“You learn with every loss,” said Kubo. “We’re still a young team undergoing this rebuilding process and we just learn more about each other with every practice and every game.”

“We’re getting there,” added Kubo.

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Mills 46, Aragon 41

A -- 9 8 14 10 – 41

M -- 11 10 11 14 -- 46

A: Kubo 3 2-2 9, Dito 3 0-0 6, Mangaoang 1 0-0 2, Joyce 1 0-0 2, Kwee 6 0-0 12, Ahoia 4 2-3 10. Totals: 18 4-7 41.

M: LaStofka 5 4-6 14, Chierici 2 1-2 5, Sui 4 0-1 9, Del Bianco 3 2-2 8, Siu 1 4-6 6, Chin 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 11-17 46.

3-point goals: A: Kubo. M: Sui.

Records: Aragon 3-11, 0-3 PAL Bay. Mills 11-5, 2-1.