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Pinewood turned in another stellar offensive performance Wednesday with an 80-41 win over St. Ignatius in the Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals.
No. 2 seed Pinewood (16-0) will play at top seed Mitty on Friday for the CCS Open Division girls basketball championship.
The Panthers shot a scorching 56 percent (33 of 59), 24 of 44 on 2-pointers and 9 of 15 on 3-pointers. That’s 75 points on 59 field-goal attempts.
“I couldn’t be happier, the seniors finished their home season with a vintage performance,’’ Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler said. “A great way for them to go out. They played beautiful basketball.’’
Una Jovanovic and Elle Ladine scored 22 points apiece. Maia Garcia pitched in with 14.
This one was decided early. Pinewood led 24-5 at the end of the first quarter.
“We jumped on them early, threw the first punch,’’ Scheppler said. “We were getting the shots we wanted. (St. Ignatius) was playing uphill the whole time.’’
St. Ignatius got untracked in the second quarter and played Pinewood even, so it was still a 19-point differential at halftime, 42-23. But then Pinewood started off the third quarter with a bang — a 9-0 run — to make it 51-23. And matters only escalated from there.
The Open Division might be set up to showcase the eight best teams in the CCS. But as Mitty and Pinewood have demonstrated there are really only two elite teams in the CCS — and then everyone else.
Pinewood has won all 16 games it has played this season by double digits. Fifteen of its wins have been by 20 points or more.
Mitty, after a season-opening loss to St. Mary’s of Stockton, has blown through the rest of its schedule. The Monarchs scored 98 against St. Ignatius and 94 against St. Francis in one two-game stretch.
Pinewood has won two Open Division games by 36 and 39. Mitty’s two wins have been by 51 and 42.
Mitty has won five CCS Open Division championships in a row. Four of those wins were over Pinewood. So what do the Panthers need to do for a different outcome this time around?
“We have to handle their pressure and convert our 3s,’’ Scheppler said. “We have to minimize the damage they do on the offensive boards, can’t give them second-chance scores. Offensively we’ve got to be poised handling their double teams.’’
