Los Alamitos Girls Can't Get Over, Under or Around Woodbridge in Playoff Defeat

The Los Alamitos girls’ basketball team was overwhelmed and overmatched in its second-round game of the CIF Southern Section Division 1A playoffs against host Woodbridge Saturday night, losing, 50-29, to the towering Warriors.

The Griffins (16-11) struggled to get to the basket all night against the length of the Warriors’ inside defenders. Their 29 points were the fewest scored all season.

Senior forward Maddy Page and sophomore Sarah Lipton, two legitimate 6-footers, allowed Woodbridge to control the paint, forcing the Griffins to put up tough jumpers from the perimeter.

With limited access to the lane, the Griffins struggled mightily on offense. They managed only eight field goals for the entire game.

Junior guard Lauren Yamada led what there was of a Los Alamitos attack with eight points, including two three-point baskets. Senior guard Lynne Higashigawa chipped in with seven points, all in the first half.

The Griffins came out aggressive early, successfully working the ball inside and getting the Warriors into foul trouble. Senior guard Rachel Bass and senior forward Sara Hutter kept Los Alamitos in the game in the first quarter, going a perfect six for six from the free-throw line.

Los Alamitos trailed 9-8 entering the second quarter. Higashigawa changed that in a hurry with five quick points, including a three-pointer that gave the Griffins a 13-11 lead.

Despite getting into the double bonus quickly, Los Alamitos was unable to take full advantage, converting only two of its six opportunities from the stripe in the second quarter.

Third-seeded Woodbridge (24-2) took advantage of the Griffins’ poor shooting, erupting for 18 points in the second quarter. Senior forward Sammy Doucette led the Warriors with six points in the frame, catching fire with her mid-range jump shot. The Warriors opened up a 27-15 lead at halftime.

The Griffins held the fort defensively in the third quarter, giving up only 10 points, but could not cut into their 12-point deficit, managing only eight points of their own.

The Warriors, champions of the Pacific Coast League, left no doubt that they were in complete control in the fourth quarter. Los Alamitos continued to struggle to get its jump shots to fall, and Woodbridge executed a couple of long break-out passes for easy transition lay-ins.

After an extended meeting following the game, the players emerged from the locker room very emotional as they realized that this would be the last game they would ever play together. The Griffins graduate five seniors: Higashigawa, Hutter, Bass, Paige Tabing and Elaina Alvarez.

“What we said to the seniors was that we wanted to create a legacy for the younger players to follow,” Griffins coach Chris Vlasic said. “I think we did that.”

Part of the success that the first-year coach was referring to included the Griffins’ first-round victory over Walnut on the road.

Looking back on her senior season, Higashigawa said she was proud of the way the team had grown under Vlasic's tutelage. “We definitely had to go through our hardships," she said. "But we got through our ups and downs.”