The rivalry between Redwood High and Marin Catholic has been simmering over the offseason, just waiting for a chance to boil over on the court.
“This might be December, but that rivalry never goes away,” Redwood head coach Zach Borello said after his Giants beat host Marin Catholic, 54-46, Saturday to claim third place in the LadyCat Classic.
Could this game have been a preview of the MCAL championships? It’s happened before.
“Well, league is going to be a test with some really good teams,” Borello said. “This year, like every year, the MCAL has some of the best teams in the Bay Area. We can’t take a night off.”
Redwood senior Maya Saibel and Marin Catholic senior Izzy McFadden were both named to the all-tournament team. Saibel finished with 15 points, including four 3-pointers in Saturday’s game, and McFadden had 18 points.
The last time the two teams played each other, the Wildcats celebrated a 56-46 victory over the Giants to win the MCAL girls basketball championship on Feb. 10, completing a season sweep against Redwood.
The Giants (4-2) tipped the scales Saturday as Redwood junior Kitty White ripped down an offensive rebound and laid the ball back in the cylinder for a one-point advantage over the Wildcats with 3 minutes left to play. That started a nine-point run to the finish that gave the Giants their first victory over the Wildcats since Jan. 11, 2020.
White finished with 17 points as part of a dominating effort on both sides of the court. Starting center Brooke Denler had eight points as she stood her ground in a tough battle with Marin Catholic (2-2).
Wildcats senior Jocelyn Gigounas finished with 12 points.
“Usually we play in January or February, but not December,” Borello said. “It was a good experience for us to go through the emotions of playing elite games for a week. Sometimes trying to find motivation is hard, but we didn’t need any extra motivation today, even for a preseason game in December. It was a really good basketball game. Both teams played really well.”
Marin Catholic’s first-year head coach Kayden Korst was making her debut in the traditional rivalry between the neighboring powers. In her playing days, Korst starred at San Domenico, where her jersey was retired earlier this year.
“I’m enjoying this a lot,” said Korst, who took over the reins at Marin Catholic after Ashley Saia retired after last season. “I’ve got some great girls. They’ve got a lot of grit.”
The Wildcats sped to a 10-1 lead in the first quarter, fighting for every loose ball, while the Giants struggled to find their shooting touch. But Redwood went on an 11-point run to bridge the first and second quarters. White hit a jumper to end the first quarter, then came out of the huddle at the break and almost immediately hit a 3-pointer. She then hit a pair of free throws to pull the Giants to within one point just 45 seconds into the second quarter.
McFadden reeled off seven unanswered points to try to re-establish the Wildcats’ advantage with a 23-15 lead. But the Giants chipped away, until White hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in the first half to give Redwood the lead for the first time, 27-26.
The Wildcats’ Simone Claxton was off the mark on a 3-pointer to try to retake the lead. Saibel then jogged the ball upcourt and in midstride launched the ball for a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 30-26 Redwood lead.
“We play in the flow and some of the girls really thrive in that style,” Borello said. “We were just constantly trying to find players in action. They don’t slow the ball down, they just keep going.”
Redwood stretched its lead to as many as eight points in the third quarter before McFadden tied the game at the free-throw line, 40-40, just before the end of the quarter.
Saibel hit another 3-pointer to start the scoring in the final quarter and Redwood took a five-point lead before Sienna Frazier hit a basket and McFadden rang up six consecutive points. The Wildcats had a 46-45 lead with 4:50 left to play, and it looked like they were ready to steal the momentum on their home court.
Then Giants took charge as White hit the go-ahead basket then grabbed a defensive rebound and passed the ball up to Denler for a layup. Free throws from Ainsley Gallagher, Drew Schultz and Saibel sealed the game.
“McFadden really gets after it. She works hard on offense and defense,” Korst said. “She demands a lot of herself and her teammates. She can shoot the lights out, but she can’t do it all by herself. We’ve got to get her more help.”
