LadyCats Comeback Make it Back-to-Back

(Monrovia) – For three quarters La Canada managed to hold star senior guard Gina Henderson to just one point heading into the final quarter leading by two points. Henderson however, took control of the final stanza to lead Monrovia to its second consecutive Rio Hondo League title, with a 48-43 win.

Henderson scored the go-ahead bucked with 3:25 remaining in the game and iced it with two clutch free-throws down the stretch with 27 seconds left.

The LadyCats picked away at a 13-point first quarter deficit by playing suffocating defense in the second quarter allowing just two Spartan field-goals as Joelle Tucker and Domynyque Johnson scored seven of Monrovia’s nine points to cut the lead to eight heading into the halftime break.

Courtney Chen and Keilee Bessho helped La Canada rush out early in the game as Chen fired 3-three pointers and Bessho banked in nine points and the Spartan defense stymied the fast-breaking Monrovia offense.

Entering into the third quarter it was clear the LadyCats were on a mission to catch La Canada. Taylor Bruton and Tucker led the way scoring eight of the 11 points in the third quarter.

Monrovia took its second lead of the game with 7:50 left in the fourth quarter as Tucker hit a three-pointer.

Chen and Micaela Anderson scored the next five points to turn a one-point deficit into a three point lead with 7:10 remaining.

Lead went back and forth as Chen and Henderson each answered the other’s shot and with 5:21 the teams were deadlocked at 40 before the LadyCats closed the game out on a 6-3 run for the win.

With less than 20 seconds remaining Chen took a uncontested three pointer that hit the front of the rim and Henderson rebounded it to stop any Spartan hopes of a dramatic finish.

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