ATHERTON – The way Menlo-Atherton and Half Moon Bay traded the lead down the stretch, it seemed like whoever scored last would laugh last and win the game.
That supposition came true when Makena Glynn hit a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left to give Half Moon Bay a two-point lead. Luisa Tava’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer for M-A looked like it might fall, but it bounced out and the visiting Cougars rejoiced, celebrating a 51-49 victory.
With the win, Half Moon Bay (14-3, 6-0) took over first place in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division girls basketball standings. M-A (13-3, 5-1), which went into the game deadlocked with HMB, fell a game back into second place.
That a 3-pointer won the game for the Cougars seemed fitting as it was the last of nine they made from behind the arc, compared to two for inside-oriented M-A, a 21-point advantage. Glynn and Xochitl Nieves made four apiece.
“We get a lot of our buckets in the pain,” said M-A coach Steve Yob, who was honored before the game for recently capturing his 100th win at the school. “We know Half Moon Bay likes to shoot the 3 and they won out today, their 3s against our 2s. We just needed one more bucket at the end. Today our 3 wasn’t working and that kind of was the game.”
Glynn’s 3-pointer beginning the fourth quarter gave HMB its biggest lead at 37-30. The Bears came back with a 13-4 run to go ahead 43-41 on a basket by Lita Fakapelea, who scored nine of the team’s 13 points in that run.
Then crazy became crazier as the teams traded the lead the rest of the way. Glynn scored to tie, Fakapelea put M-A back ahead before Aila Grierson’s 3-pointer, her only basket of the game, gave HMB a 46-45 lead.
Fakapelea knocked down two free throws for an M-A lead. Glynn’s offensive rebound basket put the Cougars back on top with 23 seconds left. Ape Ulukivaiola’s putback provided the Bears one last lead at 49-48 with 15 seconds remaining before Glynn’s game-winner.
Glynn had a game-high 20 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. Nieves scored 14 and Zoey Lemoge 12 for HMB. Fakapelea had 19 for M-A, 13 in the fourth quarter.
Half Moon Bay finished tied for third place in the PAL Bay last year, but went on to win a NorCal Division IV championship before losing to Whitney-Cerritos in a state final.
“We feel real fortunate to walk away with this one and know it’s going to be an even tougher battle when we see them at our place on senior night,” HMB coach Megan Smith said. “I don’t know if we’ve ever started 6-0 before in the power league. Just an incredible run. This team has been in pressure situations. They know what it takes to win important games. Nothing scares them, nothing intimidates them.”
