San Mateo girls’ basketball holds off Oceana 41-36

In 2020, he came back to the Peninsula, taking over the San Mateo program during the COVID season, taking over for longtime head coach Nancy Dinges. When the Bearcats finally got on the court in the spring of 2021, there was no success to be found as they got whacked, losing all 10 games they played — and by wide margins.

So that makes the 2021-22 start encouraging. The Bearcats had already doubled their win total from the spring, sporting a 2-6 record heading into Tuesday’s home game with Oceana.

While San Mateo improved to 3-6 by holding off the Sharks, 41-36, one thing was abundantly clear: San Mateo will earn everything it gets this season.

The Bearcats struggled with their shooting touch and turned the ball over way too much. If not for Oceana (1-7) dealing with the same issues, it might have been a different ball game.

“Just sloppy,” Summerville said. “We just couldn’t find any shooting.”

Not that the Bearcats didn’t have their opportunities, but layup after layup, drive after drive failed to drop in the early going and the Sharks took advantage by scoring the first two buckets of the game. San Mateo finally got on the scoreboard nearly three minutes in when senior guard Anya Higashionna jumped the passing lane for a steal and went the other way for a layup.

Oceana would go on to hit a free throw and get a jumper from Kelani Cheng for a 7-2 Sharks’ lead, but San Mateo would close the period on an 8-0 run. Bethany Shih came up with steals and layups on back-to-back Oceana possessions to give the Bearcats the lead for good, 10-7, to end the first quarter.

In the second quarter, San Mateo continued its strong defensive play. Playing at a frenetic pace, the Bearcats came up with eight steals and forced the Sharks into nine other turnovers while holding them to just one point.

But the opportunity to put Oceana away plagued San Mateo as the Bearcats managed to score only 11 points. It could have been more, but they were 3-for-6 from the free-throw line and led by only 13 at the half, 21-8.

“We were just off (offensively in the first half),” Summerville said. “But the girls’ know we can get it into our post.”

With six players 5-9 or taller — including 6-3 Akesa Lupeheke and 6-foot Charlotte MacAvoy — the Bearcats will have a size advantage against many opponents. And in an attempt to get his post game going, Summerville made a conscious effort to get Lupeheke involved. The Bearcats went to Lupeheke on the first three possessions on the second half.

On the first, she spun into the paint to knock down a short jumper. On the second trip down the court, she received a pass on the block and spun around her defender for a layup.

The next time down, she was fouled, hitting 1 of 2 free throws to give the Bearcats their biggest lead of the game, 26-11, with 6:37 left in the third quarter.

Then the Sharks came alive. Bella Dimacali, who had rattled home her first 3-pointer less than a minute into the third period for Oceana’s first field goal since the 3:38 mark of the first quarter, suddenly found the range. With the Sharks trailing 27-14, Dimacali drained her second 3 of the period. She followed that with another and another, all from the left wing and just like that, Oceana was down just 4, 27-23, with 1:37 left in the third.

“We try to get the ball to her because we know she can hit the 3,” said Oceana coach Nick Fiorentinos. Dimacali finished with a game-high 12 points.

When the Alamea Lewis banked home a 3 just before the quarter horn, Oceana was down just 31-28 going into the fourth.

Oceana had its chances in the fourth, but just couldn’t capitalize. Cheng cut the Sharks deficit to just 1, 31-30, after a scoop to the hoop, but they would get no closer.

Twice the Sharks came up with steals, only to turn the ball right back over to the Bearcats. They went to the free-throw four straight times as they kept coming up with offensive rebounds off the second miss, but managed to go only 2-for-8 in those attempts.

San Mateo, meanwhile, just did enough to keep the Sharks at arm’s length. Higashionna came up with a steal and layup to push the Bearcats lead to 33-30. She followed that with an offensive rebound putback and Lupeheke also scored on a putback following a three-shot sequence from San Mateo to give the Bearcats a 37-30 lead with 4:57 left.

A long 2 from Lewis cut the Sharks’ deficit to 41-36 with 28 seconds to go, but there would be no miracle finish.

Despite the loss, Fiorentinos was pleased with his team’s effort.

“We’re really happy we were able to compete into the fourth quarter,” Fiorentinos said. “We fought back hard. The girls are improving.”