Center Alisi Niupalau had the second highest scoring performance of her College of San Mateo career — 16 points — and Erica Hayes contributed 25 as the Bulldogs defeated Cabrillo College, 75-69, on Sunday for third place in CSM’s Eighth Annual Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Reedley College (8-6) won the tournament, beating Santa Monica, 90-77, in the finals. Santa Monica (6-7) gave the Bulldogs their only tourney loss, 71-63, in Saturday’s semifinals — when CSM coach Michelle Warner held some of her starters out of the early going, for personal reasons.
Niupalau, a 6-0 sophomore out of San Mateo High, had recorded her highest output of 18 in Friday’s 65-44 tourney opening victory over Allan Hancock and finished the three-day event with 38 points. She was San Mateo’s representative on the all-tournament team. Niupalau also had six rebounds, three assists, a steal, and blocked a shot in Sunday’s game.
Cabrillo rattled off five 3-pointers early to lead 29-22, before Hayes (with 16 first half points) led the Bulldogs to a 43-40 halftime advantage. Despite going on a 17-1 run to start to the second half, San Mateo let the Seahawks rally to tie the game at 65 with four minutes remaining. A pair of free throws by Shakara Haynes (Woodside) with 3:09 left put CSM on top for good at 69-67 and started a clinching 8-point run.
Haynes had nine points seven rebounds, and four steals.
In addition to her 25 points, Menlo-Atherton grad Hayes had 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and a block against Cabrillo. The state’s number two scorer (23.8 average) had 52 points in the three games.
Sophomore guard Raphy Buenafe (Westlmoor) scored six points and had six assists, six rebounds, and three steals in the finale
SATURDAY’S GAME:
Against Santa Monica on Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs scored only eight points in the first quarter of the game — until some of the “missing” regulars finally joined the lineup.
The Bulldogs trailed by 20 points, at 28-8, before finding their home basket. CSM narrowed the gap several times, trailing by only six points at 52-46 with 10:28 left in the game, after a pair of quick baskets by freshman guard Alexis Jenkins.
The Corsairs increased the margin to 14 points at 63-49 before San Mateo put together an 8-point run, sparked by Hayes, to cut it to 63-57 with 3:57 remaining. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get.
Hayes, who did not start, had only two points in the first half but finished with 15, plus seven rebounds, four steals, and four assists. Haynes had eight points (including a pair of 3-pointers), five rebounds, and three steals. Malaspina also had eight points before suffering her arm injury when fouled under the basket near the end of the first half.
Janisa Jones (Sacred Heart Prep) blocked four shots.
Mesha Levvi led Cabrillo with 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Cabrillo made more 3-point goals (11) than 2-pointers (10).
MPC NEXT:
San Mateo (6-4), ranked 15th in Northern California, plays next at Monterey Peninsula College on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in a Coast Conference crossover contest. The Bulldogs officially open Coast North Division play in their next home game, Jan. 6, hosting Peninsula rival Foothill.
San Mateo will be without freshman front line star Patricia Malaspina (Burlingame) for awhile. She suffered a possible right arm fracture hitting the floor after being fouled in the first half of Saturday’s Santa Monica contest.
Eighth Annual College of San Mateo Women’s Basketball Invitational:
Sunday’s Scores:
Championship: Reedley 90, Santa Monica 77
Third Place: San Mateo 75, Cabrillo 69
Consolation: Butte 78, Hartnell 70
All-tournament: Alisi Niupalau, CSM; Angelica Cahee, Butte; Chantel Diaz and Karlia Batalla, Santa Monica; Blair Scott, Reedley. MVP: Monique Reed, Reedley.
SUNDAY’S BOX SCORE
Cabrillo (69)
Davila 2 0-0 6, Levvi 6 1-2 17, Diaz 4 1-3 12, Ramirez 3 1-2 7, Gregory 2 10-13 14, Ostland 2 3-3 7, Braga 2 0-0 5.
Totals: 21 16-23 69.
College of San Mateo (75)
Hayes 10 3-4 25, Haynes 2 5-6 9, Buenafe 2 1-2 6, Niupalau 6 4-6 16, Taimani 1 2-2 4,
Rhodes 1 5-6 7, Jenkins 2 0-0 4, Jones 0 4-6 4.
Totals: 24 24-32 75
Halftime: San Mateo 43, Cabrillo 40
3-point goals: (C) Levvi 5, Diaz 3, Davila 2, Braga; (CSM) Hayes 2, Buneafe.
Fouled out: Davila, Levvi.
Records: San Mateo 6-4, Cabrillo 6-6.
SATURDAY’S BOX SCORE
Santa Monica (71)
Batalla 3 4-6 13, Diaz 7 5-7 19, Newell 1 7-12 10, Danganan 3 0-0 7, Magee 5 1-2 11, Thomas 1 0-0 2, Gray 1 0-1 2, Alvarez 1 1-2 3, Zimmerman 1 2-4 4.
Totals: 23 20-34 71
College of San Mateo (63)
Correia 1 0-1 2, Haynes 3 0-0 8, Buenafe 3 0-0 7, Malaspina 3 2-4 8, Niupalau 1 2-4 4, Orje 1 0-0 2,
Rhodes 0 2-4 2, Hayes 5 5-5 15, Jenkins 2 0-0 4, Thomas 3 0-0 6, Jones 2 0-0 4, Taimani 0 1-2 1
Totals: 24 12-20 63
Halftime: Santa Monica 36, San Mateo 22
3-point goals: (SM) Batalla 3, Newell, Danganan; (CSM) Haynes (2), Buenafe.
Fouled out: Diaz (SM).
