Girls basketball: Marin Academy back in win column

A non-league matinee on Saturday proved to be the perfect tonic for Marin Academy’s basketball team. The Wildcats snapped a four-game skid as they warm up for a big push during the final two weeks of the regular season.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by seniors Navah Bailey and Ann McDermott late in the third quarter rallied the Wildcats, who held on for a 48-45 victory over Santa Rosa in the opener of the MB15 Pinks Out Showcase at San Marin High. The showcase featured Marin squads taking on teams from Napa and Sonoma counties in seven games.

“We’re trying to be consistent with our execution and our competitive drive,” Marin Academy head coach Zach Wahle said.

McDermott hit a trio of 3-pointers on her way to an 11-point day, and sophomore guard Penelope Lee also finished with 11 points for the Wildcats (13-7, 2-3 BCL). Sophomore Val Saeltzer dropped in a pair of 3-pointers during a 10-point effort, while Bailey had seven points and senior Lucy Robinson had six points.

The girls basketball showcase, in honor of San Marin High hall of fam basketball player Melissa Boyle, who lost her battle with cancer, was a Pinks Out Fundraiser, with all proceeds benefitting One Day to Remember.

“Anything boys can do, girls can do better,” read the quote attributed to Boyle on the pink t-shirts sported by players at the showcase. For Marin Academy and Santa Rosa, it was just a matter of “anything you can do, we can do better.”

The Panthers’ Eva Franklin hit a 3-pointer to give Santa Rosa a five-point edge late in the third quarter, but the Wildcats responded twofold with 3-pointers from Bailey and McDermott to take the lead. A layup by Lee to close out the third quarter gave Marin Academy a 39-36 lead.

The Wildcats’ Saeltzer and the Panthers’ Peyton Patrick traded 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Lee then drove across the paint for a reverse layup to give the Wildcats a 44-41 lead.

Santa Rosa kept charging back, but a jumper from Bailey and a driving layup by Lee midway through the fourth gave the Wildcats the room they needed.

Santa Rosa got the ball into the hands of its snipers, who already had five 3-pointers, to try to tie the game, but they couldn’t break through Marin Academy’s blockade. Senior Sterling Colpitts, in her first game back after suffering an injury early in the season, rejected a long shot by Nancy Perez with 17 seconds on the clock. The Panthers then missed another 3-pointer and Saeltzer corralled the rebound to seal the win.

Patrick finished with 15 points to lead the Panthers (14-6), while Eva Franklin had 13 and Malaya Edwards had 12.

“Sterling makes us a different team,” Wahle said. “The defense she brings changes the game.”

Colpitts returns to the lineup just in time as the Wildcats face rival San Domenico (7-9, 2-2) on Tuesday to start a three-game, one-week stretch that also includes Convent (7-6, 0-4) and powerhouse University (12-8, 3-1).