Izzy McFadden (22) of Marin Catholic heads down the court with the ball during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journa
Cecily Hadd (13) hustles down the court with the ball after a San Marin turnover during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Quincy Dean (10), left, of San Marin is defended by Madie Dayton (25) as she heads down the court after grabbing a rebound during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Angela Stickle (2) of San Marin looks to pass the ball by a Marin Catholic defender during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Kendall Bayer (0) of San Marin takes a shot during their MCAL girls basketball game against Marin Catholic at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Cecelia Biernat (14) drives to the basket as a pair of San Marin defenders move in during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Marin Catholic girls basketball head coach Ashley Saia tosses a ball onto the court during their MCAL girls basketball game against San Marin at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
San Marin girls basketball head coach Tony Butler talks to his team during a timeout of their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Brianna Nottingham (1) of San Marin grabs a passed ball during their MCAL girls basketball game against Marin Catholic at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Marin Catholic girls basketball head coach Ashley Saia watches her team on the the court late in the fourth quarter during their MCAL girls basketball game against San Marin at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Angela Stickle (2) of San Marin takes a shot during their MCAL girls basketball game against Marin Catholic at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Cecily Hadd (13) of Marin Catholic, left, is pressured by the San Marin defense including Emma Rogers (11) during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Madie Dayton (25), left, of Marin Catholic grabs a loose ball as teammate Alyssa Spagnuolo (5) and San Marin defenders Emma Rogers (11) and Amya Sims (4) move in on the play during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Sienna Frazier (11) of Marin Catholic drives to the basket for a layup as a pair of San Marin defenders move in during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Kendall Bayer (0), left, of San Marin looks to pass the ball while being pressured by Marin Catholic defenders Abby Mogan (24) and Madie Dayton during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 62-25. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Abby Bartholo (12), left, of San Marin defends as Cecily Hadd (13) of Marin Catholic works to get through the San Marin defense during their MCAL girls basketball game at San Marin, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Getting to the top is hard. Staying there is even harder, but Marin Catholic is putting everyone on notice that the Wildcats are ready to defend their MCAL crown.
A relentless defense stumped host San Marin, which managed only half as many shots as Marin Catholic while the Wildcats rolled to a 62-25 victory. The Wildcats (8-9, 2-0 MCAL) are scheduled to face San Rafael on Friday, and North Coast Section power Montgomery on Saturday, before a showdown with MCAL rival Redwood (13-4, 2-0) on Jan. 16.
‘We talk about playing one game at a time,” Marin Catholic head coach Ashley Saia said. “We want to stay focused on the task at hand. We want to be dialed in for each game and to play our best basketball of the season each game.”
The Wildcats’ Izzy McFadden led all scorers with 19 points, all in the first three quarters. Alyssa Spagnuolo added 10 points for the Wildcats who got seven points from Madie Dayton and six from Sienna Frazier.
Despite a slow start on the scoreboard Tuesday, the Wildcats were just getting warmed up. San Marin (12-5, 1-1) led briefly after back-to-back baskets by Emma Rogers in the opening minutes of the game. Dayton hit a 3-pointer and Spagnuolo scored five points in a 10-point Wildcats run for a 16-5 lead to open the second quarter.
Constant pressure from Marin Catholic never gave the Mustangs a chance to breathe, with two or three players attacking the ball at all times. San Marin managed just 30 shots to Marin Catholic’s 60.
Rogers led the Mustangs with six points, while Amya Sims and Quincy Dean each scored four points.
“We rely on our defense,” Saia said. “Our goal is to hold teams to a low scoring percentage.”
Marin Catholic led 29-13 at halftime after a 3-pointer by McFadden. The Wildcats then went on a six-point run to start the third quarter, as they outscored the Mustangs, 23-9, for a 30-point lead. The Wildcats got scoring from nine different players, including the energetic Cecelia Biernat, who came off the bench in the second half to score five points, and Neela Ryan, who scored six points, all in the fourth quarter to help wrap up the win.
Marin Catholic won all three meetings with MCAL runner-up San Marin last season, including a 46-22 win over the Mustangs in the NCS Division III championship. This year, they have just one scheduled matchup.
“This was an opportunity to be tested, to see where we are,” San Marin head coach Tony Butler said.
Butler described the Mustangs as being in a “multi-year” rebuilding phase after graduating almost all of last year’s roster. Only four returning players from last season were on the court Tuesday for San Marin.
“We have no expectations but to get better every game,” Butler said.
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