Samohi Girls Hoops Loses to Troy in Clash of the Titans

Two Southern California girls basketball titans collided at on Monday night when Samohi, the defending CIF Southern Section Division 1-A champion, took on Fullerton Troy, ranked No. 17 in the nation by MaxPreps and #26 by ESPN Rise.

Both teams played with the intensity of a championship game, but the Warriors ultimately prevailed, 45-39, in a defensive struggle. 

“I’m a bit disappointed, because I really felt like we could have won this game," Santa Monica Coach Marty Verdugo said. "We started off so well, but we just need to be more consistent. In the past, we’ve won close games, and so far this year, we’ve been losing them. We need to work on that.”

The Vikings got the home crowd into the game early, racing to an 8-2 lead. Sophomore guard Briana Harris scored 10 points in the first quarter to propel Santa Monica to a 15-10 lead. 

Troy switched to a zone defense in the second quarter, and it took the Vikings almost the full eight minutes to figure it out. Samohi did not score a field goal until only 1:30 left in the quarter but played strong enough defense to keep the score tied, 21-21, at halftime. 

“In the first five minutes, we looked like we were the best team in Southern California," Verdugo said of his team's struggles in the second quarter. "But the defense turned us from an aggressive team to a perimeter-shooting team, which isn’t really our game." 

Both teams continued to play solid defense in the third quarter, and the score was 26-26 when Troy went on a pivotal 8-0 run. The Warriors scored five straight points before Briana Roberson capped off the rally with a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. 

Roberson, a sophomore guard, led Troy (16-2) with 15 points. 

In the fourth quarter, Harris again stepped up, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to cut the Warriors' lead to 36-34.

Moments after the second shot dropped through the hoop, however, Harris started limping badly and left the court with cramps. She had to sit out for most of the final quarter but still finished with a game-high 17 points. 

“We tried Briana at point guard tonight, and I really think it worked for us," Verdugo said of his star sophomore. "When she has the ball, things happen, and she showed us a lot of good things. It’s just too bad she couldn’t finish out the game.” 

The Vikings (12-5) were not able to adjust without Harris, and Troy gradually pulled away. Leading scorer Moriah Faulk, who began the night averaging 15 points per game, was held to just six points for Samohi. 

“She was doubled-teamed a lot, and sometimes when she wasn’t, I thought she could have been more aggressive," Verdugo said. "She was almost too unselfish. We are playing great defense, and we are building towards becoming a team that can win these kinds of games. It takes time, but we are getting there.”

The Vikings resume Ocean League play Wednesday at 6 p.m. when they host first-place Beverly Hills (10-9).

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

END

Santa Monica

15

6

5

13

39

Troy

10

11

13

11

45