Santa Clarita, CA- With a first round bye on the line, and in hostile territory, Menlo Women's Basketball showed up when it counted as they pulled out the gritty win on the road. It may not have been the teams most efficient outing of the year but coach Shannon Spataro's team did all the small things when they mattered.

Kiara Brown Repeats History

Last year, the Oaks final regular season game of the year was also down in Santa Clarita. In that outing, Kiara Brown dropped 35 points to secure a monster double-double and a win. Today I was a similar story for the senior forward. While it may not have been 35 points, Brown still led the Oaks with 20 points and 17 boards. The Mustangs could not keep Brown out of the paint as she constantly secured second chance possessions for her team thanks to six offensive rebounds. On top of her usual production, Brown had two blocks and two assists as well. In a game with huge playoff implications on the line, it was great to see one of the all-time Oaks step up in a big way.

Winning the Right Way

Obviously scoring points is front and center when it comes to the game of basketball. Yet, there are so many other statistics that can lead to small victories along the margins. These small wins often add up and become critical components of a team's success. First, Menlo won the offensive rebounding battle. The Oaks 17 offensive boards were big in securing multiple shot attempts in a game where the team shot under 37% from the floor. Shay Boley, Kiara Brown and Alberte Frisch all grabbed at least two offensive rebounds. They also did an outstanding job of valuing each possession only turning the ball over seven times across 40 minutes of play. While Menlo barely gave up the ball, they would force 19 turnovers from the Mustangs. Lastly, the Oaks shot a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line for the day. They are called free throws given the seemingly essay nature of knocking these shots down and that is exactly what the Oaks did. Those ten points were critical in securing the win down the stretch.

Up Next…

The playoffs are officially upon us. With today's victory the Oaks will enjoy not only home court advantage but a first round bye. Last year, the team went on a great playoff run that saw them reach the conference championship match after upsetting Vanguard. While last year Menlo fell just short of securing a conference title, they will look to right that wrong on their home court once again!