Wildcats Continue League Struggles With Loss on Friday

Monrovia begins league play 0-4 after 68-55 loss to South Pasadena

Following a discouraging 80-45 loss to La Cañada, the Wildcats looked to put their loss behind them and collect their first league win against the South Pasadena Tigers. The game was played on the Wildcats’ home court, which one would assume favored Monrovia. However, the Tigers have been incredibly strong on the road, accumulating a record of 4-1 before Friday’s game. 

Their away triumphs continued, as South Pasadena escaped with a 68-55 victory and their 14th win of the season. As for Monrovia, the loss brought their record to 9-12, including an 0-4 start to league play.

The loss seemed almost inevitable after the first few minutes of play. The Wildcats started the game incredibly cold, which haunted them on the scoreboard. The Tigers took advantage of the Wildcats mistakes and took an early, commanding 13-0 lead. While indeed the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run of their own and brought themselves back in the game, they trailed after the first quarter 17-14.

Once again South Pasadena had a strong initial minutes to the second quarter, as the Tigers advanced their lead to 28-16 early in the second. Yet the Wildcats found a way to make it a competitive contest by halftime, and the score was 30-26 in favor of the Tigers.

In the third quarter Monrovia even found a way to make it a one-point contest after an 8-0 scoring run. Nevertheless, with the score at 35-34 the away side yet again found a way to extend their lead. The Tigers went on a 6-0 run, and their lead was a three point differential by the end of the third.

Both teams have consistently played their strongest basketball in the fourth quarter. On average, the Tigers have scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, which is their highest score total per quarter in regulation. As for the Wildcats, their highest total is also in the fourth with an average of 16.6 points. Nevertheless, on this night, the final quarter favored South Pasadena.

During the final 10 minutes, the Tigers outscored Monrovia 24-14. Their quarter started with a 13-1 run, and ultimately the home side was incapable of escaping that hole. The final horn sounded and home fans left with an unfortunate 68-55 loss in mind. As for the team, they entered their locker room wondering what they needed to do in order to shift their most recent misfortunes.

Ultimately, the team will need to take it on a game-by-game basis. Their next chance to swing momentum towards their favor will be an away matchup against Blair. The game will be played on Wednesday, Jan. 22 with a start time of 7 p.m.

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