1.11.2020 – In a defensive dual for the ages, the Menlo girls’ basketball team stunned visiting Pinewood 46-45 in a West Bay Athletic League opener Saturday night.
The defending CIF state Div. II champion Knights improved to 11-1 in defeating the state Open Division finalist Panthers - a team they have not beaten since the 2011-12 season when  Menlo took both games in the series. The Knights snapped Pinewood’s 66-game WBAL win streak, taking down the No. 10-ranked team in the nation according to MaxPreps.

Menlo brought down a packed house when junior Coco Layton made her first of two free throws with 4 seconds left to give the Knights the 46-45 edge. After the Panthers called a timeout, they came back with a last attempt, but the referees ruled that Valentina Saric’s shot, which bounced off the rim and through the hoop left her hand after the buzzer went off and the Knights celebrated then celebrated again after the final whistle.

“This win was a tremendous feat, ” Menlo sophomore Sharon Nejad said. “We were a little doubtful before the game, but after today we know just how little of our potential we have unlocked and just how much farther we can go.”

“Our defensive pressure was real good and we won the 50-50 balls,’’ Menlo coach John Paye said. “That was the difference. There’s been a lot of talk about how young the team is in the last couple years, and now they’re starting to show their experience.”

The Knights trailed by two at the half and by one at the end of the third. They fell behind 40-32 then Menlo junior guard Avery Lee sank a three-pointer with 3:59 left to spark the team. Layton sank the first of two technical shots as Menlo chipped away at the lead. Nejad hit a turnaround jumper then junior Danielle McNair added a basket inside to tie the score at 40. The score was knotted at 42 after Nejad scored on a Layton feed, then Layton would drop a three-pointer to counter a three by Pinewood’s Annika Decker and the score was knotted at 45.

 “The free throws - it was terrifying,” Layton said. “I just had to remember to keep confident. I just tried to breathe, clear my mind, and do what I try to do in practice, so luckily I was able to make it.”

Lee finished with nine points and surpassed the 1,000-point mark midway through her junior season. 

Pinewood came into the game averaging 73 points per game, and Menlo at a 64.9 ppg clip.

“We knew Pinewood was going to push the ball a lot, and we had to try to limit their chances because we knew they were going to play good defense against us,” Layton said.  
And the Knights picked up the pressure from the entire team.
“Our defense is what won this game,” Nejad said. “We had a lot of girls come off the bench that played amazing defense. Although it might not show in the stats, Bella Stuart and Tejal Gupta were huge contributors to this game and without their efforts we definitely would have lost.”  
Nejad finished with 18 points, getting 10 of those in the second half, and 10 rebounds
“I made some shots too, but it’s only because Georgia Paye was throwing me dimes and I had the whole team behind my back,” Nejad said. “My first half was rough but the energy and support I got from my team made me want to play better because I could not let them down.”
Maeia Makoni sank three first-half threes to finish with nine points while Lee also contributed nine and Layton eight more.
“Our team chemistry helped us win this game,” Nejad said. “We have so much love and faith for each other that we all want each other to succeed. This faith leads to ball movement, which opens up shots for not just one player but the whole team.”

Pinewood          13  12   8   12  - 45
Menlo School    14   9    9   14  - 36

P: Ramirez 1 0-0 2, Farelo 1 0-0 3, Thompson 2 0-0 5, Jovanovic 4 2-3 12, Decker 3 9-10 16, Garcia 3 1-3 7. Three-point goals: Farelo, Jovanovic 2, Decker, Thompson. Total 14 12-16 45. M: Lee 4 0-0 9, Stuart 0 0-1 0, Layton 2 3-6 8, McNair 1 0-0 2, Makoni 3 0-0 9, Nejad 7 4-6 18. Three-point goals: Lee, Layton, Makoni 3. Total: 17 7-13 46.