3.7.2023 –In its first NorCal Regional final since 2019, the Menlo girls’ basketball team dropped a heart-breaker to San Domenico 42-39 at Dominican University in San Rafael on Tuesday night.
The No. 7 seeded Knights finish the season 18-11 in their quest to advance to the CIF. Div. IV state championship. Top seed and defending CIF Div. V state champion San Domenico faces Shalhevet of Los Angeles in the final Friday.
Entering the fourth with a 34-33 advantage, Menlo sophomore Karen Xin sank a three on a Hannah Satuito assist with 4:20 left to lead 37-35. Menlo sophomore Ruiqi Liu would tie the score again 39-39 with 2:40 left. The Knights got the ball back when junior Summer Young and freshman Sophie Housser employed a successful trap and Xin grabbed a rebound but the Knights’ three-point attempts just missed.
Xin finished with four three-pointers for 12 points, Jensen had nine points and six rebounds while Liu posted eight points, six rebounds and senior Jordan Brooks five points, six rebounds. Maja Cykowksa had 14 points, 10 rebounds for San Domenico. The Knights had a tough time down the stretch, scoring with 6-foot-1 Cykowska and 6-0 Mattie Greenstone covering the lanes.
Menlo got a jump start in the second quarter before tying 27-27 in the third on a three-pointer by senior Jordan Brooks with 2:52 left in the period. The Knights ended with a flurry: senior Riley Jensen countered San Domenico’s three, then junior Summer Young made a steal and converted the layup for a 34-33 lead, entering the fourth quarter.

Menlo School 9 10 15 5 - 39
San Domenico 14 6 13 9 - 42

M: Jensen 3 2-4 9 Xin 4 0-0 12, Liu 4 00 8, Brooks 2 0-0 2, Young 1 0-0 2, Mulloy 1 1-2 3. Three-point goals: Jensen, Xin 4, Brooks. Total: 15 3-6 39. SD: Cykowlsa 6 2-2 14, Jenkins 3 1-2 8, Aguirre 2 0-0 4, Conklin 3 2-2 8, Greenstone 5 0-0 10. Three-point goals: Jenkins. Total: 18 5-6 42.