Memorial misses out on state championship. But Panthers confident they’ll be back
Although they were unable to capture the immortal glory of a state championship, the San Joaquin Memorial High Panthers defied the odds and overcame countless obstacles in what was still an unforgettable girls basketball season.
But the end of their memorial run, nonetheless, was a heartbreaker for the Panthers after Memorial lost a 13-point lead en route a 51-47 loss to Sage Hill-Newport Beach in the Division II state final at Golden 1 Center.
“We didn’t get the results that we wanted,” Panthers coach Verenique Warren said. “Big stage, bright lights. We fought, but unfortunately we came up a little short.”
For a team led by a first-year coach who took over midseason and with only two seniors on their roster, the Panthers should be considered losers to no one.
Memorial was in control for the vast majority of the game. They dominated in the first half, and at one point, they even held a 13 point lead.
Much of this lead was due to the play of freshman center Alexis Swillis and junior forward Meadow Rowland.
The 6-foot-2 Swillis dominated the glass with 11 defensive rebounds and two offensive boards, and added six points, two steals, and a block.
On the other end, Rowland led her team with 10 points in 30 minutes, while also registering five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Rowland’s aggressiveness on offense was a major reason the Panthers held a lead for so long.
“It was fun,” Rowland said. “We overcame every challenge that was thrown our way. Like coach said, we just came up short in this game. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but it happened.”
Sage Hill stayed focused and powered their way back into the game.
By halftime, Memorial’s 13-point lead was trimmed to 3 as Sage Hill often followed up defensive stops with buckets on the other end.
“We missed a lot of layups around the basket,” Warren said. “Looking at hindsight, make three layups, that’s the game. But tremendous team, tremendous fight. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other team.”
As they say, the best teacher in life is experience.
For a team that is expected to lose only two players going into next season, Memorial now knows what the Panthers have to do in order to make it back to the state championship.
Perhaps even better, they will know what not to do if they can reach the state championship stage again.
“The sky’s the limit,” Warren said. “I’m looking forward to what this group of young ladies has to offer. I’m sure this won’t be their last. Moving forward, I’m sure they’ll be back. We’ll definitely be back.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 6:48 PM.