“Toughest league game but should be 20-plus [point victory],” South Pasadena’s varsity girls’ basketball head coach Cody Masden told the Review last week, predicting the outcome of the highly anticipated Rio Hondo League game between the Tigers and visiting La Cañada on Monday.
It was 20-plus points, indeed, as South Pasadena (8-0 league record, 23-1 overall) trotted to its 15th straight victory by defeating the Spartans, 69-47, while remaining undefeated in league action on Senior Night.
After the Spartans tied it 3-3 early in the first quarter, South Pasadena’s sister duo of senior Allysan Tse and sophomore Dylan Tse drained back-to-back 3-pointers to help take control of the game. Allysan Tse posted a double-double by racking up 29 points and 11 rebounds while Dylan Tse poured in 25 points.
“They were mostly competing against each other growing up, but they just have an amazing feel for the game,” Masden said. “They like to mix it up. When you pay attention to one of them, the other is open somewhere. They know to look for each other as well.”
Behind the dominating sisters, sophomore Jamie Rain Kim scored eight points, junior Lotis Shoun registered five points and three boards, and senior Alyssa Chan had three points and five rebounds.
La Cañada put up a good fight until the Tigers erupted for 24 points in the final quarter — their highest-scoring quarter of the game.
“We don’t want to get up too high, but luckily La Cañada fought hard and Saturday against Los Altos was just an amazing preparation game for us,” Masden said.
TIGERS 46, LA CAÑADA 42
In a much closer rematch, the Tigers defeated host La Cañada in the second of back-to-back league games on Tuesday, Feb. 1, extending their impressive win streak to 16 games.
Dylan Tse led the offense with 16 points while Allysan Tse missed the entire first half due to a wrist injury she sustained the night before. However, she willed through the hurt and added nine critical points in the second half as La Cañada retook the lead with under two minutes remaining in the final quarter. Chan had a fine performance, finishing with five points, five blocks and nine boards.
South Pasadena, which hasn’t lost a game since November, is scheduled to conclude league action by visiting San Marino for a rivalry matchup on Friday, Feb. 4, at 5:15 p.m.
