Girls Basketball Defeats Castle Park to Win CIF Title

In a high-energy, hard-fought game, the SDA Mustangs rose above Castle Park to earn the title of San Diego CIF Division IV champions with a final score of 55-36 on Saturday.

The Mustangs played with high intensity throughout the game, constantly pushing the pace and applying pressure to the Castle Park defense. Keeping the point margin close, the Lady Trojans maintained composure and only trailed by one point by the end of the first quarter. However, before halftime, the Mustangs capitalized on their stifling defense and lead 28-13.

The pace of the game seemed overwhelming for Castle Park, and SDA looked like they had a clear path to the trophy. The Mustangs started the second half strong with a 10-2 run that boosted their lead to eight. After a timeout halfway through the third quarter gave SDA time to catch their breath, they reasserted control and coasted to victory.

The Mustangs were led by sophomore Addison Werbelow, who had a game high 21 points, four rebounds, and four steals.

“I’m just glad they had their head up to give me some great passes,” said Werbelow. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that without them”.

The Mustangs would not have been able to run the floor as well as they did without the help of freshman Skyler Pavlovich, who pulled in a game high 15 rebounds, six blocks, and was the only other Mustang to score in double digits with 12 points. Her hard work in the paint controlled the pace of the game. Pavlovich not only stopped the Lady Trojans from scoring with her shot blocking, but also made crucial outlet passes that allowed the Mustangs to have numbers advantage in their transition to offense.

“I’m just happy to contribute to my team in every way I can,” said Pavlovich.

The Mustangs await for state playoff brackets to come out later today in order to find out where, when, and who they will be playing.