By MIA ARANDA

Redlands East Valley High School’s varsity girls’ basketball team lost to Louisville High School 43-56 in the second round of CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs in the Wildcat gym on Feb. 16.

By halftime, REV was losing 18-26 and was able to narrow the gap further by the end of the third quarter with a score of 32-38.

However, Wildcat junior and starter Shaelyn McClain was substituted by senior Carly Copeland following an injury in the fourth quarter. McClain had a total of 13 points for the Wildcats during the game.

Louisville High School, a private, Catholic school in Woodland Hills, has an overall basketball record of 16-5 now. They advanced to the quarterfinals against San Marcos High School at LHS on Feb. 19 and lost 50-49.

This was the first time REV’s girls’ basketball team had qualified for playoffs since 2017. They qualified for Division 1A playoffs, but the team lost to La Cañada High School in the first round.

This year, the Wildcats had a league record of 5-5.

“The team showed huge improvements starting our league season and had to beat a very competitive Cajon squad to qualify this year,” said REV varsity girls’ basketball head coach Robert Tompkins. “That was a big win for us.”

REV senior Ebonny Staten, who had been on the varsity team since her freshman year, and freshman Ci’ella Pickett were attributed by Tompkins as being some of the team’s greatest strengths for having advanced to the second round. In addition, junior Myla Gibson’s improvement at the post also helped the team considerably.

“I am very proud of this team and what they achieved this season. They were able to turn a ‘rebuilding’ year into a successful CIF qualifying run,” said Tompkins.

Tompkins continues, “We set our goals preseason as making the playoffs, we exceed that goal by not only qualifying, but also reaching the second round.”

Redlands East Valley High School sophomore Leah Kibrom looks to pass to teammate Ebonny Staten while being double-teamed by Louisville High School sophomore Taylor Westbrook and junior Stevie Carmona during the second quarter in the Wildcat gym on Feb. 16. (MIA ARANDA/ Ethic News photo)