Dons 46, Giants 36

Basketball is often sold as a game of inches. On this night, it was a game of resolve.

The Redwood Giants came to town, living up to their name, bringing a clear height advantage and the confidence of an 11–4 record. Early on, they showed why. Using size and skill, Redwood found easy looks while making life difficult for the Dons’ offense. For a stretch, the game leaned toward reach and leverage.

Then the Dons leaned into something else entirely.

The emotional and tactical fulcrum of the night was senior Cameron Thornton, whose performance tilted the floor in ways Redwood never solved. Tasked with guarding bigger, stronger players, Thornton responded by outworking, outthinking, and outlasting them. Her six steals came not from gambling, but from discipline, reading passing lanes, beating opponents to their spots, and turning pressure into chaos. Redwood never found a rhythm because Thornton never allowed one to exist.

Then there were the rebounds. Eleven of them, carved out through timing, leverage, and sheer refusal to concede space. Against players with clear physical advantages, Thornton consistently emerged with the ball, ending possessions and igniting transition. When the Dons needed offense to match their defensive intensity, she delivered, knocking down two critical three-pointers in the second quarter that swung momentum and belief.

By the final horn, her line read 10 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals, and an assist, but the numbers only scratch the surface. This was a performance built on pace control, effort, and leadership—the kind that doesn’t just win games, but defines them.

Sophomore Sienna Fernandez matched that physicality with grit of her own. In a low-scoring contest where every possession carried weight, Sienna continued to validate her place in the starting lineup. She pulled down 11 critical rebounds, repeatedly outworking taller opponents and turning defensive stops into opportunities.

Freshman Millie Jones added to the defensive swarm with her length and instincts, deflecting four passes and unsettling Redwood’s flow. She plays with a rare grace and composure—quick but never hurried—well beyond her years. Jones chipped in five tough rebounds, including two key offensive boards in the first half, and her three-pointer in the third quarter helped the Dons seize control when the game hung in the balance.

Fellow freshman Leah O’Neill continues to trend upward, holding her own inside against bigger, more experienced players. Her interior presence opened space for teammates to operate, and she delivered when it mattered, grabbing two rebounds and scoring in the fourth quarter to help close the door.

At the center of it all was senior Lexi Le, whose influence extended well beyond the points column. Le finished with 18 game-high points, but the way she carried the game mattered just as much as the number. When the offense stalled, she delivered. When Redwood threatened a run, she answered with a basket, a rebound, or a defensive play. She attacked the glass with purpose, pulling down seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end, repeatedly turning missed shots into second chances. Add in two assists, two steals, and two deflections, and it becomes clear why her presence tilts the floor.

Senior Sofia Fernandez serves as the point of the Dons’ defense, the first line of resistance, and the pulse that keeps everything beating. Tasked with harassing the Giants’ primary ball handler, she applied constant pressure, making even the simple act of bringing the ball up the floor feel laborious. Passing lanes narrowed, timing disrupted, and possessions unraveling. Sofia finished with six points, three rebounds, and three steals, but her true impact was felt in the discomfort she imposed from the opening dribble.

When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read 46–36, but the margin told only part of the story. This was a win forged through effort, trust, and collective belief. Height may command attention, but heart sustains it.

The Dons didn’t just beat a bigger team. They reminded everyone watching that they belong, and that they’re only getting tougher as the season unfolds.

Next up, the Dons host Alhambra High School on Senior Night. Come out to celebrate our seniors Lexi, Sofia, and Cameron, and our vaunted Girls Varsity program.