The Oakwood girls basketball team won its league with an unbeaten 12-0 record and finished with a school-history best 23-3 record. The Hawks advanced into the Central Coast Section Division V playoffs, rallying past Pescadero for an opening win before falling in the semifinals at Castilleja.
“This was such a well-deserved season,” senior guard Kailee Barlics said. “Our main goal was to win a banner. We worked hard for it. We were in the gym all summer, working every day. We started to get close and rely on each other. Our work showed on the court. It truly was a historic season.”
The Hawks rolled through the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Santa Lucia Division. In the toughest matches, they beat Anzar 32-17 and 49-9, Monterey Bay Academy 53-24 and 42-26 and Santa Catalina 39-9 and 57-13.
“It was really, really great,” junior forward Mikeyla Coley said. “We had fun practices and all of us got closer. The coaches had a big impact on us. They helped us become great teammates and great individuals.”
The Hawks improved on the previous season’s 16-9 overall mark, 9-5 in league play. The motion offense created open space for shots and lanes for driving to the hoop.
Oakwood mostly played a fierce zone defense but could switch to man-to-man at times. A crucial part of the defensive success came from half-court traps, which produced numerous steals.
“Our team was very aggressive,” coach Kort Jensen said. “Credit to the girls. We had great leaders. They all stepped forward. And maybe our greatest strength was our bench.”
Olivia Wong transferred in from Valley Christian and gained transfer eligibility during the season. She directed the attack at point guard, with Barlics at shooting guard, Gianna Garcia, Arya Vaid, Luci Bonino and Coley on the wing or in the front line.
Additional contributions came from Ria Deshpande, Gabby Zelenyak and Natalia Chavez at guard, and Cici Chen and Isabella Anderson at center. Georgia Alves and Charlotte Hoshii added depth.
“Our bench really helped us,” Coley said. “They called out plays and cheered us on. Their involvement was the difference.”
League-wide recognition went to Wong as the Santa Lucia MVP and First Team All-League member. Coley received the Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to the First Team and Barlics, last year’s MVP, was also on the First Team.
“Kailee (Barlics) had been our point guard the last few years, until Olivia (Wong) transferred in,” Jensen said. “Kailee is an excellent shooter. Olivia has a true gift of handling the ball and seeing the floor. Putting those two together was great. We could drive or shoot on anyone.”
Wong quickly fit in. The small school vibe was key.
“I’m close to the girls on the team,” Wong said. “Here at Oakwood, I hang out with them. I liked the bonding and learned the leadership. As point guard, you have to be a leader.”
She came to know her teammates more and more on and off the court.
“I liked Kailee’s three-point shooting,” Wong said. “We try to get her open threes. Mikeyla is one of our posts. If I could get the ball to her, I could rely on her to get a basket. Arya (Vaid) is our other post. She has a surprisingly good shot.
“Gianna (Garcia) is a really good wing. She has great court awareness. Lucy (Bonino) is great to drive. Ria (Deshpande) is an amazing defender. Gabby (Zelenyak) always hustles for the ball. Natalia (Chavez) improved a lot during the season.”
Among the non-league wins were a road romp at Yerba Buena 48-26, a wipeout of James Lick 38-2 and a 32-21 win over Greenfield.
Heading into the playoffs, Oakwood had a 22-game win streak. Every victory had come by double digits.
“We hadn’t really had a close game until the playoffs,” Jensen said. “We played two big public schools and hammered both of them. We handled Greenfield and began realizing we could play with any school of any size.”
In the post-season opener on Feb. 21, Oakwood hosted Pescadero, a school that was talented in the backcourt and provided a stiff test. The Vikings utilized a strong second quarter to take a 26-18 halftime lead.
“Our vibes were so down at halftime,” Coley said. “Kailee and me and Arya stood up and said, ‘We need to get it together.’ We were scoring but our defense wasn’t all there. Coach Kort gave us a great plan to execute for the second half.”
With just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, the Hawks began to turn the tide. Barlics drove for a basket and sank a three-pointer as Oakwood narrowed the deficit to 30-29.
The Hawks pulled on top in the fourth quarter. Wong stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup and was fouled, with 5:29 remaining. Her free throw gave the Hawks a 34-32 lead. Barlics and Wong scored on drives, but pesky Pescadero would not go away. Wong drained a right wing trey at the 1:08 mark to give the Hawks a 41-37 cushion and they held on to win 42-40.
In the semifinals, Oakwood battled Castilleja even for a half but then fell back and lost 37-20.
“I’m very happy with the season,” Wong said. “We did very well. We were 12-0 in league. We had great chemistry.”
Barlics described the team chemistry as “through the roof.” Coley described the culture as more of a family than just a team.
It was a superb season, and more joy and success are on the horizon. Jensen will undertake an 18-month sabbatical, but he views the future with high hopes, highlighted by many returnees.
“Next year’s team will be really great,” Jensen said. “We’ll move up into the Cypress Division. That’s where we want to be. And beyond basketball, these wonderful young ladies are more than just great basketball players, as this is a high academic school.”
The 23-3 record and the 12-0 league title stand high.
“We get to hang a banner for coach Cort,” Coley said. “This is a team that goes down in Oakwood history. It’s amazing.”
