SANTA CLARA >> In the aftermath of a rare snowstorm to hit the area a day earlier, Highway 17 had just one lane open for Santa Cruz HIgh’s girls basketball team to drive over the hill for its battle against Mills in the Central Coast Section Division III final on Saturday.

In Santa Clara High’s gymnasium, driving lanes weren’t open at all, but Claire Thompson scored 16 points by navigating through heavy traffic for layups and short-range jumpers. She also contributed rebounds and blocks in bunches.

Teammate Madison Yazalina added nine points and a host of pretty assists by finding passing lanes, mostly to Thompson. Tiera O’Connor scored 15, including four 3-pointers. And Natalia Espinosa contributed nine points.

The Cardinals brought their “A” game, but Mills was up for the challenge, as the top-seeded Vikings drained 13 three-pointers and pulled away late to beat the No. 2 Cardinals 66-52.

“We fought really hard,” Thompson said. “We hustled and played as hard as we could. They were a great match for us. They’re a great passing team. I’m pretty upset. It’s sad to see us play so hard and not come out with a win.”

Michelle Tang made six 3-pointers and finished with 28 points to lead Mills (20-7). Chloe Lee added 18 points on six 3s.

The final score was misleading, as the contest was dead-even for 28 of the 32 minutes. Mills led much of the way but Santa Cruz (22-7) rallied back to a 40-36 lead late in the third quarter. The teams were deadlocked at 47-all with six minutes to play.

“We played as well as have all season,” Santa Cruz coach Todd Trowbridge said. “That’s a helluva team. You have to tip your hat to them. They got off more threes than we wanted. We missed a few layups and they got too many second-chance points.”

Tang knocked down three triples in the first quarter, which ended 18-16 in favor of Mills. Lee drained three in the second quarter and the Vikings led 32-26 at halftime.

The Cardinals came out strong on offense and defense after the break.

“We worked hard on defense in the third quarter and we kept moving our feet,” Thompson said. “We played with aggressiveness.”

An eight-point Cardinal charge featured a Thompson field goal off a Yazalina assist, an Espinosa 3-pointer, an O’Connor free throw and a Thompson bucket off a long assist from Espinosa. With three minutes to play in the third quarter, Santa Cruz led 40-36. Mills regained the lead, 44-42, on a Serena Mezzetta putback.

“In the third quarter, Santa Cruz punched us in the face,” Mills coach Dave Matsu said. “They went hard to the rim.”

Mezzetta, a tall post for Mills, was held to just four baskets while defended by Yazalina, O’Connor and Ava Lord. Santa Cruz utilized a lot of 3-2 zone defense, with defenders jumping out to get a hand in the face of a deep shooter. However, if rotations were slow, Mills feasted.

“In the fourth quarter, our defense stepped up and we kept them to one-and-dones,” Matsu said. “Their twenty-three (Thompson) is a beast. Their inside game is unbelievable. Twenty-three and five (Yazalina) get inside shots, rebounds and putbacks. And they’re really well-coached.”

It wasn’t quite enough as two Tang triples and a Lee trey in a three-minute span of the final period allowed Mills to pull away.

“This is the type of performance we have been waiting for all year,” Matsu said. “It was our best game, as we were strong for all four quarters.”

The contest marked the Cardinals’ second finals appearance in the last three years, as they beat Aptos in 2021 for the crown. In 2022, Santa Cruz reached the CCS semifinals, where they lost to Mills. Santa Cruz has compiled a 27-3 record in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play since ‘21.

The Vikings captured their second CCS crown in four appearances, the previous title coming in 1985.

Santa Cruz’s lifetime record in CCS finals dropped to 3-4.

“I’m so proud of my girls,” Trowbridge said. “We played so hard. I can’t say enough about my team and my assistant coaches.”

There were no NorCal or CIF State tournaments held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Santa Cruz will continue play in the NorCal playoffs beginning Tuesday. It will be the first such experience for everyone on the team.

“We don’t know what we’re going to find there,” Thompson said. “It’s new competition. I’m excited for what’s next.”