Submitted photo – St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin talks to his players during a timeout in Saturday’s state final in Sacramento.

By Ray Hamill — Becoming the first team in H-DNL history to win a state championship in basketball was special enough on its own, but that wasn’t the only thing the St. Bernard’s girls will remember from Saturday.

Getting to play in an NBA arena and in such a professional environment is an experience they all agree is something they will always remember.

“It was a very cool experience,” junior Laila Florvilus said after her team’s 47-29 win over Grossmont. “They made it feel very real.

“Going out there and shooting around, at first it was like ‘whoa, we are really here.’ But once we started playing, it felt like any other game.”

Senior team captain Madelyn Shanahan echoed the sentiment.

“I mean, starting off and walking into that gym, that NBA arena, we knew the atmosphere was going to be special,” she said. “And it was.”

The SB fans, who have supported the girls all season, continued to inspire the players on Saturday.

Storer Coachways donated two 54-seat passenger buses to transport the SB students to the game.

“We had two buses full of students show up and we had our full student sections there to support us,” Shanahan added. “The whole time the support from our fans was incredible, and they’ve been there all season long.”

Afterwards, all 13 players joined head coach Matt Tomlin in a postgame press conference, adding to the experience of the occasion.

“The girls were treated like professional athletes today,” the coach said. “It was a first-class environment. This is an experience that none of us will ever forget.”
Junior guard Aliyah Vigil agreed it was an occasion she will remember forever.

“The experience is a one in a lifetime, especially bonding with our team,” she said.  “And seeing the arena and getting to play in it was special.”