Paso Robles girls basketball completes perfect 8-0 Ocean league run

Last winter, the Paso Robles girls basketball team was experiencing growing pains.

With just one senior on the roster, the Bearcats were young, inconsistent and still figuring out how to close out games. The team finished the season on a four-game skid and ended with more losses than wins, settling in the lower half of the league standings.

But those minutes logged by the younger players, and the constant defeats they faced, would eventually form the foundation for the turnaround season they experienced this year.

Now, that same core has delivered and ended the season as league champions.

Paso Robles went 8-0 in Ocean League play to capture a league title Friday night, clinching the title on senior night with a 57-36 win over Nipomo.

The Bearcats honored four seniors on senior night, but it was the experience they built as sophomores and juniors that defined the season and got them at the top of the league standings.

The last time Paso Robles finished undefeated in league was in 2021, when the Bearcats went 10-0. Now, with a roster built largely from last year’s young core, they’re back on top.

“Our tough preseason schedule put us in the position to be ready for league, and the girls proved it by going 8-0,” head coach Mark Martinez said.

Their preseason slate featured Central Valley powers, including Clovis-area schools and Sanger, matchups that tested them early and exposed where they still needed to grow.

The toughest challenge came against Clovis East in early December, their largest margin of defeat all year at 55-27.

Most of the other losses in the preseason were close contested games decided by fewer than 10 points. Instead of reacting to the pressure of the preseason schedule, they would soon use it to their advantage.

The most notable part of the Bearcats’ game is their rebounding. Paso Robles has made rebounding their identity, crashing the boards on both ends and turning second-chance opportunities into momentum-shifting points.

Extra possessions on offense have become one of their most reliable weapons, often swinging tight games in their favor.

“They’ve made a commitment to rebound, and they do it well,” Martinez said.

A major part of that presence comes from sophomore Macoy Sill.

Whether it’s securing defensive boards to spark transition or fighting through traffic for put-backs, Sill has anchored Paso’s effort in the paint. She currently ranks No. 14 in California in rebounds per game among high school girls.

Senior Kate Harrington led the Bearcats on senior night with 18 points, closing out her home career the way she’s led all season.

Harrington has been part of the program’s climb back to the top. After transferring from Mission College Prep during her sophomore year, she stepped into a leadership role almost immediately.

Over the past three seasons, she’s helped guide a young roster through growing pains and into a league championship, serving as a bridge between last year’s rebuilding group and this year’s undefeated run.

“I think last year was really good for us,” Harrington said. “It was a building year for us, and we were able to really develop as a team. We’ve been playing with this starting group for two years, so coming into this year strong to finish with the league title is awesome.”

Oftentimes, Paso swings the ball to keep the defense on its toes. When the possession tightens, and Harrington needs a steady option, she knows where to look.

Genesis Gavilanes has become that presence in the post.

On Friday night, she consistently put Nipomo in tough spots, catching the ball on the block and drawing contact almost immediately. The fouls sent her to the line, where she capitalized.

“We grew up on varsity together, and since then, it’s created so much chemistry,” Harrington said. “She’s an amazing big.”

Gavilanes finished with 12 points. Half came at the free-throw line, reflecting how strategically her game is played.

The next stage for Paso comes in the postseason, where the Bearcats will be competing in the Division 2 playoffs.

“We want to win in the playoffs. That’s our main goal,” Harrington said. “We need to definitely keep playing hard, keep on rebounding and putting up buckets, and just trying our best at playing as a team.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 10:55 PM.