The host Royal High girls’ basketball team saw its season come to a close at the hands of the Pasadena Bulldogs, who defeated the Highlanders, 69-48, in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division IA playoffs Feb. 25.

“They battled hard all year,” Royal head coach Mike Kohl said. “To make the quarterfinals, upset Ventura, beat our crosstown rivals twice in league, you can’t really ask for too much more.”

Pasadena held a 16-12 lead after the first quarter and scored the first six points of the second quarter to lead 22-12.

Jessi Selleh tried to rally the Highlanders, as she hit a 3-pointer, drew the foul in the process and hit the freethrow to finish off the four-point play.

Selleh hit another 3-pointer moments later to cut the deficit to 2719, but that was the closest Royal got, as Pasadena outscored Royal, 13-3, in the closing moments to take a 4022 halftime lead.

The third quarter belonged to Pasadena, whose lead peaked at 29 as Royal scored only four points in the quarter. The Highlanders refused to go down without t a fight though, as Selleh scored 11 of her 20 points in the fourth and Royal cut the deficit to 16.

“You never want it to end for the seniors, but. . . .,” Kohl said.

Despite the loss, the Highlanders finished with a respectable 1811record.

Though Royal started its first season without standout swingman Kelly Winther, now at the University of San Diego, the Highlanders started out well, going 8-4 in non-league play and finishing second at the Valencia tournament and the John Burroughs tournament at Burbank.

Royal also swept crosstown rival Simi Valley for the fourth consecutive year, which made up for an earlier loss to the Pioneers in the championship game of the John Burroughs Tournament.

The highlight of the year came last Wednesday when the Highlanders upset the No. 1-seeded Ventura Cougars.

Royal went outside to beat the Cougars, as the Highlanders hit seven 3-pointers, three from Selleh and another three by sophomore Erika Ward, as Royal pulled off the 54-44 win.

Ward scored 10 against Pasadena Saturday night.

“The whole season had so many highlights,” Selleh said. “The Ventura game was definitely on of the biggest wins in Royal history and I’ve never lost to Simi in league, so that was big for us, winning both those games and they (Simi Valley) have some good players. Just the whole season was a great season.”

For Selleh and fellow seniors Becca Heteniak and Nikki Suffolk, Saturday’s loss to Pasadena marked their final game as members of the Highlander girls’ basketball team, but still, Selleh will choose to remember the fun she had playing at Royal and playing for Mike Kohl.

“They’re the best four years of my life,” Selleh said. “They say high school is the best years of your life and it’s true. I wouldn’t trade them for anything else. It’s the best teams I ever played with and wouldn’t have wanted to play for any coach, it was amazing.”