Mary Star of the Sea girls basketball celebrates senior night undeterred by unusual circumstances (video & photos)

SAN PEDRO – Five minutes before game time on Tuesday, everything seemed to be going as expected for Mary Star of the Sea girls basketball. The 17-4 Stars were preparing to clinch a Santa Fe League title, their senior night festivities were in order, and both teams were suited up and getting ready to play.

Then, just a few minutes before the game was scheduled to begin, St. Monica abruptly left the gym and forfeited the game for undisclosed reasons. By tip-off time, the only thing Mary Star did know was that it had indeed clinched a league title – and a home game in the first round of the CIFSS 2A playoffs – and that it had no opponent.

Quick on their feet, the Stars first proceeded to honor seniors Marlena Rivera and Ryenne Skoblar as planned. And then, since the PA announcer and the officials were still onsite and ready to work, and the Stars had 10 players, they had a full-fledged intra-squad scrimmage with two 20-minute running clock halves. Ironically, the ensuing battle was the first single-digit "game" that the Stars had been a part of since before league play, as they'd won their five league games by a combined score of 324-114.

Ultimately, the team with the white jerseys went on to win in a close game. And while Madison Watts versus Drea Lopez wasn't the key backcourt matchup anyone expected to see coming into Tuesday – or will ever see again – perhaps it was the one we all needed. Plus, the celebrations and gamesmanship were on another level since it was all in good fun.

Here's a video of the reigning Southern Section 4AA champs giving themselves/each other buckets, followed by a photo gallery: