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Sports

JSerra's Girls Eliminated From State Basketball Playoffs

On the road again, Lions make a game of it before falling to top-seeded La Jolla Country Day, 58-39, in second round of CIF Southern California Region state playoffs

There was a brief moment Thursday night when thoughts of an upset entered the minds of the ninth-seeded JSerra girls basketball team and its fans. But then La Jolla Country Day showed why it is the top-seeded team in Division IV of the CIF Southern California Region state playoffs.

The Torreys turned up their defensive intensity and used a 16-2 run in the third quarter to pull away for a 58-39 victory over the Lions in a second-round game at La Jolla Country Day School.

JSerra pulled to within four points on a three-point play by junior forward Whitney Braeutigam with 6:47 to go in the third quarter. But that only seemed to awaken the Torreys (26-4).

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The Coastal-South League champions played a swarming full-court, trap defense, which led to several turnovers and easy baskets during a 16-2 run over the next five minutes. Junior guard Maya Hood scored six of her game-high 19 points during the span.

“We are definitely a defensive team,” said Hood, who also finished with team-high 12 rebounds. “The defense sets up the offense for us.”

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The offense shined beyond Hood, as her sister Malina Hood delivered 14 points and Kelsey Plum added 19 to help the Torreys earn a spot in Saturday night’s quarterfinal contest against fifth-seeded St. Anthoy of Long Beach.

St. Anthony eliminated JSerra from the CIF Southern Section Division 4A playoffs with a 78-63 victory in the semifinals.

The loss means the end of a stellar season for the Lions, which included a 54-37 first-round victory over Sierra on Tuesday that followed a 300-mile bus trip. By comparison, Thursday's 60-mile drive to La Jolla was a piece of cake.

JSerra is destined to be back soon, considering the entire squad will return next season.

“I am proud of these guys,” Lions coach Mary Rossignol said of her squad. “We definitely exceeded our expectations and goals that we set at the beginning of the season. These girls play together and do what it takes. [La Jolla Country Day] is just a great team."

Julia Kenefick and Samara Hanna each scored 12 points to lead the Lions (13-19). Hanna scored all 12 of her points in the second half on four three-pointers.

The Torreys never trailed in the game, but struggled to pull away from the scrappy Lions. La Jolla Country Day led 24-15 at halftime, but the Lions started the second by pulling to within 24-20. But that led to the 16-2 run by the Torreys, and JSerra never recovered.

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