After restricting  playoff Divisions I and II to 16-team brackets the last two seasons, the San Diego Section board of managers went back to the ”Indiana” model of the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons in which all San Diego Section teams playing basketball were eligible for the postseason play.

“I think I was one of the few who didn’t think everyone should get in,” said El Camino coach Ray Johnson.  “Sixteen teams is enough.  If they have a problem with whom the 16^th seed should be, let those teams play it off.  This way, it’s a waste of time.”

PATRIOT LADIES GET IT DONE

The Christian girls won a state championship in the last second.  The Lincoln boys lost one in the last five seconds.

The frenetic finishes in boys Division IV and Girls D-V brought an end to one of the most successful seasons in San Diego County history, for teams in the lower divisions.

Poway, a 3 seed in Boys D-I, was taken out by 6 seed Capistrano Valley, 67-60, in the first round of the Southern California playoffs.  No. 2 Torrey Pines was eliminated in the semifinals, 56-46, by Artesia in  D-II.

Four girls teams, Carlsbad, Poway, Lincoln, and Christian, advanced to the regional semifinal round but only Christian moved on. The Patriots defeated Ripon Christian, 45-43, for the championship of California at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Lincoln meanwhile also was in Sacramento but lost on a tipped basket in the last five seconds, 56-55, to Salinas Palma.

BOYS PLAYOFFS

DIVISION I

PLAY-IN ROUND

San Marcos 50, @Sweetwater 48 (11-16).

Henry (4-18) 52, @Southwest 54.

Montgomery (4-17) 50, @San Dieguito 81.

FIRST ROUND

San Marcos (6-18), 47 @1 Poway 77.

San Dieguito (10-17) 67, @2 Morse 77.

Mira Mesa (16-10) 68, @Chula Vista 69.

The Spartans rallied from six points down with a minute to play, winning on Kevin Brenna’s basket.

San Diego (11-11) 62, @Rancho Bernardo 79.

SECOND ROUND

Southwest (13-13) 51, @3 Mt. Carmel 88.

Rancho Buena Vista 70, @4 Bonita Vista 61, OT (18-9).

Mount Miguel (11-15) 62, @Vista 96.

Granite Hills (13-10) 62, @Fallbrook 65.

QUARTERFINALS

1 Poway 85, 8 Chula Vista (18-11) 70. 

Poway’s Kyle Milling scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half.  The Spartans’ Jerome Green scored 40.

7 Rancho Bernardo 91, @2 Morse 78 (19-6).

5 Fallbrook 72 (19-9), @3 Mt. Carmel 79.

6 Rancho Buena Vista (12-17) 85, @4 Vista 104.

SEMIFINALS

7 Rancho Bernardo 54, 3 Mt. Carmel (18-10) 49, @Serra High.

1 Poway 62, 4 Vista 60 (17-11). 

The Titans’ Mitch Palmer tipped in a basket at the buzzer.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Poway 69, 7 Rancho Bernardo (18-11) 48, @Sports Arena.   

A crowd of 7,569 persons saw Titans coach Doug Wealch equal predecessor Neville Saner with a second straight title (Saner won 4 overall).

“We had an emotional game with Rancho Bernardo in fall league and kind of lost our composure,” said Wealch to Ed Graney of The San Diego Union.  “We didn’t want that to happen again.  We just told the kids to keep their heads and go out and play.”

Kyle Milling had 27 points and 16 rebounds.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

6 Capistrano Valley (29-3) 67, @3 Poway 60 (25-9).   

Outscored, 23-9, in the second quarter and guilty of 17 turnovers  the Titans were doomed. Poway’s Kyle Milling had 13 points, 10 rebounds, six blocked shots, and three steals.

D-II

FIRST ROUND

Mar Vista (9-15) 51, @Oceanside 82.

El Cajon Valley (3-18) 59, @San Pasqual 65.

San Pasqual’s David Durst scored 26 points and converted 11×15 shots from the field.

Ramona  55, @El Capitan 46 (11-15).

Escondido 79, @Mission Bay 51 (7-19).

Crawford (3-21) 50, @Grossmont 74.

Santana (7-15) 55, @Castle Park 60.

SECOND ROUND

Oceanside (11-15) 52, @1 Torrey Pines 63.

Six-foot, 11 inch Scot Pollard drilled the Pirates with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots.

Castle Park 51, @2 Kearny (26-2) 88.

University City (13-11) 58, @Serra 72.

Point Loma (15-10) 56, @Helix 72.

THIRD ROUND

Escondido (7-13) 57, @3 Monte Vista 87.

Ramona 41, @4 Carlsbad 87.

Valhalla 71, @San Pasqual 65 (20-8).

Grossmont (12-13) 45, @El Camino 87. 

Grossmont scored zip—zero, nada—in a 23-0 El Camino third quarter and the outmanned Foothillers actually came into the game with a passable record.

QUARTERFINALS

Serra 56, @1 Torrey Pines 89 (25-3).

Helix 64, @Kearny (26-3) 61.

Valhalla (20-8) 62, @ Carlsbad 73.

El Camino (20-7) 58, @3 Monte Vista 62 (24-2).

SEMIFINALS

1 Torrey Pines (26-3) 70, 4 Carlsbad 52 (21-7) @Rancho Bernardo High.   

Torrey Pines’ winning streak reached 18 games and Carlsbad’s ended at 16.

The Falcons led only 54-50 after a Carlsbad basket to start the fourth quarter, but the Lancers managed only two points in the final 6:41.

3 Monte Vista 54 (25-2), Helix 44 (19-7), @Santana High.

As an antidote for pregame jitters, Monte Vista coach Zack Peck ordered his team to a full-court press at the start.  The Monarchs forced 18 turnovers for the game that led directly led to eight field goals and 16 points.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Torrey Pines (27-3), 74, 3 Monte Vista (25-3) 53, @Sports Arena.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

7 La Palma Kennedy (23-8) 36, @2 Torrey Pines 48 (28-3).

Monte Vista (25-4), 68, @Trabuco Hills (26-5) 75.

SEMIFINALS

Artesia (27-4) 56, @2 Torrey Pines (28-4) 46. 

More than 2,500 persons packed the Falcons gymnasium and another O’Bannon, younger brother of Ed, who was Torrey Pines’ nemesis in a losing effort four seasons before, scored 27 points.  “Ed reminded me of that loss,” said Charles.

D-III

QUARTERFINALS

West Hills (9-14) 57, @University 85.

SEMIFINALS

University 56, @1 St. Augustine 41 (18-9).

La Jolla 66, @2 Madison 63 (15-12).

CHAMPIONSHIP

University 48, La Jolla (11-13) 40, @Sports Arena.

“I admire the hell out of these guys,” said Dons coach Jim Tomey of his team’s late-season run.  “They stuck with it.  I’d look into their eyes early in the season and wonder, then they’d come back the next day ready to play.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

Costa Mesa Estancia (24-7) 59, University (9-18) 41, @University of San Diego.

La Jolla (11-15) 36, @La Canada (27-2) 58.

D-IV

SEMIFINALS

Coronado (4-23) 35, vs. 1 Lincoln 104.

Imperial (10-12) 65, vs. 2 Clairemont 79.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Lincoln  92, 2 Clairemont (11-13) 61, @Sports Arena.

Lincoln’s fifth straight championship needed a 10-0 run in the middle of the first quarter, at the end of which the Hornets led, 27-20.

“What we need is a down-to-the-wire game early (in the Southern California Regional), said Berry Randle, who had 29 points and 15 rebounds.

“We need that to put a scare into us,” Randle continued.  “Some of our players don’t know what that’s like yet.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL.

QUARTERFINALS

7 Tollhouse Sierra (17-7) 70, @2 Lincoln 98.

“Scoring in the nineties is our game,” Lincoln coach Ron Loneski told Steve Brand.  “I couldn’t believe they tried to press us. We’re in great shape. We press.  We run.”

Berry Randle’s line read 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots.  Hosa Baker scored 22, Archie Robinson 17.

Clairemont (11-14) 48, @1 Oxnard Santa Clara (26-3) 94.

SEMIFINALS

2 Lincoln (22-9) 76, Downey Pius X 71 (23-7).

In a shooting slump much of the year, Archie Robinson buried five, three-point shots in the first quarter and finished with 22 points.

FINALS

2 Lincoln 62, 1 Oxnard Santa Clara (27-4) 60, @Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Lincoln led by 14 points in the second half.  Archie Robinson’s basket with nine seconds remaining put the Hornets ahead, 62-58, and then Robinson dribbled the clock away after two free throws by the Saints.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Salinas Palma 56 (29-2), Lincoln 55 (23-10) 55, @Arco Arena, Sacramento.

Lincoln fought back after trailing the Central Coast Section champion, 30-13, midway in the second quarter.

The Hornets actually took a 55-54 lead on Berry Randle’s basket with 23 seconds remaining, but the Chieftains’ Brandon Peterson tipped in the winning basket.

“We did not lose in the last five seconds,” said Hornets coach Ron Loneski.  “We lost it in the first sixteen minutes.”

D-V

FIRST ROUND

Calexico Vincent Memorial (6-15) 55, @Marian 81.

Borrego Springs (9-13) 31, @The Bishop’s 69.

Midway Baptist (7-14) 26, @4 Christian 65.

Lutheran (3-12) 49, @3 Santa Fe Christian 70.

Francis Parker (6-19) 59, @Tri-City 74.

Julian (8-15) 61, @Calvin Christian 67.

QUARTERFINALS

Marian (6-18) 38, @1 Calipatria 89 (21-2) .

Calvin Christian (12-8) 40, @2 La Jolla Country Day 83 (21-3).

The Bishop’s 38, @4 Christian 42 (19-8).

Tri-City (15-8) 52, @3 Santa Fe Christian 53 (22-4).

SEMIFINALS

1 Calipatria 48, 4 Christian (19-9) 36, @El Capitan High.

The Hornets, ranked eighth in the state in their division by Cal-Hi Sports, forced 32 turnovers.  Christian made 3×13 free-throw attempts.

3 Santa Fe Christian 52, 2 La Jolla Country Day 44 (21-4).

FINALS

1 Calipatria 60, 3 Santa Fe Christian (23-5) 58. 

Sophomore Roferrel Simpson’s no-look, put-back basket before the halftime buzzer proved the difference.  Simpson had 19 points and 13 rebounds.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

L.A. Bel Air (19-10) 51, @Calipatria (24-3) 46.

Santa Fe Christian (23-6) 55, @North Hollywood Campbell Hall (22-7) 78.

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

D-I

FIRST ROUND

San Dieguito 44, @Morse 41 (12-14).

Mount Miguel (1-22) 31, @San Marcos 55.

Patrick Henry (1-20) 35, @Granite Hills 56.

Brande Wray drained five consecutive three-point attempts and the Eagles soared.

Hoover 41, @Montgomery 39 (10-14).

Vista  56, @San Diego 48 (9-14).

SECOND ROUND

San Dieguito (9-16), 18 @1 Poway 81.

Chula Vista (11-13), 58 @Rancho Buena Vista  74.

Hoover (6-15) 30, @3 Rancho Bernardo 81.

Orange Glen 50, @Hilltop 29 (16-7).

Southwest (14-9) 44, @Mira Mesa 42.

Vista (6-19) 45, @2 Mt. Carmel 67.

Kris Grazzini set a Sundevils school record with 34 points with 13×17 shooting  and pulled 13 rebounds.

Granite Hills (11-16) 44, @4 Bonita Vista 54.

San Marcos 46, @Fallbrook 51 (15-9).

QUARTERFINALS

Fallbrook (15-10) 47, @4 Bonita Vista 58.

Southwest (15-10) 45, @2 Mt. Carmel 67.

Rancho Buena Vista (15-13) 45, @1 Poway 71.

Orange Glen (15-11) 46, @3 Rancho Bernardo 48.

Carol Pajarillo scored 6 points but the last two, on a 15-foot jump shot, was the separator.

SEMIFINALS

1 Poway 90, 4 Bonita Vista 24 (22-4).

2 Mt. Carmel 49, 3 Rancho Bernardo (23-4) 36.

The Sundevils’ Kris Grazzini scored 21 points, denying second-year Rancho Bernardo a boys’ and girls’ finalist.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Poway 55, 2 Mt. Carmel (19-5) 33, @Sports Arena.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Ventura Buena (25-4) 42, @Poway, 46.

Jamie Shadian’s four, three-point baskets fired the Titans.

SEMIFINALS

Palos Verdes Rolling Hills (32-0) 75, Poway (27-4) 41.

D-II

FIRST ROUND

Valhalla (4-19) 38, @Grossmont 61.

Ramona (1-24) 24, @Castle Park 45.

Mar Vista (4-14) 25, @Serra  42.

Oceanside (4-21) 51, @Torrey Pines 54.

El Camino (4-19) 36, @El Capitan  45.

SECOND ROUND

Grossmont (12-14) 38, @1 Carlsbad  60.

San Pasqual (12-14) 30, @Monte Vista 46.

Helix (15-10) 43, @Kearny 45. 

A Kearny rally started when Shelli Krause launched a 23-foot shot with 34 seconds left and the Komets trailing six. Bingo!

El Capitan (12-12) 40, @2 Point Loma 52.

THIRD ROUND

Torrey Pines (10-16) 45, @3 University City 72.

Serra (13-12) 45, @4 El Cajon Valley  69.

Escondido 44, @Santana  (19-7) 42.

Castle Park (15-11) 34, @Mission Bay 47.

QUARTERFINALS

Kearny 34 (20-7), @2 Point Loma 42.

Monte Vista (18-6) 28, @1 Carlsbad 65.

Escondido (11-15) 41, @3 University City 57.

Mission Bay 48, @4 El Cajon Valley 62 (21-4).

Heather Holm (29 points) socked the Buccaneers with back-to-back threes, igniting a 20-2 run by the Braves after they lagged by five in the third quarter.

SEMIFINALS

1 Carlsbad 73, 4 El Cajon Valley 68 (21-5), OT.

3 University City 43, 2 Point Loma (23-4) 41.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Carlsbad (23-2) 53, 3 University City (24-4) 43, @Sports Arena.

“This seemed so unattainable, but it’s been a dream of mine to win a section title since I was a little kid,” the Lancers’ Vanessa Nygaard, who scored 16 points, told Jim Trotter of The San Diego Union.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

8 Tustin (21-9) 47, @1 Carlsbad 60. 

“We were a little rubbery legged…in the first part of the game,” said Dawn Laukes to writer Jim Trotter.  “We were coming off a couple tough games against El Cajon and University City and we weren’t used to that.”

University City (24-5) 61, @Cerritos Gahr (26-4) 69.

SEMIFINALS

L.A. Mission Hills Bishop Alemany 68, @1 Carlsbad (24-3) 42.         

“We’ve put up two Avocado League banners and one CIF banner,” said Lancers coach John Dubreville.  “Next year we’re going to put up a gold (state championship) banner.”

D-III

FIRST ROUND

Madison (1-21) 17, @La Jolla 35.

SEMIFINALS

La Jolla (6-19) 35, @1 Our Lady of Peace 38.

West Hills 45, @2 University (9-16) 38.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Our lady of Peace 61, West Hills (8-15) 38.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

West Covina South Hills (25-3) 70, @Our Lady of Peace (17-9) 54.

West Hills (8-16) 16, @Brea-Olinda (29-2) 96.

D-IV

SEMIFINALS

Imperial (2-15) 12, @1 Lincoln 75. 

“If we aren’t .500 or better next year, we won’t play again,” Imperial coach Dan Romero said of a possible future playoff appearance. The Tigers trailed, 24-0, after one quarter.

Holtville (18-7) 43, @2 Coronado 58.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Lincoln 64, 2 Coronado 33 (18-7)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Fresno San Joaquin Memorial (21-7) 48, @2 Lincoln 59.

A seven-hour bus ride didn’t help the Panthers, who fell behind, 21-2, to start the game.

The Hornets rode the 29 points from Shondel Robinson and 6-foot-3 Hattie Sanders’ 17 rebounds.

Coronado (18-8) 34, @Woodlake (29-2) 51.

SEMIFINALS

Santa Ynez (25-3) 53, @2 Lincoln (21-4) 52.

D-V

FIRST ROUND

La Jolla Country Day 44, @Borrego Springs  (10-10) 32.

Calexico Vincent Memorial (7-11) 53, @Parker 66.

SECOND ROUND

Tri-City (2-12) 34, @Marian 84.

The Crusaders’ Jennifer Reyes dished 20 assists, third highest total in section history.

Lutheran @Calipatria, no score.

Francis Parker @Calexico Vincent Memorial, no score.

QUARTERFINALS

La Jolla Country Day (7-13) 35, @1 Christian 68.

Francis Parker (14-9) 40, @2 The Bishop’s 60.

Marian 42, @4 Calvin Christian 31 (14-6).

Calipatria (11-11) 38, @3 Julian 82.

Jennifer Hekel stung the Hornets with 18 points, 18 rebounds.

SEMIFINALS

1 Christian 61, Marian (13-11) 51, @El Capitan High.

3 Julian 57, 2 The Bishop’s (19-6) 48.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Christian 75, 3 Julian (18-10) 47, @Sports Arena.

Tiffany Stutz led the Patriots with 35 points, but freshman Stephanie Shadwell stole the show with a triple double, 20 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 steals.

“I wanted to overcome my nervousness,” Shadwell told Steve Brand of the Union.  “On Thursday my coach (Mike Zazvrskey) put a lot of confidence in my head.  He believes in me.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

Julian  69, @San Bernardino Christian (26-1) 61.

The host Knights had been the Southern Section’s only remaining unbeaten team.

1 L.A. Holy Martyrs (24-4) 41, @Christian 65.

SEMIFINALS

Pasadena Poly (18-10) 31, @Christian  64.

Julian (20-11) 52, @Arcadia Rio Hondo (24-1) 58.

FINALS

Christian  57, Arcadia Rio Hondo (24-2) 49.

The Patriots trailed, 32-24, at halftime.  Tiffany Stutz, averaging 25.8 points, was hounded by Kares defenders, denying her the ball but Stutz scored 16 points, teaming with Jenny Culbertson on a 16-2 run in the third quarter.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP                                                                    

Christian (22-4) 45, Ripon Christian (27-3) 43, @Arco Arena, Sacramento.

Tiffany Stutz stole the ball with eight seconds remaining and passed with three seconds left to Diana DeGrenier, whose layup with .33 hundredths of a second left brought the Patriots home.

La Jolla Country Day and Cathedral are where they’re supposed to be, according to the seeds.  Madison is a welcome surprise.

That’s the state of San Diego Section basketball today as the section’s final three go into tonight’s Southern California regional finals.

The girls saved the day after the boys went out early, with a thud, despite most boys teams having better seeds and playing at home.

The young men did not beat a team in the first round that had a seed poorer than 10 and the 4 boys winners all went out in the next round.

The La Jolla Country Day girls, ranked number one in the state and in the country, according to Max Preps, will be at home to face No. 4 L.A. Windward, after getting past troublesome Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda, 54-44, in the Open Division semifinals.

IZZY DOES IT

Cathedral’s Izzy Navarro scored seven of her 12 points in the fourth quarter and her steal and basket with 20 seconds left finally put away Studio City Harvard-Westlake, 59-56, in the D-I semifials and send the Dons to another home game against Fullerton Rosary.

The get to the semifinals the No. 1-seed Dons needed a 63-47, quarterfinals victory over Garden Grove Orangewood, which had beaten Cathedral, 65-63 and 64-61, in two earlier encounters.

Madison, which has been upsetting teams since the  D-V regional pairings were announced will try to beat the odds again The 10 seed Warhawks entered the San Diego Section postseason with a 10-16 record, compliments of a mid-season, nine-game losing streak,.

Madison (18-17) will make a 228-mile trek to East Bakersfield (22-9). The Max Preps computer rates the Blades 293^rd in California, 124 places better than the scrappy squad from Northeast Clairemont.

GIRLS WEEK 18
*Southern Section  ^L.A. City  ^^Central

DIVISION	TEAM / RECORD	MAX PREPS STATE RATING	SEMIFINALS	NEXT OPPONENT / RECORD	MAX PREPS STATE RATING
OPEN	1 La Jolla Country Day / 32-1	1	4 Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda, 54-44*	4 L.A. Windward / 27-5*	4
I	1 Cathedral / 21-11	16	4 Studio City Harvard Westlake, 59-56*	2 Fullerton Rosary / 22-12*	15
V	10 Madison / 18-17	417	6 San Diego, 46-37	4 East Bakersfield / 22-9^^	293
II	6 Marian / 20-10	54	Loss @2 L.A. Pacific Palisades / 60-55^	Season complete
IV	12 Point Loma / 24-3	104	Loss @1 Lancaster, 51-44*	Season complete