Lady Pirates will head to Fresno on Feb. 28 to face division’s top seed, Immanuel
By Mike Chaldu
After three straight home playoff wins, the Santa Ynez High girls basketball squad is headed to Fresno next Friday, Feb. 28, to play for the CIF Central Section Division IV championship.
The No. 2 seed Lady Pirates outlasted No. 3 Matilda Torres High of Madera 49-42 in the semifinal matchup Thursday, Feb. 20, at the SYHS gym.
SYHS started off strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes and went to halftime with a 28-19 lead. The Lady Pirates started the third period moving up the lead to 31-19. After that, though, the visiting Toros ran off a 12-2 run to pull within 33-31.
SYHS was able to stave off Torres’s charge and with 5:34 left, Helina Pecile made a layup with a foul shot for a three-point play, and then on the next trip down the floor, Lexi Molera hit a three-point shot to put the Pirates up 43-35. Pecile hit four clutch free throws to clinch it for SYHS.
The playoff run has been enjoyable for the team this year, according to head coach Jennifer Rasmussen, especially after the disappointment last year when the Pirates were the top seed and lost in the second round.
“After last year, we made a goal that we would get past the second round, and we did so,” Rasmussen said. “We definitelywanted to win tonight, but if we hadn’t, at least we had gotten past that level. And I think that took off the pressure tonight.
“We just fought, we played together, and the girls just really focused on what we worked on in practice and played like a team.”
That focus will be tested Feb. 28 in Fresno, as the Pirates face top-seeded Immanuel High of Reedley. Game time will be 2 p.m. at Selland Arena.
The Eagles have shown so far their No. 1 seeding has been earned as they have posted lopsided wins over McFarland (70-6), Fresno (53-25) and Atascadero (67-29) on their way to the title game. Immanuel was 26-5 in the regular season and placed second in the Tri-County-Kings Canyon League with a 7-1 record.
Two days before the win over Torres (Feb. 18), SYHS defeated Coalinga 48-33 in a second-round win over at the SYHS gym.
Sophomore Kailani Ladera led the way for SYHS against Coalinga with 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Junior Helina Pecile added 9 points and 11 boards, while senior Kylie LaPoint had 9 points and 4 assists and junior Rylan Agin chipped in 10 boards and 6 assists.
