Riverside – Raylene Valadez shouted her at halftime, then made sure that the other team went to tears.
Less than two months since his return of a torn ACL which prevented it all the last year and half this season, Valadez totaled a 20-point career summit while the Hillcrest women’s basketball team beat Santa Ana 48-33 in the regional semi-final of the CIF Division V of the CIF on Saturday evening.
“After the first half, (Valadez) was in the locker room,” said Hillcrest coach Chloé Wells. “She said to herself,” I can’t do it. Take me out, “and I say to myself” Ray, you are our best option and you play very well. “”
“And his sisters are in this wardrobe by saying:” Ray, we believe in you. You must continue, ”said Wells. “(Valadez) and Daisy Ingram, they stayed there and cried, and Ray came out and she was a different person in the second period.”
Valadez finished 4 out of 8 on a beach of 3 points for Hillcrest (24-6 in total) and was 7 out of 16 on the field in total with four rebounds, three interceptions, three assists and two blocks.
“We sat on this bench and I told her about life and I said:” Ray, you can do it. “” Said Wells. “Once she came back there, she was extinct and literally led us in any way.”
The Trojans welcome Rosamond in the match for the Division V title Tuesday and are a victory for the progress of the state final for the first time.
“We have gone a long way,” said Valadez. “Being able to continue; Many seasons of the teams ended early, so it’s very exciting and I am grateful. »»
After having narrowly defeated Santa Ana 39-36 in the championship match of the South section Division 5AA a week earlier, Wells knew that the team’s defense would mean the difference in the revenge match.
“We had to identify who was going to be the hot hand and close it,” said Wells. “Once we did, the whole match opened for us.”
Valadez scored the first seven points of the match for Hillcrest – including his first 3 -point pointer with a second remains in the first quarter – then took over as the main ball manager of Trojan horses after the Daisy Ingram and Amaya Branchcomb guards overturned the ball several times.
“In the first half, I felt like I had to take care of the ball more and all the weight was on my shoulders,” said Valadez.
Santa Ana played without starting the Yarexy Diaz guard (flu) but took a six -point lead at the start of the second quarter on a pair of 3 by Jazmine Solis.
“Not having (Diaz) was a big loss for us,” said Santa Ana coach Dana Nguyen. “We had trouble scoring, and when we have trouble scoring, we look bad.”
Za’nylah Jackson of Hillcrest and Branchcomb have both entered baskets, and Valadez sank his second 3 point pointer to help the Trojan horses to regain the head before heading to half-time at equal 16 years old.
In the third quarter, Zoey Boulware sank a pair of free throws before Valadez, Branchcomb and Valadez sank from back to back from back to back, helping Hillcrest pushing his advance to 10 points.
“In the second half of my teammates, they put me up, helped us strong and crossed,” said Valadez. “I’m really proud of my team.”
After being called to a technical fault, the physical presence of Boulware in the painting exhausted the interior defenders of Santa Ana and relieved the pressure on the players of Hillcrest perimeter.
“She changes the game for us,” said Wells. “We call it” the assassin “because it is literally a killer.”
The top scorer in Hillcrest at 13.8 points per game, Boulware finished with six points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three interceptions.
“She cleanses each rebound, she can go from one ocean to another and when she is locked up, we are a completely different team,” said Wells.
Branchcomb was 5 out of 6 of the free throw line in the fourth quarter and added 10 points, three assists and three interceptions for Hillcrest.
Solis was 5 out of 16 on the field with 16 points and three interceptions for Santa Ana (17-13) in the defeat of the end of the season.
California Daily Newspapers
