SACRAMENTO — The
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) girls won what could become a school state title championship sweep on Saturday, grabbing the CIF Division II crown with a decisive fourth quarter in their 60-45 victory over
Colfax.
The Wolverines outscored the Falcons 18-5 in the fourth quarter to turn the 42-40 lead into the 15-point victory.
Angelina Habis led Harvard-Westlake with a game-high 19 points while
Deana Thompson added 18 and
Valentina Guerrero chipped in a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.
The school brought home two state titles as the boys team won the Open Division title 50-45 over Salesian College Prep (Richmond).
Harvard-Westlake players celebrate as coach Melissa Hearlihy presents the CIF Division II trophy to them following their 60-45 win Saturday over Colfax at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. (Photo: David Steutel)
Colfax, a Division IV team playing up and in its second straight championship game, was led by
Juliette James' 18 points while
Kaia Diederichs added 13.
The Falcons shot 41 percent over the first three quarters, but suddenly went cold to start the final period. They went scoreless over a 5:38 stretch from the end of the third and into the fourth quarter before finally getting an and-one from James with 2:58 left in the game.
By that time, Harvard-Westlake had reeled off a 6-0 run to open the 48-40 lead. After the old-fashioned 3-point play, the Wolverines added two buckets from Guerrero for a 52-43 lead. She then started a fast break off a steal that ended with a Thompson layup and a 54-43 edge with just over a minute left.
"Deana Thompson and Valentina Guerrero were the difference tonight," Harvard-Westlake coach Melissa Hearlihy said.
Despite playing a much larger school, Colfax coach Rexanne Simpton thought her team was prepared for the fourth quarter.
"They went to a 2-3 zone. We see that a lot against us and I thought they (her team) were going to relax," Simpton said. "The shots just didn't fall.
"Tonight, they were the better team. In the second half they hit shots."
Hearlihy, who joked that her team was finally above .500 with the state championship victory at 19-18, said the zone was out of necessity.
"We started rebounding and went to a zone, which I almost never do, but did because I knew it would win us a championship."
Harvard-Westlake post Valentina Guerrero drives to the bucket for two of her 14 points Saturday in the Wolverines' 60-45 win over Colfax in the CIF Division II title game. (Photo: David Steutel)
Colfax's Juliette James scored a team-high 18 in the Falcons' 60-45 loss to Harvard-Westlake on Saturday in the CIF D-II title game. (Photo: David Steutel)
