The
Mount Miguel (Spring Valley) girls basketball shining star all season has been UNLV-bound wing
Danielle Miller.
No question, the 5-foot-8 Miller, who averages 22.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.5 steals and 2.6 assists, was superb throughout the CIF-San Diego Section playoffs. The Matadors marched to four straight wins to present coach Robbie Sandoval with his sixth section crown during an 11-year coaching stint.
The unsung hero in that surge, however, was 5-foot-3 senior
Myishia Watkins. The Grand Canyon University-bound guard was brilliant in the Division III section semifinal and finals finishing with 50 points, including 21 of 29 free-throw shooting. She was at her best down the stretch in a come-from-behind 69-65 semifinal win over Mission Bay, tallying 15 of her season-high 26 points in the final six minutes to erase a 10-point deficit.
"These last two fourth quarters are probably the best Myisha has ever played for us," Sandoval said.
In the section championship game, Mount Miguel (23-7) missed its first 13 shots and fell behind 12-1. Once again it was Watkins to the rescue as she nailed 11 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter of a 63-55 conquest of Cathedral Catholic.
Racing to the basket off the dribble, the Lady Dons couldn't stop Watkins except by fouling, as Watkins trotted to the foul line for 14 shots – an astounding number for a guard at this level of basketball – connecting 11 times.
"I never thought we were going to lose either game. I wanted the ball – I wanted to make it happen," Watkins said.
Sandoval's Matadors have reached the section finals for 10 seasons running.
MaxPreps California state girls basketball playoff bracketsPENG PARADES WESTVIEW GIRLS TO FIRST BASKETBALL TITLE
Westview (San Diego) senior guard
Melissa Peng scored 21 points in a 53-48 victory over Monte Vista in a CIF-SDS Division II semifinal, and 13 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists in a 50-44 victory over Mt. Carmel in the final. It was Westview's first section crown in basketball. It was the third time Peng has led the Wolverines into the championship game.
"It's taken me four years, but I am happy that I finally got one," Peng told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "We played hard defense — went after every loose ball."
RBV'S DEE IS INDEED ONE FOR THE BOOKS
Senior marksman
Johnny Dee averaged 32.8 points a game to lead the San Diego Section for
Rancho Buena Vista (Vista). The 6-foot-3 guard also bucketed 102 3-pointers. He never scored less than 20 points in a game and scored a career high 51 against El Camino. Six times he banged in 40 or more points and on 10 occasions he knocked down 30 or more in leading the Longhorns to a 26-4 finish.
DUMIAK IS A LA COSTA CANYON SCORING MACHINE
Senior wing
Jen Dumiak scored 23 points in a 76-34 win over Escondido in the CIF-SDS semifinals and 28 points in a 76-41 win over San Diego in the section finals. Dumiak was the Mavericks' kingpin, averaging 21.7 points per game.
NEW BATS NO PROBLEM, DON'T FAZE HELIX'S CARBUCCIA
Helix junior second baseman
Romello Carbuccia drove in five runs in 24 at-bats last year. Faced with having to adapt to using non-metal bats due to mandates handed down by the National Federation for High School Activities this season, Carbuccia made a magnificent debut. He went 4-for-4 with a double and seven RBIs as the Highlanders mauled Madison 9-0.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
* Arizona-bound
Angelo Chol collected 27 points and 17 rebounds in a
Hoover (San Diego) CIF-SDS Division I championship game loss to Lincoln.
* Poway senior
Katie Kuklok, who will extend her career at the University of San Diego, set a CIF-SDS record for 3-pointers made with 335. Kuklok averaged 23.3 points per game and set a school record for foul shooting, hitting 112 of 124 (.903).
* Six-foot-4 senior
Madisen Irwin of La Costa Canyon generated a powerful double-double of 21 points and 20 rebounds as the Mavericks mowed down San Diego 76-41 in the CIF-San Diego Section Division I final.
* Senior
Alex Perez of
Otay Ranch (Chula Vista) averaged 29.2 points and scored 30 or more in 10 games for the Mustangs this season.
*
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) 6-foot-5 senior
Drew Kitchens scored 20 points in a 72-68 overtime victory over El Camino in the San Diego Section Division I semifinals and 25 more in a rout of Torrey Pines in the final.
* Sophomore softball infielder
Emily Stanfill of
Monte Vista (Spring Valley) reached base in all nine plate appearances as the Monarchs swept a softball doubleheader from Calexico 8-7 and 13-12. She was officially 6-for-6 swinging it, was hit by a pitch and coaxed a pair of walks.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Three major baseball tournaments in the CIF-SDS are in progress – the Hilltop-Lolita's Classic, Aztec-Foothiller Invitational and the Falcon-Pirate Tournament. Championship games are all on Saturday, March 19. Running concurrently is softball's best bet in the Cougar Classic which culminates on Monday at Escondido's Kit Carson Park.
DICKENS' DEALINGS
More than 11,500 fans watched the two-day CIF-SDS basketball championships at the University of San Diego's Jenny Craig Pavilion. Those are pretty decent numbers considering the San Diego State men's basketball team, ranked No. 6 nationally, was hosting Colorado State on Saturday needing a victory to secure a co-Mountain West Conference championship with BYU.
