Live! CIF State Basketball Championships Friday

Division V
Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 60, La Jolla Country Day 42

All the preparation, all the detail, all the 10 a.m. weekend practice - all led to convincing, emphatic and wire-to-wire sixth state championship for Pinewood (30-3), which zoomed to 15-6 first quarter lead and never looked back in this 10 a.m. game. 

The Panthers, riding a surprising romp over top-seed Brookside Christian in the region finals, got 17 points from Marissa Hing 13 each by Leeana Bade and Gabi Bade and 10 from Chloe Eackles to defeat the perennial San Diego Section power Torreys (20-12), which got 18 points by Mariana Ecija and 12 by Mai-loni Henson.

Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler, a fitness and nutrition specialist on top of being one of the state's top coaches, got the Panthers up at 6 a.m., had breakfast at 6:30 and were more than ready to go. Following a 15-0 run that featured back-to-back 3-pointers by Gabi Bade, Pinewood led 32-9 and this early morning game was over.

La Jolla Country Day, which has won three state titles under Terri Bamford, had a pair of 8-0 runs in the second half to make it respectable.

"To play your best game in the biggest game is awesome, and that's ultimately what the girls did," Scheppler said. "I came and knew the girls had prepared. ... We played with confidence and swagger. That was awesome."

Bamford said her team's 18 first-half turnovers were uncharacteristic. It didn't help the Torreys were down to seven players due to injuries.

"It's a big gym, there's nerves, it happens," Bamford said. "Pinewood is a high IQ team and very well coached. We showed what we could do the second half."

Leeana Bade, whose team lost in the state finals to Sierra Canyon, said it was a perfect way to go out along  with two other seniors.

"Especially after what happened last year, I wanted to finish our high school career with a bang," she said. Asked to grade the "bang" meter, Bade said: "A 10."

Pinewood 60, La Jolla Country Day 42

LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY (20-12)
Isabel Aguirre 0-2 1-2 1, Mai-loni Henson 4-16 3-7 12, Mariana Ecija 6-17 3-4 18, Sabrina Callahan 3-7 1-2 7, Hadiyah Muhammad 0-3 0-0 0, Taylor Johnson 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 15-46 8-15 42.

PINEWOOD (30-3)
Marissa Hing 2-9 13-16 17, Monique McDevitt 0-4 0-0 0, Leeana Bade 4-9 4-4 13, Chloe Eackles 3-9 4-5 10, Gabi Bade 5-9 1-2 13, Mikaela Topper 0-2 0-0 0, Akayla Hackson 3-9 0-0 7. Totals 17-51 22-27 60.

LJCD          6  7   12  17  — 42
Pinewood 15  24  11  10  — 60
3-point goals: LJCD 4-9, Pinewood 4-13. Rebounds: LJCD 40 (Henson 16), Pinewood 33 (L. Bade 8). Assists: LJCD 5, SJ 7. Turnovers: LJCD 26, Pinewood 11.

Preview
Win streaks: LJCD 4, Pinewood 4
State record: LJCD 3-3, Pinewood 5-2
Points per game (allowed): LJCD 57.4 (46.5), Pinewood 61.9 (39.5)
Terrific trios: La Jolla Country Day — G Mai-loni Henson, F Sabrina Callahan, G Mariana Ecija. Pinewood — G Marissa Hing, F Chloe Eackles, G Leeana Bade.
Notes: It's a great matchup of two highly respected coaches in Pinewood's Doc Scheppler (five state titles) and LJCD's Terri Bamford. … LJCD starts two 6-footers. … Pinewood has nobody taller than 5-10.
Predicted winner: Pinewood