3-A Girls : Santana Falls to Fallbrook

The Santana High School girls basketball team will not repeat as San Diego CIF 3-A Conference champions in 1985. And Fallbrook’s Nicole Jann had everything to do with it.

Jann, a senior, scored 23 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to lead Fallbrook to a 58-53 win on Saturday in a 3-A semifinal playoff game at Mira Mesa High.

Fallbrook (20-4) will play Point Loma (24-0) on Feb. 27 for the 3-A championship in the San Diego Sports Arena. Santana finished the season 23-1.

Fallbrook took its first lead, 11-10, with 2:32 left in the opening quarter on a field goal by Laurie Trujillo and led, 17-14, at the end of the quarter.

Fallbrook increased its lead to 29-25 at halftime. Warrior center Sandy Steven paced the attack with 11 first-half points.

Jann scored nine third quarter points to help Fallbrook take a 43-38 lead into the final quarter. Santana fought back with field goals by Chris Ellis and Shari Johnson and two free throws by Chris Sherman to take a 44-43 lead with 6:10 left.

But Jann hit a 20-footer to start a 12-0 Fallbrook rally that included four points by Nicole’s sophomore sister, Jennifer. Fallbrook was in control from that point.

Sherman led Santana with 20 points and Ferris added 13. Steven finished with 18 for Fallbrook.