Louisville Moves Into Girls 3-A Semifinals

Normally a scoring machine, Louisville High sputtered more in the first half at Crespi than an old car badly in need of a tune-up.

But in the second half the Royals went into overdrive, and it was Cruz control from there.

The Royals outscored Mission Viejo by 25 points in that second half to win a girls Southern Section 3-A basketball quarterfinal Saturday night, 69-49.

Marianella Cruz, a 5-10 senior guard for the Royals, scored 17, pulled down eight rebounds and had six assists.

Trailing, 31-26, at halftime, Louisville hit nine consecutive shots in the second half to outscore Mission Viejo, 18-5, and take a 44-36 lead.

During the outburst, Cruz was 4 for 4, all from long range.

“She took one from Sherman Oaks,” Louisville Coach Brian O’Hara said. “But when she gets on a roll, we let her do what she wants.”

“In the second half they blew the nets off the basket,” said Mission Viejo Coach John Hattrup. “Their outside shooting in the third quarter changed the whole outlook of the game.”

Louisville, which won its 21st game in a row, was 18 for 31 in the second half, including an 11-for-16 third quarter. It earned the Royals (25-4) a Tuesday semifinal against Foothill, which defeated Katella, 60-37.

Royals center Andrea Knapp led all scorers with 22 and was high in rebounds with 10. Maria Wlson scored 16 and grabbed eight rebounds. Knapp’s performance was no surprise to O’Hara.

“She’s been doing it all year,” he said. “She’s the best center in the Valley.”

Knapp, along with the rest of her teammates, struggled in the first half, however, when Mission Viejo (24-4) used a tenacious full-court press that forced 10 turnovers. The Diablos’ fast break also controlled the tempo.

“We were supposed to be running a zone in the first half,” O’Hara said, “but everyone was out to lunch.”

Junior Christie Wile paced Mission Viejo with 12 points in the first half but was held to just two points in the second.

The Diablos led, 14-7, with two minutes left in the first quarter and looked to be on the verge of routing the confused Royals. Mission Viejo had also out-rebounded Louisville, 8-1, in that time.

Cruz wouldn’t let the Louisville season end without a fight, and told the Royals just that at halftime.

“I was kind of worried in the first half,” she said. “I just told them that we had to hustle.”