Southern Section Basketball Playoffs : 3-A Girls : Atascadero Tops La Quinta After Jalewalia Fouls Out

La Quinta High School’s Amy Jalewalia fouled out of the game with 2 minutes remaining, and Atascadero pulled away for a 70-60 victory in a Southern Section 3-A girls’ basketball game Thursday at La Quinta.

“When she went out it was ours,” Atascadero Coach Jim Stecher said.

Atascadero will play Palm Desert on Saturday.

“It should have been ours earlier, but we didn’t take advantage of it,” Stecher said. “When she sat down with four (fouls with 3:34 left in the third quarter), we should have made a run. We should have been up by eight.”

Instead, La Quinta (23-4) pressed to force turnovers and was only down by three at the end of the third quarter.

But Atascadero (19-5) scored four consecutive points to open the final quarter and had difficulty even getting a good shot, which prompted La Quinta Coach Kevin Kiernan to put in Jalewalia with 7 minutes remaining.

Jalewalia, who was called for three fouls in a 50-second span early in the third quarter, played tentatively in her first few minutes upon returning to avoid getting a fifth foul.

But she led a run with her rebounding and defense that brought La Quinta to a 59-56 margin with 3 minutes left.

Jalewalia was called for her fifth foul a minute later with Atascadero leading, 62-58. She had 21 points. Atascadero pulled away with strong guard play.

“Our weakness was guards, we knew that all year,” Kiernan said. “We don’t have any seniors or a true point guard, what we have is a point-center (in Jalewalia).”

La Quinta was also without All-Garden Grove League guard Tanya Krill, who missed the game with the chicken pox.

Jalewalia’s 21 points led La Quinta, with Heather Brennan scoring 19.