HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Girls’ Division IV : Ibarra Family Sparkles; Holtville Breezes to Title

The winning legacy of the Ibarra sisters continues.

Senior Leticia Ibarra, junior Teresa Ibarra and sophomore Veronica Ibarra led the Holtville High girls’ basketball team to a 44-30 victory over Coronado in the Division IV San Diego Section final Thursday night at the Sports Arena.

The victory circle is nothing new for the Ibarra family. The three sisters--and cousin Maryanne Larios--all played on last year’s championship team, which also defeated Coronado in the final. The Vikings have appeared in the Section final four out of the past six years and have won it for the third consecutive time.

Leticia said she and her family are close, and this helps their performance on the court.

“We’re together so much, we understand each other. It helps us communicate and work together,” she said.

The communication was in sync against Coronado. Leticia and Larios led Holtville with 10 points apiece while Veronica Ibarra added six points. Teresa added two.

Holtville was trailing, 15-12, in the second quarter when Rosario Martinez stepped in and hit back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Vikings an 18-15 lead. The Islanders hit a free throw, but Holtville closed out the quarter with two baskets for a 22-16 halftime lead.

“The shots we took (in the first quarter) were good,” said Holtville Coach Mike Pacheco, “they just weren’t going in. Some of them started to fall after that.”

The Vikings used a combination of presses early in the third quarter to foil any kind of comeback by Coronado.

Holtville’s 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter gave the Vikings a 41-24 lead--their biggest of the game.