SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 5-A GIRLS : El Toro Fails to Take Initiative; Ocean View Holds On for Victory

El Toro High School couldn’t help celebrating with four minutes to play in its Southern Section 5-A quarterfinal game at Ocean View.

Jennifer Sullivan, the Seahawks’ 6-3 center who had dominated the middle defensively, was on her way to the bench with her fifth personal foul, and El Toro trailed by only four points with plenty of time to make up the difference.

Except nobody seemed to want to make a difference for the Chargers.

El Toro turned the ball over four times down the stretch, hesitated to shoot on offense and generally failed to seize the day--or the game--while losing, 51-46.

Ocean View (26-2) will play top-seeded Buena, an 84-25 winner over Orange, in the semifinals Saturday. The Seahawks set a school record for victories, breaking the record of 25 set by last year’s team that lost to Ontario in the quarterfinals.

El Toro Coach Greg Yeck said his team failed to take advantage of Sullivan’s absence.

“I said ‘What are you celebrating for? There are still four minutes left in the ball game and all it means is (Sullivan’s) out. We’re still down by four.’ ” he said.

“Somebody had to step forward and somebody usually does.”

Except nobody did.

El Toro sagged off Ocean View’s perimeter shooters as if Sullivan were still in the post on defense, and Ocean View guards Erna Foronda and Alli Takido and forward Tracy Wolfe stepped up and took advantage of the soft defense, each hitting a basket.

El Toro got within two, 48-46 with 27 seconds to play, but Takido hit three of four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

El Toro’s defense held Sullivan to 2-of-10 shooting in the first half and she sat out the entire third quarter. But she scored seven fourth-quarter points to finish with a team-high 11 points. Fabiola Nunez added 10 points and Wolfe and Takido nine each.

Martin praised Foronda for her defense on Karie Yoshioka, El Toro’s point guard and top ball-handler, who scored nine points, eight below her average.

El Toro had its own foul trouble. The Chargers played most of the first half without Yoshioka. She picked up her third foul with about two minutes to play in the first quarter and sat the rest of the half.

Ocean View made the most of the opportunity with full-court pressure and a half-court trap that forced the Chargers to turn the ball over. The Seahawks opened their biggest lead, 24-17, at halftime.

Sullivan picked up her fourth foul six seconds into the second half and, with her out of the game, El Toro outscored Ocean View, 19-9, to take its biggest lead, 36-33, going into the fourth quarter.

Sara Bone, using a soft touch from outside and some solid post moves, led El Toro with 23 points and Danielle Silva added 14.

In another 5-A game:

Buena 84, Orange 25--Four girls scored in double figures for host Buena, which ran its record to 25-0. Center Nicole Champion scored 14 points for Orange (18-7).