DIVISION II GIRLS’ PLAYOFFS : Defense Shapes Title for El Cajon Valley

Tracy Willcox faced the media and recalled something her coach, Robert Holm, had told her and the rest of her El Cajon Valley teammates before stepping onto the Sports Arena floor.

“Coach said this was our moment in time,” Willcox said.

And so it was. El Cajon Valley defeated Carlsbad, 55-42, to win the Division II girls’ basketball championship Saturday.

The victory was the culmination of a 27-1 season during which El Cajon Valley overcame potentially devastating injuries that hindered Willcox (back) and sidelined guard Sara Mease (knee) for the season. Instead, the championship proved the Braves are unequaled among Division II schools in San Diego.

“These kids have worked hard and these kids are No. 1 in the county,” Holm said. “At the start of the season, I felt we had a chance to go undefeated. The only thing that could stop us would be injuries and illness, then we had it all.”

Beating Carlsbad (23-2) was a nice way for El Cajon Valley to stake its claim as the county’s top team in all divisions. Carlsbad’s only losses came to the Braves, who won the first meeting, 77-66.

“We played much better (man-to-man) defense (this game),” Holm said. “They didn’t get the ball to their leading scorer (Vanessa Nygaard). I don’t feel they ever got into their game.”

Nygaard still scored 16 points, but Carlsbad made only 31% of its shots (20 of 64), though it shot 50% in two previous playoff games. In addition, Carlsbad made only two of 17 free throws.

Holly Gerdes scored 13 for Carlsbad.

“They’re a really good team, but we wanted this so bad,” Willcox said. “Our defense was on. The enthusiasm, just the idea of being here, really helped us.”

The Braves’ defense hounded Carlsbad into 31 turnovers--at least seven in each quarter.

The Lancers had a 9-6 lead with 3:53 left in the first quarter, but El Cajon Valley put together two 10-2 runs, one through the end of the period and another to open the second quarter, making it 26-13. By halftime, it was 30-17, and the Braves’ moment in time was fast becoming a reality.

Instrumental in the champions’ fortunes was Monica Kraknes, who had eight second-quarter points en route to finishing with 18.

Willcox was also a key element. She scored six in the first quarter and finished with 12 points to go with her nine rebounds.

Willcox still is only 50% recovered from her injury, said Holm.

And the Braves were without Mease, a returning all-leaguer who averaged 15 points and seven assists per game, since the fifth game of the season.

This is the second year in a row El Cajon Valley defeated Carlsbad in the playoffs. El Cajon Valley beat the Lancers in the first round of last year’s playoffs.