GIRLS’ DIV. I-AA BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Capistrano Valley Runs Out of Steam

Pressure defense times pressure defense equals two tired basketball teams.

Capistrano Valley and Lynwood barely had enough energy left to shake hands after Wednesday’s frantically paced Southern Section Division I-AA semifinal girls’ basketball game at Mission Viejo High School.

For Lynwood, however, it was a good kind of tired. The Knights held on long enough to defeat Capistrano Valley, 57-48, snapping the Cougars’ 24-game win streak.

Lynwood (26-1), the No. 2 seed, meets top-seeded Peninsula in the championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bren Center.

Both teams relied on their baseline-to-baseline defensive pressure to get to the semifinals, and both teams stayed with their strength on Wednesday. Lynwood took advantage of a slow Cougar start and held leads of 8-0 and 24-11 in the first half after Capistrano Valley committed 13 turnovers.

“I don’t think we were intimidated by them,” Capistrano Valley coach Harlan Peet said. “I think it was just our nerves from playing in the semifinals, and that hurt us at the start.”

Capistrano Valley made only six of 29 shots in the first half and trailed, 26-14, at halftime. But primarily on effort, the Cougars got back in the game with a strong third-quarter finish.

Lynwood opened a 37-21 lead with 3 minutes 16 seconds left in the third quarter, but Capistrano Valley went on a 10-2 run from there to close within 39-31.

Susan Scott scored six consecutive points in the run and Angie White added four, including a driving layup just before the buzzer. Consecutive baskets by Scott and Alisa Farr to start the fourth quarter had Capistrano Valley within 39-35 with 6:45 left.

Lynwood responded to Capistrano Valley’s charge by taking better care of the ball. The Knights committed 11 turnovers during the Cougars’ 14-2 run, but from there slowed down just enough to make sure of their passes.

Lynwood extended the lead to 43-35 with 4:09 left, and Capistrano Valley came no closer than six points the rest of the way. The Cougars hurt themselves with poor free throwing, missing six of eight attempts in the fourth quarter and making only eight of 20 for the game.

White led Capistrano Valley with 18 points, including 12 in the first half when she appeared to be the only Cougar unaffected by nerves. Scott finished with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.