DIVISION III GIRLS : Costa Mesa Saved by DiCamilli

For three quarters, it appeared that the Olivia DiCamilli era in Costa Mesa girls’ basketball would end, but the Mustang senior wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.

Instead, DiCamilli threw in 15 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to help Costa Mesa to a 61-59 victory over Mission Hills Alemany in the Southern California Division III girls’ regional playoffs Tuesday night at Costa Mesa High.

Costa Mesa (28-4) advances to play San Diego University, a 61-52 winner over Lemoore, in the second round Thursday at a site to be determined.

Guided by sophomore Samantha Rigley, Alemany led, 47-35, early in the fourth quarter when DiCamilli went on a tear.

“I saw we were down and I knew I had to step it up big time,” DiCamilli said. “I started taking my shots. In the first half, we weren’t attacking their zone enough.”

DiCamilli scored a basket with 3 minutes 34 seconds left in the game, stole the ball and hit two free throws with 3:22 left to narrow the Costa Mesa deficit to one, 51-50. Rigley drove for a basket with 2:54 remaining to make it 53-50, but that was the last time Alemany led.

With 2:38 remaining, DiCamilli made two free throws, and she made a three-point play with 1:50 left for a 55-53 Costa Mesa lead. Kelly McKay took a Rigley pass for a basket to tie the score, 55-55, at the 1:27 mark.

DiCamilli and Heather Robinson scored to give Costa Mesa a 59-55 lead with 46 seconds left, but Rigley scored again at 24 seconds to cut the margin to two, 59-57.

DiCamilli then iced the game with 11 seconds left by making both ends of a one-and-one for a 61-57 lead. Kathy Brown’s made a shot at the buzzer for Alemany (25-6).

“She went at us and it didn’t matter,” Alemany Coach Melissa Hearlihy said. “Everything she did was right. They had seniors, and we had sophomores. When they put their press on, we couldn’t cope with it.”

DiCamilli also had 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Rigley led the Indians with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists.