GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Pacifica Breaks Through, Edges Garden Grove

Pacifica girls’ basketball Coach Ryan Bettencourt wanted to use his team’s height to its advantage in the final minute Wednesday night against Garden Grove.

In the end, however, it was some clever playmaking on the perimeter that gave the Mariners a 37-35 Garden Grove League victory at Garden Grove High.

With the score tied, 35-35, and 33 seconds remaining, Bettencourt designed a play for the low post.

“We were trying to go into the post all game,” he said. “So I told them if they couldn’t get it inside, to swing the ball out and get it to a guard.”

The Argonaut defense forced seven passes and appeared to force Pacifica (8-12, 6-2) to take an outside shot. But Heather Green threw a bounce pass to a cutting Jaymee Pendergaft, who laid it in for the two-point advantage with nine seconds left.

It was the freshman guard’s first basket of the game.

“It was her first start in several games,” Bettencourt said. “She has been playing better lately, so I decided to start her tonight. Looks like that was a wise decision.”

Garden Grove (11-7, 7-1) had a chance to tie the score, but guard April Boose fumbled the ball at midcourt, and forced an off-balance shot that fell short at the buzzer.

The Mariners’ victory avenged a 46-42 home loss to the Argonauts on Jan. 6 and pulled the Mariners to within one game of first place.

In their first meeting, Garden Grove’s leading scorer, Gina Huizar, scored 18 points and the Argonauts went to the free throw line 33 times.

“We fouled them way too much last time,” Bettencourt said. “This time we shut out (Huizar).”

The Mariners held Huizar to two points on one-of-three shooting. Garden Grove went to line 14 times, making eight.

After trailing, 18-14, at halftime, Pacifica scored the first seven points of the third quarter and led until Sara Monsoor scored on a layup in the final minute to give Garden Grove a 29-27 lead. The Mariners led only once in the fourth quarter, 33-32, on two free throws by Amy Rummell with 2:20 left, before Pendergaft’s game-winning shot.

Rummell led all scorers with 11 points and Erin Kiyomura added 10 points, including three three-pointers.