Rancho Santiago Makes a Game of It With One

Rancho Santiago’s Tanya Whitlock faced an amazing dilemma with 38 seconds left in overtime of the Dons’ Southern California playoff game against visiting Pasadena.

She had no one to inbound the ball to because five teammates had fouled out and another was injured and couldn’t play.

Whitlock did the only thing she could, throwing the ball toward midcourt where a Pasadena player grabbed it and ran out the clock to complete a 75-74 upset.

At one point in overtime, Rancho Santiago was down to three players but went on a stunning 6-0 run.

Shalena Turner scored on a short jumper to cut the Pasadena lead to 72-70 with 1:48 left and Rancho Santiago tied it, 72-72, with 1:21 left when Carmela Zavala drove in for a basket.

After a missed free throw by Pasadena’s Desiree Benson, Zavala drove in and was fouled.

She made both free throws and the Dons led, 74-72, with 58 seconds left.

Pasadena turned it over on the next possession but Rancho Santiago did the same with 44 seconds left.

Rancho Santiago slipped to two players when Zavala fouled out with 38 seconds left. Pasadena’s Daisy Villa made one of two free throws at that point, then got her own rebound and was fouled with 37 seconds left by Turner, who also was eliminated.

Villa made two free throws to put Pasadena ahead, 75-74.

“You almost witnessed a miracle,” Saddleback Coach Jack Single said. “The sad thing is that we should have won the ball game. The girls showed a lot of heart and didn’t quit.”

Rancho Santiago was 10th-seeded, but needed a 24-10 run in about the last 10 minutes to force overtime against No. 23 Pasadena (12-13).

Whitlock made a three-pointer with 15 seconds left in regulation to tie it, 66-66.

Rancho Santiago had already lost starting center Pauline McGee (19 points, nine rebounds), who fouled out with 2:56 left in regulation. Erica Beltran hurt her knee in a scramble for a loose ball with 46 seconds left and Rancho Santiago was down to five players.

Antoinette Thompson (27 points) fouled out with 4:20 left in overtime and Becky Salvatierra got her fifth foul with 2:04 left to leave Rancho Santiago with three players remaining.

In other women’s games:

Cypress 59, San Diego Mesa 50--Holly Pawlowski scored a game-high 24 points and Linda Rodriguez added 19 points and 13 rebounds for Cypress (22-8), which led, 30-18, at halftime. The No. 12 Chargers advance to play at No. 5 Cuesta (25-6) Wednesday.

Orange Coast 93, Grossmont 48--Orange Coast (20-10) had four players score in double figures, with Dianne Pulido leading the way with a game-high 25 points. Traci Nakamura had 18 points, Saki Takemoto added 16 and Arlyn Rambayon had 13 for the No. 13 Pirates, which play at No. 4 Victor Valley (24-6) Wednesday.

In men’s games:

Irvine Valley 76, Glendale 62--Daryl Todd scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, seven offensive, to lead No. 4 Irvine Valley (26-7) in the first round. Brandon Hearvey scored 17 and accounted for 13 rebounds for Lasers. J.C. Timmons collected 12 rebounds, the third of three to finish in double-digits for the Lasers. Irvine Valley will host No. 13 Southwestern (22-11) Wednesday in the second round.