Alemany Ringing in the Playoffs

At the conclusion of the girls’ basketball season, Alemany High Coach Melissa Hearlihy may face surgery on her vocal chords, casualties of 13 years of yelling sideline instructions in packed gymnasiums.

In recent weeks, she has often been reduced to whispers, and once had to use a microphone just to be heard by her players at practice.

Her team, however, is putting together another playoff run to shout about.

Alemany, attempting to advance to a Southern Section final for the sixth time in seven seasons, defeated Barstow, 81-65, Wednesday night in a Division III-AA quarterfinal at Bell-Jeff High.

The top-seeded Indians (22-6) advance to the semifinals on Saturday when they will travel to play fourth-seeded Pomona.

Although Alemany is almost a regular at the Pyramid, site of the Southern Section girls’ final, no one on the current team has won a championship. The Indians captured titles in 1992 and ’94.

“That’s huge,” said All-Southern Section guard Kelli Kobayashi, a senior who lost to Irvine Woodbridge in the Division II-AA final in 1995 and to Muir last season in the III-AA championship.

“I’ve been to the finals twice and lost twice. I want to win one.”

Barstow (15-8) is only beginning to build a winning tradition.

Under first-year Coach Carolyn Norman, the Aztecs advanced beyond the opening round for the first time in school history.

“We went further than any Barstow team has ever gone,” said Norman, whose team defeated La Canada, 66-65, in the first round. “I don’t feel bad at all. I don’t think we were supposed to win this game.”

For about four minutes, it was Barstow that looked like the seasoned postseason team.

Junior guard Julie Danielles, No. 5 in San Bernardino County with a 22-point scoring average, scored seven of her 22 points in the first quarter, helping the Aztecs to a 15-6 lead.

Alemany closed the quarter with a 17-6 run to claim its first lead, 23-21.

Alemany guard Kate Beckler, a sophomore, scored 21 of her game-high 32 points in the first half, including 11 as the Indians outscored the Aztecs, 25-7, in the second quarter. Alemany led, 48-28, at the half.

Beckler scored 27 points in a 92-27 rout of South Hills in the first round.

Sophomore forward Alma Sandoval added a season-high 13 points and Kobayashi had seven points, six steals and five assists. Sophomore guard Amy Lowe contributed eight points.

Alemany overcame its sluggish start by using a full-court press to force 29 turnovers, many of which led to easy layups.

Ten Alemany players scored as Hearlihy was able to clear the bench in the fourth quarter.

“Our pressure finally kicked in a little bit,” said Hearlihy, who needs six victories to reach 300 in her career. “That’s something we’ve lived and died with all season.”

Barstow’s Amber Newton scored 18 points.

Sophomore forward Sequoia Williams had 12 points.