El Toro Starts Slow, but Finishes Up Fast

The county’s leading scorer, El Toro’s Giuliana Mendiola, was not a factor for 31 of the first 32 minutes of the Chargers’ second-round playoff game Wednesday against Capistrano Valley.

However, down by nine points with a minute remaining in regulation, Giuliana Mendiola got on track, scoring 19 of her team’s final 29 points as El Toro scored a 78-68 double-overtime victory at Capistrano Valley.

The Chargers (26-2) advance to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I-AA playoffs Saturday; they will play top-seeded La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (24-2), a 78-49 winner over Bell Gardens.

Mendiola buried two three-point baskets and converted three free throws after her off-balance three-pointer missed with 17 seconds remaining to tie the score at 58. It wiped out what appeared to be a certain victory for Capistrano Valley (21-7).

“Those aren’t plays,” said El Toro Coach Vincent Avitable of Mendiola’s fall-away, seemingly off-balance baskets. “Did they not do a great job on Julie until the end?”

Yes they did. Mendiola had only 11 points up until Mary Anderson--who did most of the defense on Mendiola--converted two free throws for a 58-49 lead with 1:16 left to play.

Then, Mendiola made the Cougars disappear.

“I had to [take over],” Mendiola said. “I wasn’t playing to the best of my ability the first three quarters. I didn’t do it single-handedly.”

El Toro got double-digit scoring from four players, which Avitable said the Chargers have been doing over the past seven games. Suzanne Guy, with 12 points--including four points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter--came up big when it counted. And Amy Rikamaru scored six of her eight points in the overtime sessions..

Melanie Cherney (12 points) and Gioconda Mendiola (11 points) also scored in double figures. Combined, they were able to overcome Monique Mathews’ 28 points, Leah Wilde’s 13 and Natasha Combs’ 11.

El Toro trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter.

Avitable said before the game it was essential the Chargers match Capistrano Valley’s rebounding (they were outrebounded, 49-28) and wear down the Cougars with a game-long press.

With 4:06 remaining, El Toro trailed, 54-45.

Giuliana Mendiola scored five of El Toro’s seven points in the first overtime. Mathews sent the game to a second overtime by making two free throws with 7 seconds left to tie the score, 65-65.

In the second four-minute overtime, tied at 68, Mendiola made her fourth three-point basket, Colleen Hansen made a free throw, Rikamaru and Gioconda Mendiola converted two free throws apiece.

In other Division I-AA games:

Esperanza 59, Rialto Eisenhower 57--Esperanza led the entire game, but a 21-8 fourth-quarter run by Eisenhower tied the score, 57-57, with 23 seconds left. Kim Omer was then immediately fouled an she made both free throws, and Eisenhower couldn’t get off a shot in the closing seconds.

Leah Combs had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Omer scored 15, and Allison Gerber scored 14 for the fourth-seeded Aztecs (20-8), who will play Long Beach Wilson.

Mater Dei 55, Cerritos 52--Mater Dei outscored visiting Cerritos, 20-12, in the fourth quarter and upset the top-seeded Dons, who also are the fifth-ranked team in the state. Kyra Melville made seven of eight free throws in the final quarter, including four in the final minute.

Colon finished with 14 points, Melville had 13 and Pavlik 12 for the Monarchs (15-13), who play San Clemente next.

In Division I-A:

Marina 57, Thousand Oaks 35--Chanda McLeod scored 17 and had seven rebounds for host Marina (24-4). Natalie Nakase scored 14 points for Marina.

Thousand Oaks is 18-8. Marina next plays Alhambra Keppel.

Riverside North 48, Edison 43--Edison fell behind by five at halftime and was outscored by nine in the fourth quarter. The Chargers (21-7) cut the deficit to three with about three minutes to go.

San Clemente 60, North Torrance 47--Andrea Jacobs scored 14 points for visiting San Clemente. Taryn Commins and Kelley Kruger each had 12 points for the Tritons (25-4).

Simi Valley Royal 58, Westminster 53--Alicia Weber hit two three-pointers with three minutes left to lift Royal (25-3). Tara Moore and Holly Armstrong scored 14 points each for Westminster (23-6).

In Division II-AA:

Bellflower 51, Villa Park 49--Bellflower’s Antares Vice made a baseline jumper with 10 seconds remaining, and Villa Park missed a desperation shot at the buzzer.

The Spartans (19-6) rallied from seven points down with 3 1/2 minutes remaining to tie the score, 49-49. Missy Bynon led Villa Park with 20 points and five assists, Bianca Larson had 11 points and eight rebounds and Tiffany Wood had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Brea Olinda 71, Norco 44--Chelsea Trotter scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Lindsey Davidson added 13 points and five assists for top-seeded Brea Olinda (27-1), which will play El Dorado Saturday.

El Dorado 43, Cerritos Gahr 37--Stephanie Patten (24 points) was 12 of 16 from the free-throw line and had 10 rebounds as El Dorado won its 15th consecutive game. Gahr is 22-6.

Troy 55, Tustin 52--Heidi Hardeman had 16 points, six rebounds and five steals for third-seeded Troy, which next plays Bellflower. It is the first trip to the semifinals for the Warriors (27-2). Brook Brown scored 23 for Tustin (21-5).

In Division II-A:

Glendora St. Lucy’s 73, Sonora 46--Brandi Davis scored 23 points and Mindy Clark added eight for Sonora (18-8). Fourth-seeded St. Lucy’s is 19-10.

La Puente Bishop Amat 70, Valencia 42--Monika Jackley scored 18 points as Valencia (14-15) fell to top-seeded Bishop Amat (25-4).

In Division III-A:

Inglewood Morningside 49, Costa Mesa 34--Julie Collett scored seven points and Nancy Hatsushi added six for Costa Mesa (13-15).

In Division IV-A:

Brethren Christian 56, Burbank Bellarmine-Jefferson 31--Cindy Oparah scored 13 of her 20 points in the second quarter as host Brethren Christian outscored Bell-Jeff, 20-6, to take a 31-13 halftime lead.