El Toro Scrambles to Win Berth in Final

El Toro earned its first girls’ basketball finals berth Tuesday when it edged Lynwood, 51-47, in a Division I-AA semifinal at Laguna Hills.

The Chargers (23-4) will meet defending champion Palos Verdes Peninsula at the Pyramid in Long Beach Friday or Saturday.

El Toro senior forward Amy Rikimaru, who played with four fouls most of the second half, broke a 47-47 tie with a 10-foot jumper in the lane with 26 seconds to play.

“It’s like everything was in slow motion,” Rikimaru said. “All of a sudden there was an opening in their defense. I dribbled to a spot and shot.”

Rikimaru got six of her eight points and three of her four rebounds in the fourth quarter. “She played the quarter of her life,” Charger Coach Vincent Avitabile said.

Lynwood, which trailed 24-23 at the half, had a chance to tie with 4.6 seconds as forward Wakisha Howard was fouled in the act of shooting. The Knights had shot free throws well all evening, going 17 of 24. But Howard missed both attempts.

El Toro’s Giuliana Mendiola, who led all scorers with 23 points, grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 2.2 seconds to play. She made both shots for the final points.

“Rebounding was the difference in the second half,” Mendiola said, pointing out that El Toro finished with a 19-13 advantage. “It has been our weakness all season. We knew we had to get the ball in the second half.”

Lynwood fell to 22-7.

El Toro’s victory was tempered by the loss of freshman guard Amy Shaw, who went down awkwardly on her right knee in the third quarter. “I twisted it and heard something pop,” Shaw said.

Avitabile said Shaw may have torn the anterior cruciate ligament. If so, her season is over.