Rodriguez Tries to Make Valley Into Monarchy

Maricela Rodriguez quickly ties her shoelaces and talks of “a sense of urgency” among players on the Valley College women’s basketball team.

The sound of basketballs pounding against hardwood reverberates throughout the adjacent gym. As she speaks, Rodriguez glances repeatedly through a doorway, keeping a watchful eye on her teammates.

Rodriguez, Valley’s leading scorer for two seasons, doesn’t want to be away long. She’s on too much of a roll.

“I guess everybody’s fired up right now,” Rodriguez said. “I know I just feel really intense about it all.”

Indeed, it is now or never for the surging Monarchs, who will continue their uphill climb today in the opening round of the state tournament against top-seeded Sierra (33-1) at 4 p.m. at Concordia University in Irvine.

Valley (23-13) is a big underdog in the eight-team tournament that concludes with the state final Saturday at UC Irvine. The Monarchs are seeded last, having struggled to a fourth-place finish in the Western State Conference South Division.

Valley was not ranked among the state’s top 20 teams entering the playoffs and was ranked 13th in Southern California.

Yet, optimism has run high since Rodriguez’s health began to improve. Not coincidentally, so did the team’s performance.

Six weeks ago, Rodriguez was playing ill with a lingering stomach infection and Valley was ailing with a 3-5 conference mark after a two-point loss to Canyons.

Six consecutive victories--and a dose of antibiotics for Rodriguez--were just what the doctor ordered.

“I didn’t know what it was for a while,” Rodriguez said. “I thought it was the flu but it [lasted] about three or four weeks. When I began to feel better, it was the second round of conference. I thought, ‘If we don’t start winning now. . . .’ ”

Rodriguez, a versatile 5-foot-10 forward from Lincoln High, averages 15 points and eight rebounds a game, close to her season averages a year ago. But she has improved on those numbers in times of need.

Rodriguez had 26 points and eight rebounds Saturday in an 88-73 victory over fifth-seeded San Diego Mesa in a Southern Regional final. Rodriguez scored a career-high 29 points in an 87-72 first-round victory over Chaffey.

During the winning streak, Rodriguez has averaged 23 points and eight rebounds. During the playoffs, Valley has defeated three teams with a combined 69 victories, including two conference champions.

“I don’t think anyone is playing as well as us right now,” Coach John Taylor of Valley said. “And Mari has been leading by example. I think we can beat anyone. A lot of people might be looking past us.”

Valley not only has its sights set on reaching the championship game, the Monarchs even have a favored opponent: WSC rival Ventura, which opens against Merritt at 8 tonight, also at Concordia.

Ventura (30-3) ranked third in the state, defeated Valley, 74-73, last year in a controversial Southern California Regional in which an error by the timekeeper at Ventura allowed the Pirates to make the winning free throws in the final seconds.

With nine seconds to play, Rodriguez made a basket to give Valley a 73-72 lead. Ventura inbounded the ball, moved the length of the court and missed a shot, with Rodriguez grabbing the rebound.

However, the clock did not start when Ventura inbounded the ball. After heated debate, officials placed six seconds on the clock.

Valley protested vehemently, with Taylor claiming videotape of the incident clearly confirmed that time expired on Ventura. The protest was denied.

Rodriguez is among five remaining Valley players who played in the game. The issue isn’t forgotten, despite Ventura’s 73-55 WSC victory over Valley in January in which an ailing Rodriguez was held to seven points.

“We should have won [last year] and everybody knows it,” said guard Porsche McAllister, who averages a state-best 9.1 assists per game. “If the timekeeper had only kept the time right.”

Rodriguez recalls how after the game she reviewed videotape of the final seconds well into the night. The episode only adds fuel to her fire. But another game against Ventura will materialize only if both teams reach the final.

“We felt cheated,” Rodriguez said. “And very disappointed. It still stings.”