Pacifica’s Guards Prove It Takes Two to Tangle

Their coach says they’re exact opposites, but they’re not so sure.

Often they’re best friends, but sometimes they can barely look at each other. And other times, they’re not sure where they stand.

Today, Dominique Valencia and Diana Barreras, the talented backcourt tandem at Pacifica High, will stand in the Pyramid at Long Beach State, where the Mariners will meet Laguna Hills in the Southern Section Division II-A title game at 1 p.m.

As easily as they can give each other headaches, the teammates can give opposing teams migraines.

They’re a quick, agile pair. Valencia, 5 feet 7, and the 5-3 Barreras combined to average 10 steals and 38 points a game this season for the unseeded Mariners, who had never before advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

They’re the two most athletic players on the team, Pacifica Coach Garth Anderson says, and that may cause them to clash.

“They both want to be the best and they both want to go about it in different ways,” Anderson said. “Diana wants to lead by being tough and hard, and Dominique wants to do it by playing her game and forgetting about the bad things like turnovers and bad passes.”

Four years together at Pacifica has created some common ground.

“We have a couple of common goals,” Valencia said. “To win and be the best out there.”

Said Barreras: “I could be mad at Dom before a game, but on the court, it’s all about the game.”

During this Cinderella season for Pacifica (22-7), they’ve made it work between the buzzers.

“I’ll pit them against each other in practice so they get the best out of each other on a day-to-day basis,” Anderson said. “I just see the fire in both of their eyes and they’re ready to roll.”

Barreras, a point guard, was a second-team All-Southern Section Division II selection last year and has been the Garden Grove League MVP the last two seasons.

She’s the fiery one. During last week’s semifinal game, the Artesia team ran through Pacifica’s warmup line and someone knocked a ball out of Barreras’ hands.

Barreras said this “uncalled-for” act demanded retaliation, so she ran through Artesia’s warmup line, then ran through Artesia’s defenders for 16 points and 10 assists.

“Diana is ultra-competitive,” Anderson said. “Anyone who challenges her brings out her best.”

Valencia hasn’t received the attention paid to Barreras, but she has stepped up in the postseason. She led the Mariners with 20 points in the 63-55 victory over Artesia.

“She’s the exact opposite of Diana,” Anderson said. “Where Diana would probably be able to compete on any boys’ team because she’s so physical, Dominique is much softer in her approach to sports and competition. She laughs all the time and is always smiling.”

Sometimes she might be a little too lighthearted on the court.

“It’s funny as a coach when you can tell her what to do . . . and she’ll ask you what you told her 10 seconds later,” Anderson said. “Somehow she still gets the job done, and does it very well.”

Their different approaches to a similar on-court work ethic can strain their relationship.

“I guess we kind of are opposites, but when we’re out there it’s just a natural thing,” Valencia said. “Because of our different personalities, sometimes we don’t get along.

“It’s hard for two people to be the best at the same time. That’s the kind of people we are, very competitive. It’s kind of odd how we work it out on the court.”

Said Barreras: “We have become better friends. I don’t know if we really clash, but we’ve never had problems we couldn’t handle. I really like playing with Dom.”