Eagles Hang On, Advance

Santa Margarita got three three-point baskets in the fourth quarter from Kim Bloomgren and made seven of 10 free throws in the final 71 seconds to beat El Modena, 49-42, in the first round of the Southern Section Division II-AA girls’ basketball playoffs Thursday.

Though the Eagles (20-7) built a 12-point lead, the Serra League champion had trouble putting away El Modena (11-14), an at-large entry from the Century League, because of Lindsey Galasso.

Galasso, a 5-foot-5 senior guard, carried El Modena with six three-point baskets, finishing with a game-high 22 points. She had four three-pointers in the first quarter, two in the fourth.

“It was frustrating [watching Galasso],” said Bloomgren. “We didn’t play very well in the first half. Once we realized where she was, we shut her down.”

Galasso got only two shot attempts in the second quarter and three in the third.

Bloomgren wasn’t the only one frustrated. El Modena went 17 minutes 35 seconds without a field goal before Galasso buried a three-pointer with 6:10 left in the game.

The Vanguards missed 23 consecutive shots in that span, watching their 17-13 lead dissipate into a 35-23 deficit.

Because El Modena made six of 17 field goals in the fourth quarter, it finished 12 of 50 from the field. Shooting wasn’t the Vanguards only problem. Outrebounded, 43-27, El Modena didn’t get its first offensive rebound until midway in the third quarter, and Norrelle Dickson--who averages 13 points, same as Galasso--was held to one field goal and eight points.

Galasso scored 10 in a 15-4 run that closed El Modena’s deficit to 42-38 with 1:26 remaining, but Kristin Lynch made five of six free throws and Megan Moen made two.

El Modena, giving away several inches at every position, couldn’t match Santa Margarita in the paint. Moen, a 6-foot junior, had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Garland Cooper, a 5-11 sophomore, had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Lynch had nine points, five in the closing seconds.

Santa Margarita will play Wednesday against the winner of Saturday’s Burbank Burroughs-Moorpark game.

In Division II-AA:

Pacifica 59, Los Altos 31--Sarah Leathers had five steals and 15 points for Pacifica.

In Division I-AAA:

Los Alamitos 60, Diamond Bar 46--Stephanie Duda had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Griffins (13-14). Los Alamitos plays Long Beach Wilson, a 60-42 winner over Saddleback, on Saturday.

In Division II-A:

La Habra 48, Ocean View 46--Desiree Romo made two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to lift La Habra (18-9).

In Division III-AA:

Corona del Mar 68, Ganesha 48--Andrea Gruber had 13 points and Carrie Hawkins and Jackie McCoy had 12 points each for the Sea Kings (14-12), who play La Canada in the second round.

Costa Mesa 59, South El Monte 34--Leigh Marshall scored 14 points to lead Costa Mesa (16-12), which plays the Inglewood Morningside-South Pasadena winner.

Estancia 56, Riverside King 55--Xochitl Byfield, who scored 17 points, made a free throw with 45 seconds for Estancia (16-10).

Rosary 66, Bassett 38--Jenise Karcher scored 13 for Rosary.

In Division V-A:

Liberty Christian 57, Pico Rivera Mesrobian 30--Reece Raia made 11 of 16 field goals and scored 18 of her 26 points in the second half. The Minutemen (17-6) play at top-seeded L.A. Pilgrim Saturday.

In a Division V-AA wild-card game:

Brethren Christian 48, Fairmont 30--Heather Spowart had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Sarah Amberry 13 points and 11 rebounds and Rachel Jones 10 points for Brethren Christian (17-9).