El Dorado Knocks Off Third-Seeded Ventura

Twenty-five years after winning its only girls’ basketball title, El Dorado pulled off one of its biggest upsets in recent memory.

Playing in front of a raucous home crowd in their most emotional game of the season, the Golden Hawks shocked third-seeded Ventura, 66-64, in a Southern Section Division I-A quarterfinal on Wednesday.

El Dorado withstood a 29-point fourth quarter by Ventura that wiped out a 10-point lead but won by making five of six free throws in the final 78 seconds and scoring on a full-court pass by Carly Wade.

“We started practicing it right before [the playoffs],” said sophomore Allison Wulff, who started in the near court, then bolted toward her basket as Wade threw the pass. Wulff scored, giving El Dorado a 63-58 margin with 32 seconds left. With three seconds remaining, Wulff buried Ventura with two free throws. She scored six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Golden Hawks, 70% shooters from the free-throw line, made 14 of 17.

Wade added a free-throw with 17 seconds remaining for a 64-58 lead, but Ventura’s Katie O’Brien connected on two three-point baskets in the final nine seconds, including a 30-footer at the buzzer.

El Dorado (24-5) plays Troy Saturday in its first semifinal appearance since 1998. But back then, El Dorado Coach Wayne Carlson said, “we expected to make it.”

That wasn’t the case this time.

Three losses by Ventura (21-6) were to its rival, top-seeded Ventura Buena. The Cougars’ 224 three-pointers coming into the game, and made a school-record 16 in its last game, a 71-61 victory over Huntington Beach.

The Cougars made 12 of 35 from the arc against El Dorado, only five of 19 in the first half. Going into the fourth quarter, Ventura trailed, 45-35, but rallied by making six of 12 from the arc.

O’Brien finished with 13 points, and Jenni Dooley had 18.

In other Division I-A games:

Troy 60, Perris 32--Veronica Johns-Richardson had 19 points, nine rebounds, eight steals and seven assists for second-seeded Troy (25-4). Amanda Livingston added 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals, and Alicia Komaki had 10 points and eight assists.

Woodbridge 64, Saugus 48--Lara Gray and Kelsi Sousa scored 23 apiece, and Woodbridge (28-0) will play Buena (27-0), a 70-49 winner over Antelope Valley. A coin flip will determine the home team.