Morro Bay, Bonds End Orange Lutheran’s Season

Morro Bay’s Karena Bonds scored 30 points and had six steals as the top-seeded Pirates staved off a late Orange Lutheran rally and beat the host Lancers, 49-42, in a Division IV-AA quarterfinal game.

The Lancers, who started only one senior, led, 11-8, after the first quarter, but Bonds connected on a three-pointer with 5 minutes 19 seconds left in the second quarter to give Morro Bay (18-5) a 13-11 lead it never lost.

Orange Lutheran kept the pressure on, tying the score twice and drawing within one, at 19-18, when Ashley Amaral hit a jumper from the free-throw line just before the half.

But Bonds took over in the third quarter, scoring 11 points and helping the Pirates build a 10-point lead at 38-28 with 1:12 left in the quarter. The Lancers did get within four in the fourth quarter.

Bonds scored 19 of her 30 points in the second half.

“We were definitely prepared for them, but Bonds is a player’s player,” Orange Lutheran Coach Tony Matson said. “We threw a lot of people at her, but had our hands full trying to contain her.”