St. Bernard Downs Calvary Chapel by 22

When Playa del Rey St. Bernard lost its Division V state final last season, Alexis Kendricks vowed in the postgame interview that the Vikings would return.

In the Southern Southern Division IV-A championship game Friday, Kendricks and her teammates played like they meant business.

Kendricks scored 33 points and top-seeded St. Bernard won its fourth section title in five years with a 70-48 victory over second-seeded Calvary Chapel, the only team to break that streak.

Kendricks, a 5-foot-6 junior guard, was virtually unstoppable. She made 12 of 20 shots, all seven free-throw attempts, had eight rebounds and four assists. She also made two three-point baskets.

“I love kids with talent,” said John Barney, Calvary Chapel’s first-year coach, “but even more, I love kids with desire.”

Kendricks clearly had both.

Calvary Chapel was trailing by only seven points (35-28) in the third quarter when Kendricks took over. She scored from 12 feet, she drove the lane, she rebounded her own miss, she buried a three-pointer. . .

Kendricks, who scored 13 in the first half, had 13 in the third.

But it wasn’t just Kendricks.

“They were bigger than us, a lot stronger, they jumped better than we did,” said Richeal Werdel, a junior forward who scored 10 for Calvary Chapel. “It was kind of frustrating.”

It wasn’t as frustrating as the section title game a year ago. Kendricks scored 16 in the first quarter as St. Bernard opened a 34-9 lead and cruised to an 82-52 victory.

“Last year, their press hurt us early and we never recovered,” Barney said. “I thought they were better this year than last year. We needed to get some defensive stops, but it was tough because [Kendricks] attacked the basket.”

Calvary Chapel led, 12-9, with less than two minutes left in the first quarter when St. Bernard reeled off 12 in a row as part of a 23-5 run.

“We would make a run, get within 10-12, but you’re facing a player having a game like that, and your kids act like it just doesn’t matter,” Barney said.

Calvary Chapel was making its fourth consecutive appearance in a section final. It was the third time that the Eagles played St. Bernard in a final. Calvary Chapel beat St. Bernard in the quarterfinals in 1999 en route to a berth in the section championship.

St. Bernard (19-11), trying to win its fourth state title and second in four years, also got 11 points from Shannon Clay, and seven from Brittany Howell. They outrebounded Calvary Chapel, 45-30, including a 26-16 advantage on the offensive end. The Eagles had only 10 offensive rebounds going into the fourth quarter.

Calvary Chapel is 21-9 and will advance into the Southern California Regional beginning Tuesday. Lindsey Richelli had a team-high 13 for Calvary Chapel and had eight rebounds. Erin John and Shayna Fabre had nine points apiece.