Controversy Accompanies Diamond Ranch’s Miracle

Miracle finishes don’t come along very often, but Pomona Diamond Ranch can thank just such a finish for getting it into the Southern Section Division III-AA semifinals for the first time.

After falling behind, 51-50, on a three-point basket by La Puente Bishop Amat’s Jessica Carrera with less than a second left in the quarterfinal game on Wednesday, Diamond Ranch experienced the finish of the season.

With 0.8 seconds left on the game clock and the ball being inbounded from the other end of the court, Diamond Ranch’s Alysha White caught an inbounds pass near the three-point line, dribbled twice toward midcourt and launched a shot. She made the basket for a 53-51 victory, setting off a wild celebration in front of the hometown fans and some disbelieving Bishop Amat coaches and players.

The videotape replay, viewed by The Times, showed that from the time of White’s first touch to the time the buzzer sounded was no less than 1.6 seconds--at that point the ball was about hip-high--and no less than 1.7 seconds until the time she released the ball.

Although the tape does not conclusively show one of the two officials waving off the basket, as contended by Bishop Amat Coach Richard Wiard, it does show a second referee walking to center court and, 6.5 seconds after the ball went off the backboard and through the hoop, signaling that the basket counted.

The next day, after receiving conflicting information about who won the game, the Southern Section office spoke to both officials, who agreed the basket was good.

“Everyone is very confident with the decision, the officials and, by extension, the CIF Southern Section office,” said section spokesman Thom Simmons. “By CIF rules, in the playoffs, we can’t review the videotape.”

Wiard, who admitted that Diamond Ranch outplayed his second-seeded team, said, “My frustration is that the adults had an opportunity to make it right. We try to teach the kids to do the right thing, even when it’s unpopular and hurts.”

At least Wiard maintained some perspective. “I told my kids there are far greater tragedies in the world than losing a high school basketball game.”

Apple Valley defeated Diamond Ranch in the semifinals on Saturday, 60-35.

She owns Brea: Krissy Duperron, the coach at North Torrance, did something Saturday in her first season of coaching that her father and predecessor, Gary, never did in his seven seasons.

She beat Brea Olinda.

Duperron, a 1997 graduate of Irvine Woodbridge, was on Warrior teams that twice defeated Brea in the Southern California Regional finals. She has never lost to Brea.

“I was really lucky in high school playing for [Eric] Bangs and the team we had there, and I have a great opportunity to coach the team I have here,” Duperron said.

Though Julia Pitts may be North’s star, Staci Kaneshiro’s three-point basket with four minutes remaining put the Saxons ahead to stay. Traci Elliott then made six free throws and Danielle Pitman made a steal with 14 seconds left in the 43-40 Division II-A semifinal victory.

It’s the first time Brea has not appeared in a Southern Section championship game since 1988, a span of 13 years that included 12 section titles.

Overwhelmed: Alhambra Keppel had one of the best records in the Southern Section at 24-3, but after its 66-57 loss to Ventura in a quarterfinal, Coach Richard Marquis would have traded a few victories for a few tougher opponents on the schedule.

“They’re not veterans of this type of competition by any means,” Marquis said of his team, which had gone nearly two months without playing a formidable playoff-caliber opponent. “The kids didn’t lack effort, but lacked tough game experience.”

Keppel was trying to reach the semifinals for the first time in school history.

Staying alive: Orange Lutheran and Santa Ana Calvary Chapel completed their last seasons in the Olympic League and will join public school leagues in 2002-03.

Orange Lutheran faces top-seeded Playa del Rey St. Bernard tonight in a Division IV-AA semifinal. In the other semifinal, Calvary Chapel plays Santa Fe Springs St. Paul.