Lady Eagles defend the nest against Palo Verde
EL CENTRO — Back in the CIFSDS playoffs for the second straight year under Coach Enrique Cervantes — after having been consigned to the sidelines for the previous three — the Southwest girls’ basketball team built on what has been a leap year for them (from seven wins to 17 and counting) by defeating the Yellowjackets of Palo Verde High Friday evening, 46-40, for their first playoff win since 2013.
The second-seeded Eagles entered the night as significant favorites over the 10-seed ‘Jackets — who took it on the chin more than a couple of times during the regular season and had dropped a Jan. 18 date against Southwest by 40 points — but they ended up having to really work for their supper.
The tail end of the regular season saw Palo Verde playing their best ball, and that carried into the postseason, where they knocked off Pioneer League champ Horizon Prep in the first round, 66-37.
They came out firing against the Eagles, moving the ball well and finding open shooters. They drilled three triples in the first quarter and another three in the second, and went into the half up 29-26 — more than a stone’s throw from the 24-8 deficit they faced in the Jan. 18 meeting.
But the Eagles, however dismayed they may have been to find Palo Verde alert and ambulatory, weren’t about to phone it in.
They played aggressive, ball-hawking defense, extending out to deny the Yellowjackets those choice looks from outside, and got to work exploiting their advantage in the post on the other end, getting solid production from Dianne Burke and Andrea Aguilar down low.
Aguilar, in particular, was a game-altering force, notching a 13-point, 17-rebound, 10-steal triple double.
There wasn’t a carom or errant pass she couldn’t snare, and there was no dribbling past her one-onone.
Southwest finally got out in front just before the end of the third, when Mia Samaniego took a heavily-guarded, “no-no-yes!” three-pointer, and canned it.
The Eagles wouldn’t trail again. Palo Verde never fully went away, but without their threes, they weren’t able to close the gap. (It didn’t help that they went one for seven from the line in the fourth-quarter.)
Anytime they threatened, Southwest had an answer. A Burke hook shot here, a Gisselle Chaney three there, and that’s a wrap. The Eagles move on to face the Liberty Charter Lions, who defeated Vincent Memorial Friday in a 3 versus 6 game.
Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Southwest gymnasium.