SPORTS BRIEFS

Calipatria boys claim Desert League crown

BLYTHE — Playing on the road on Friday, the Calipatria Hornets managed to scratch out a slim 61-57 win over the Palo Verde Yellowjackets to claim their first Desert League title since 2015.

The Hornets’ win gives them a 1710 overall record and a 5-1 league mark, one game ahead of rival Holtville.

That Calipatria had to go through Palo Verde to claim their crown is appropriate, and not simply by virtue of the fact that they both represent stinging insects. The ’Jackets notably played 5-1 to the Hornets’ 4-2 in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

As sole possessor of first place in the Desert League, the Hornets will very likely receive a home game in next week’s CIF-SDS Division IV playoffs. The brackets for which will be revealed at noon today. (regular) season by 38 points, 72-34 over Mountain Empire on Friday.

But those two blowouts alone would not sate the Lady Scots’ appetite for roundball conquest, which is why they won every game in between, too.

Vincent finishes the regular season undefeated at 23-0. They’re the only team in the entire San Diego Section to make it through their schedule unscathed.

Their success has been largely down to a steady diet of steals (23.1 per game) and Alexandria Swift (21.1 points per game), a combination no Division V foe has been able to tackle.

There might be one that can, however. Calexico-sized Hoover High (25-3) is the top-ranked team in D-V (Vincent is No. 2) and would represent a meaningful test should the two meet in the playoffs (as probability suggests they will), which begin next week.

Calexico girls cap perfect IVL season vs. Southwest

lead the way, with numerous trips to the charity stripe buoying that total. Viviana Cuadras had nine points, and Cecilia Costa had eight.

Costa’s point total was actually lower than her steal total. She had nine swipes as the Bulldogs leaned heavily into a “defense is the best offense” philosophy in their attempts to ground the Eagles.

Macias and Cuadras chipped in with five steals each.

Now 18-8 and 6-0 in IVL play, the Bulldogs will look to make a run in the CIF-SDS Division II playoffs. It’s sure to be a gnarly field, but they’ll at least get the advantage of a home game in round one thanks to their league title and decent power-ranking. Their opponent will be announced with the rest of the playoff brackets at noon today.

Lady Tigers extend imperium vs. Holtville

IMPERIAL — The Imperial girls’ basketball team’s unbroken string of Desert League conquests … remains unbroken. Facing a 20-win Holtville squad that’s been out for blood all year, the Tigers simply did what they do, winning at all the margins until their 11-7 first quarter lead had blossomed into a 53-36 W.

Senior center Abby Ormand led the Tigers with 15 points and 13 rebounds — six of which came on the offensive glass — and three blocks. Both her point and rebound totals were season highs, giving her a nice sendoff in her last regular season game.

Star guard Monique Carrasco was quiet by her standards, but still chipped in with 14 points, five assists and five steals. Freshman forward Sierra Morris narrowly missed another double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

For Holtville, junior Abby Garewal had 10 points and 14 rebounds, while freshman Kamryn Walker had 10 points, seven rebounds and six steals.

Imperial wraps up the regular season on a 16-game winning streak and with an overall record of 21-7 (6-0 Desert). They’re waiting to see who they’ll play in round one of the CIFSDS Division I playoffs.

Holtville (20-7, 4-2) will competing in the Division III bracket.

Other results:

Feb. 13

Brawley girls (12-16, 3-3 IVL) def. Central (3-24, 0-6 IVL), 45-31

Holtville boys (13-9, 4-2 Desert) def. Imperial (4-20, 0-6 Desert), 6545

Palo Verde girls (4-19, 2-4 Desert) def. Calipatria (4-21, 0-6 Desert), 56-26

—Aaron Bodus, abodus@ivpressonline.

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