ETIWANDA’S ‘D’ SHUTS DOWN TORREYS

La Jolla Country Day won the first meeting with Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda.

But the second meeting, with a berth in the State Open Division regional finals on the line, La Jolla Country Day went cold from the field.

On Saturday, Etiwanda managed to do just enough to dispatch the Torreys 47-42 in the LJCD gym.

With La Jolla Country Day having its 11-game winning streak halted, Etiwanda (30-3) will go the regional finals on Tuesday against No. 1 seed Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, a 59-47 winner over No. 4 Santa Ana Mater Dei.

La Jolla Country Day (29-4) is finished for the season.

“It was one of the worst shooting nights of the season,” Torreys coach Terri Bamford said. “They’re a very good defensive

Etiwanda 47,

La Jolla Country Day 42

team. It’s what they’re known for.”

Etiwanda, now 8-0 in away games, stayed with a zone defense that forced La Jolla Country Day to rely on outside shooting.

That took senior Breya Cunningham, last year’s San Diego Section player of the year, out of the main scoring role. Cunningham finished with nine points.

Junior Naomi Panganiban scored 12 points in the first half but just one point the rest of the way.

Senior Jada Williams scored eight first-half points, but the Eagles’ defense shut her out.

Holding a 35-29 lead halfway through the third quarter, the Torreys lost their offensive punch.

And Etiwanda went on a 13-2 run to take control of the momentum.

Ahead 42-37, the Eagles held on the rest of the way despite La Jolla Country Day’s final push cut the deficit to 42-41 on two baskets by Taj Roberts.

That was close as the Torreys got.

“We got up on them but then we stopped moving ball well enough,” Bamford said. “We should have gotten Breya some better looks.

“If we could do it again, we’d like to eliminate the turnovers to shoot better.”

La Jolla Country Day had 16 turnovers.

“We did a good job on defense,” Etiwanda coach Stan Delus said. “This game shows you why playing in the Open Division in California is the hardest division to win in the country.

“Against our man defense, they had openings, but against the zone we forced them to go over the top with our length.

“I thought this game went the way I thought it would the second time around.”

The Torreys edged Etiwanda 70-65 on a neutral court Jan. 28 when Cunningham, Williams and Sumayah Sugapong combined for 64 of the team’s 70 points.

This time, there wasn’t that much offense by either team.

This loss was the first setback at home for the San Diego Section champions.

La Jolla Country Day lost in the regional semifinals for the second straight year on its home court.

Panganiban topped the Torreys with 13 points followed by Roberts with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Etiwanda was led by Kennedy Smith and Majesty Cade, who both tossed in 10 points each. Neither team shot the ball well. Etiwanda was 17-for-46 from the field while La Jolla Country Day struggled to a 14-for-44 night shooting.