By Fred J. Robledo
Bonita High School hasn’t had a good track record in championship games, losing divisional finals in baseball last spring, football in the fall, and girls water polo last week.
You can add the girls basketball team to that list too.
Bonita’s first trip to a CIF-Southern Section Divisional girls basketball final ended with a 59-42 loss to Orange Lutheran in Wednesday’s Division 3A final at the Anaheim Arena Convention Center, marred by foul trouble to Bearcats freshman sensation Nikki Wheatley, and despite a huge effort from Loyola Marymount-bound senior Taylor Anderson, who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. (To continue click thread)

I know it was a loss, but Tom’s wrap-up was great, check it out….

When Bonita beat Orange Lutheran 59-53 in the Nike Tournament of
Champions in Arizona in December, Lutheran didn’t have senior guard Natalie
Luzar for most of the game because of an injury.
She was the difference-maker this time.
Luzar finished with a game-high 23 points as Lutheran (25-6) avenged
its earlier loss to Bonita (28-3) in front of 3,986 fans.
Luzar didn’t waste any time either, helping Lutheran to a 16-8
first-quarter lead by hitting four-of-eight shots, which included two
3-pointers to set the tone.
“She made some unbelievable 3-point shots and some of those she was
far out,” Bonita coach Darren Baumunk said of Luzar. “You can tell they were
looking to get her going.”
After falling behind by nine points, the Bearcats started chipping
away, getting a 3-pointer from Madison Zylstra, a driving bucket from
Wheatley and 3-pointer from Anderson that trimmed the Lancers’ lead to 20-18,
and they trailed just 24-21 at half thanks to Anderson’s 10 points and seven
first-half rebounds.
Wheatley, who scored 26 points in the Bearcats’ semifinal win over
Bishop Amat, scored just two points and sat on the bench for much of the
opening half with three fouls. She finished with 11 points and two assists.
After Anderson’s putback and Wheatley’s free throw, Bonita tied the
game at 28-28 midway through the third quarter, but Sydney Jacobs (12 points on five-for-five shooting) put the Lancers back in front with a 3-pointer followed by a Luzar steal and bucket to extend the lead back to 33-28.
With Anderson picking up her third foul late in the third, Wheatley
picked up her fourth foul on Luzar’s 3-point bucket, which she converted at
the line for a four-point play to push the Lancers ahead 41-34. Then Abbey
Goodsell hit a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, giving the Lancers
their largest lead, 44-34 heading into the final eight minutes.
It snowballed from there, Luzar hitting another 3-pointer dagger in the fourth to extend it to 49-36 with 5:22 left.
“We weathered the storm early on and got it to three points at half,” Baumnuk said. “But they got a four-point play in the third (quarter) and that was tough. Both of those two girls (Anderson and Wheatley) picked up fouls early and it kind of hurt us. We couldn’t play as aggressive defensively as we would have liked, but give them credit, they played good and we knew we would have to play a good game, especially with Luzar tonight.”
Bonita will likely earn an invite to next week’s state playoffs, but
getting over a championship loss may take a while.
“I know these girls are upset,” Baumunk said. “It’s their first time
in the finals and a step in the right direction. Last year we got to the
semis and this time the finals. Maybe soon it will be our turn.”

fred.robledo@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, ext. 2161