Santa Fe’s Marissa De Leon (24) grabs the ball from El Rancho’s Griselda Yaber in Wednesday’s Del Rio League game. (Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)

By Eric Terrazas, SGVN
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SANTA FE SPRINGS – Santa Fe High School put together a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback for a 53-50 victory over El Rancho in a Del Rio League girls basketball thriller on Wednesday.

After visiting El Rancho took a 47-39 lead on Khadidja Diakite’s 3-pointer, the Chiefs scored 14 consecutive points. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Vivian Lara and Destiny Cardona started Santa Fe’s game-winning surge.

Marisa DeLeon tied the game at 47-47 with a jumper and followed with a key defensive rebound. That set the stage for Lara, who put the Chiefs ahead with consecutive layups.

Jasmine Ramos finished the Chiefs’ rally by making a pair of free throws.

El Rancho’s Sarah Gurrola closed the scoring by making a 3-pointert with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation. The Dons drew no closer, however.

Santa Fe kept its hopes for a league crown alive. In handing the Dons their first league loss the Chiefs (13-10 overall, 5-2 league) moved to within one game behind first-place El Rancho (20-4, 6-1).

Lara led the Chiefs with 19 points while DeLeon and Ramos added 13 and 10 points, respectively.