From left, seniors Priscilla Hidalgo, Holly Shafer and Cassidy Carrillo have played major roles in St. Paul’s drive to Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section championship game. (Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)

By Eric Terrazas, Staff Writer
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The St. Paul High School girls basketball team is headed for its first CIF-Southern Section divisional championship game since 2005 and a big reason for the team’s rise is the senior trio of Priscilla Hidalgo, Holly Shafer and Cassidy Carrillo.

The Swordsmen were making their fourth consecutive appearance in the semifinals Saturday against St. Bonaventure. With a finals berth on the line, Hidalgo scored the winning layup with 0.3 seconds remaining to give St. Paul a 41-39 victory.

Hidalgo, Shafer and Carrillo and their teammates are gearing up for Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 4A championship game against St. Monica. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Mater Dei High School.

“It’s exciting,” said Hidalgo, a guard. “It’s a great opportunity to be in a game like this.”

Carrillo, who plays forward, said, “It’s a great feeling to get past the semifinals.”

Shafer, a forward, added, “We’re excited but we’re staying humble. We are still working hard.”

The three seniors have each played vital roles in the Swordsmen’s drive to the Camino Real League crown and the Division 4A final. Hidalgo has averaged about 12 points per game while Carrillo and Shafer have respectively scored about nine and 10 points per contest.

St. Paul coach Robert Miller said the trio provides leadership and experience.