CIF-SS Girls Basketball Playoffs: St. Paul holds off Notre Dame Academy to advance to semifinals; El Rancho, Sonora ousted

St. Paul’s Clarissa Perez shoots over a Notre Dame Academy defender during Wednesday’s Division 4A quarterfinal. (Photo by Shilah Montiel)

St. Paul’s Clarissa Perez shoots over a Notre Dame Academy defender during Wednesday’s Division 4A quarterfinal. (Photo by Shilah Montiel)

By Stephen Ramirez

SANTA FE SPRINGS — The St. Paul and Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary high school girls basketball teams opened the CIF-Southern Section playoffs knowing that if they took care of business they could meet in a mammoth Division 4A semifinal.
The No. 2 seed Swordsmen did their part Wednesday.
Clarissa Perez scored a career-high 30 points and St. Paul advanced to the division final four with a 64-52 victory over Notre Dame Academy, of Los Angeles, in the quarterfinals.
Cantwell, the No. 3 seed, gets its chance Thursday night when it hosts Armenian General Benevolent Union, of Canoga Park, at 7 p.m.
Adrianna Gonzalez also had 17 points for the Swordsmen, who improved to 19-13. Stephanie Umeh had 14 points and Kendall Chan 12 for the Regals, who slipped to 16-13.
St. Paul, after leading by 16 points at halftime, look like it might let this one slip through its fingers after Notre Dame put on a 13-1 blitz to pull with 38-34 late in the third quarter. Umeh then followed a 3-pointer by Chan with a drive and layup to get it to 50-48 with 4:51 left.
Then the Swordsmen’s defense took over. Gonzalez drove the baseline for a 52-48 lead before St. Paul forced three consecutive turnovers, which led to three straight layups, including two by Perez to push it to 58-50 with 2:30 remaining.


St. Paul’s Clarissa Perez: “It’s nice to go to the semifinals. It’s good for our team, good for our tradition, it’s good for our school. Everyone is excited and ready to go. Everyone is on the same page, which is all we can ask.”
DIVISION 1A
VALLEY VIEW 72, EL RANCHO 35

Crystal Rodriguez scored 17 points and Sarah Gurrola had 13 for the Dons, who finished 20-11.
OTHER SCORE
DIVISION 3AA

Corona del Mar 57, Sonora 47
The Raiders

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