The La Jolla Country Day (LJCD) School girls basketball team is headed back to its old stomping grounds: Sacramento.
LJCD (26-5) advanced to Friday’s (March 14) state championship game in Sacramento by winning the regional title last Saturday, in a 69-53 triumph over L.A. Marlborough. The regional crown follows both league and Division IV section titles for the Lady Torreys this season.
In the win over L.A. Marlborough, Dominique Conners led the way with 20 points, while Janae Fulcher added 17.
Chelsea Burns had 12 points in the game, but this paled in comparison to her defensive contribution to the team, according to LJCD head coach Terri Bamford. Burns played stifling defense on Rutgers University recruit Nikki Speed, holding her to just six points before she fouled out of the game.
The win avenged LJCD’s loss last year to Marlborough in the Southern Section final.
LJCD got to last weekend’s regional final with a 57-47 win over Inglewood St. Mary’s in the regional semifinals last Thursday, March 6.
According to Bamford, the Lady Torreys played tentatively in the first quarter, but that soon changed. LJCD upped the tempo in the second quarter and went on to victory.
Conners led all scorers with 17 points and added 10 rebounds. Fulcher also posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Burns added 13 points in the winning effort.
LJCD opened regional play on March 4 with a 67-27 win over Crossroads. In that victory, Conners and Ariana Elegado each tallied 16 points.
The Bishop’s School fell in its first regional contest on March 4, a 64-55 loss to St. Mary’s.
Gizelle Studevant had an outstanding game for the Lady Knights, notching 32 points.
In boys play, La Jolla (24-9) opened regional play on March 4 with a 55-50 victory over La Canada.
The Vikings saw their season come to an end two nights later in round two of the South California Division III Regional basketball playoffs with a 69-51 loss to Santa Margarita at the Santa Margarita home gym Thursday night, March 6. Santa Margarita went on to win the Southern California Regional Championship on Saturday with a dominant 67-39 win over Torrance Bishop Montgomery.
The Vikings competed well against Santa Margarita, the 11th-ranked team in California, but struggled to get off shots and defend the basket against the taller, deeper Santa Margarita team, which started a lineup that went 6-8, 6-7, 6-6, 6-5 and 6-3. Santa Margarita was led by standout 6-6 senior shooting guard Klay Thompson’s 18 points. Thompson is a son of former Laker power forward Mychal Thompson and will attend Washington State next season.
The Viking senior starters demonstrated their trademark balanced attack and passing game.
Guard Spencer Moyer had 13 points, five assists and three steals. Guard Jerrell Agnew posted 13 points and five assists. Center Peter Sefton registered 12 points and four rebounds. And swingman Matt Jones earned 11 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Vikings ended their outstanding season 24-9, 10-2, champions of the Western League and San Diego Division III CIF champions.
” Parent Greg Jones contributed to this story.