BREA — Down by one point with 1.4 seconds left on the game clock, Brea Olinda’s girls basketball hoped for last-second heroics to advance the team past the CIF Southern California Division I quarterfinals at Brea Olinda High on Saturday night.
But Iyree Jarrett’s inbound pass under the opposing basket to Jasmine Rachal was stolen by a pressing defense for Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth, and after a Brea Olinda foul, Ryan Payne hit two free throws for the visiting team, ending the Ladycats’ quest for a state championship.
A wild last-second, full-court shot fell near the 3-point line as the buzzer sounded, and Brea Olinda fell to Sierra Canyon, 56-53.
“We made a lot of mistakes.” Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink said. “I was proud of the kids for executing and getting back in it.”
Rachal, Brea Olinda’s leading scorer on the night with 22 points, nailed a 3-pointer to put the team ahead, 53-52, with 11 seconds remaining in the game. But the lead only lasted a few seconds.
Payne, who led Sierra Canyon with 21 points, drove to the basket, as she had all night, and made a clutch shot to give her team the lead, 54-53, in the final seconds.
With 3.2 seconds left, Stephanie Lee drew a foul for Brea Olinda as she drove to the basket, leading to Brea Olinda’s turnover on the inbounds pass.
Sierra Canyon advances to the state regional semifinals on Tuesday.
“They played hard all year,” Sink said of his team. “With everyone coming back, they should make for a great team next year.”
Brea Olinda fell behind, 13-9, in the first quarter, but managed to stay in the game and tie it up at 21 with about two minutes left in the first half.
