Owning a 14-point edge in the latter stages of the third quarter, there were several possessions where Esperanza had the opportunity to put Tesoro away for good, but the pesky Titans managed to stay within striking distance by converting a handful of must-have baskets.
With its lead cut in half with nearly six minutes to play, the Aztecs went back to their calling card and amped up the defensive energy.
By holding its visitors without a field goal over the final 5:54 of regulation, second-seeded Esperanza closed the game on a 13-1 run and outlasted Tesoro, 57-38, in a girls basketball CIF-SS Division 1A first-round playoff game Thursday night at Esperanza High.
Senior guard Alexis Warye led the the Aztecs with 14 points. Sophomore center Samantha Fries scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jamie Kwong also finished in double figures with 10, while Amanda Williams scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and accounted for four steals.
Esperanza (24-3) will hit the road Saturday to play battle-tested Cantwell-Sacred Heart (15-13), from the loaded Del Rey League, in the second round.
“Once again the kids played with a lot of heart and desire and I think that’s what won the game,” Aztecs coach James Valverde said. “We hustled and kept fighting. Sam Fries came to play tonight, had a great game. Amanda Williams showed a lot of leadership. And I think we stepped up on defense, slowed them down by pressing the whole 90 feet.”
The Aztecs built their largest lead of the game midway through the third quarter when Katie Kubo, Kwong and Warye each nailed a 3-pointer in successive possessions, putting Esperanza up, 44-30.
Tesoro’s Haley Ison drilled four shots from distance and scored a game-high 17 points to keep the Titans (13-14) close until the team went cold in the fourth.
In Division 1AA:
Orange Lutheran 38, Burroughs of Burbank 22: The Lancers (21-6) limited the visiting Indians to 11 points through three quarters. Sophomore Daniele Bryant finished with a game-high 12 points.
Sonora 73, Cajon 30: Senior Meghann Henderson’s 25-point showing led an efficient offensive outing for the Raiders (20-7), who buried 13 3-pointers. Lainie James made five 3s and finished with 19 points.
In Division 2A:
Segerstrom 60, Murrieta Mesa 49: Emma Vasquez (16 points), Zoe Morrison (14 points) and Tati Zazuetta (11 points) all notched double-digit point totals for the Jaguars (22-5). Morrison also grabbed 15 rebounds.
In Division 2AA:
Rosary 67, Colony 22: The top-seeded Royals (21-5) outscored the Titans (11-11), 25-5, in the first quarter. Junior center Rebekah Obinma led all scorers with 18 points and junior guard Allison Lou added 11. Nine Rosary players scored.
Tustin 53, Ribet Academy 39: Senior guard Lilly Ballestero scored 23 points and senior Devyn Barner added 13 points to go along with 12 rebounds for the Tillers (24-3).
JSerra 48, Barstow 39: Senior point guard Lexi Vail tied a season-high with 27 points as the Lions (14-13) advanced to Saturday’s second round.
Santa Margarita 63, Alta Loma 39: The Eagles (16-11) snapped a six-game skid behind seniors Isabella Maramica and Tori Anderson, who finished with 15 points apiece. Freshman center Jocelyn Ewell finished with 10 points.
In Division 4AA:
Laguna Hills 59, Santa Ana Valley 32: The Hawks (15-11) jumped out to a 19-2 lead after one quarter and outscored the Falcons (12-13), 21-2, in the third quarter. Shannon Wasley (19) and Kayla Chang (15) each finished in double figures.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com
