MURRIETA – The Vista Murrieta girls basketball team filled in most of a very deep hole, but couldn’t take the last step out.
Down by 13 in the third quarter, the Broncos rallied for a tie with 3:26 to play, but came up empty on their next six possessions and fell, 63-59, to visiting Brea Olinda in a CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA quarterfinal Saturday.
Brea Olinda (20-7), which wasn’t ranked among the top 10 teams in Orange County when the season started, advances to meet Long Beach Millikan in Tuesday’s semifinal round. That game will be at Brea Olinda.
After digging out of a 44-31 deficit and tying the score on two Brittney Reed free throws, Vista Murrieta missed shots for the lead on two possessions.
The Broncos (23-7) were then unable to respond as Shaylissa Jarrett scored four straight points to put Brea Olinda back in front for good. The Wildcats hit their free throws the rest of the way to protect the lead.
Brea Olinda was in a zone in building its lead. Literally. The Wildcats played a disciplined, tight 2-3 zone defense to take away Vista Murrieta’s inside game. Reed, though, still managed a 28-point, 13-rebound effort, making 15 of 16 free throws.
“We have not played (the zone) all year,” said Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink. “But I’ve watched them (Vista Murrieta) play for two weeks, and we can’t compete with them if they play straight up. Their athleticism is too dynamite. … That was the whole key to the game.”
Vista Murrieta finished 17 of 55 from the field, although it did hit six 3-pointers.
Jarrett led Brea Olinda with 27 points. Reili Richardson added 20.
Contact the writer: dlassen@pressenterprise.com
