Eagles Beat Lone Pine to Advance

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —  Capistrano Valley Christian survived two missed free throw opportunities by Lone Pine’s leading scorer, Marina Cervantes, with six seconds left in the game to pull out a 50-49 victory in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division V-AA girls’ basketball playoffs at St. Margaret’s High Tuesday night.

The Eagles took the lead with 15 seconds left in the game when Gini Joy Carney made her first free throw but missed the second. Cervantes, who finished the game with 19 points, missed her chance but was given a second try when Capistrano Valley was called for lane violation. She missed the second attempt, which was the front end of a one-and-one opportunity.

It was Capistrano Valley Christian’s lack of success at the free-throw line that kept the game close. The Eagles hit 10 of 24 free throws; Lone Pine was six of 10.

“We knew we had to keep the pressure on Cervantes,” Eagle Coach Lisa Gray said. “We were especially afraid of her from the outside.”

Cervantes hit from 25 feet out as time ran out in the third quarter to move Lone Pine as close as two, 38-36.

The Golden Eagles, trailing by as many as 12 points, tied the score, 40-40, on a Cervantes basket with 6:12 left.

Lone Pine took a short lead but a Carney basket and Melissa Sands’ three-point play put Capistrano Valley Christian ahead, 49-47. Cervantes tied the game with 39 seconds before the contest was decided at the free-throw line.

Capistrano Valley Christian (23-5) will face Western Christian for the division championship at the Pyramid at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Lone Pine (25-3) took an early lead before the Eagles went on a 16-3 run for a 12-point first-quarter lead. The visitors reduced the lead to one late in the first half before Capistrano Valley Christian settled for a 28-23 halftime lead.

Carney had 14 points and Sands scored 12 points for the Eagles.