Pierfax, second-half rally decisive in Paloma Valley's win

Mya Pierfax drives to the basket for two points in the first half of Paloma Valley's playoff victory. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

It was the kind of aggressive play the coach said was lacking earlier in the game. It was the kind of play that turns games around.

There was about 2:30 left in the CIF Division 4AA girls basketball playoff game at Paloma Valley Thursday night. The host Wildcats, who had been outscored 10-0 to start the third quarter, still trailed by a basket when the rebound of a missed Paloma free throw came up for grabs.

Hitting the offensive boards hard, Wildcats players grabbed first one, then two, and finally three rebounds of their own misses, with senior forward Alejandra Espinoza finally putting the ball in the net. Fouled on the play, she sank the free throw for a 41-40 Paloma Valley lead over Whittier.

That sent the Wildcats on a 13-6 run to close out the game and score a 51-46 victory, putting the Sunbelt League champions in Saturday night's second-round game at Maranatha High in Pasadena.

"That was huge," coach Matt Dale said about the play. "A bunch of offensive rebounds. That it. You've got to be willing to compete and make a play.

"I don't think we really competed early. We felt like the lights were too bright for us for a little bit. It's to be expected. We're a young team. Other than Mya (Pierfax), none of the girls had ever played in a playoff game before. So I think that everything was kind of up in their heart a little bit. But they turned it on in the second half."

Leading the charge was Pierfax, a sophomore guard who led all scorers with 23 points. She had 12 of those in the first half, which Paloma led 22-20 at the break. She also scored six straight points for Paloma to close out the third quarter and bring the Wildcats back to within five.

But it was a total team effort in the final period that made the difference. Sophomore forward Trinitee Bradley came alive under the boards, Espinoza was a factor all over the court, and freshman guard Breeann Willich scored six points in the final 1:40, including four free throws as the desperate Cardinals fouled to stop the clock.

Willich finished with nine points, Bradley eight and Espinoza seven for the Wildcats, who improved their overall record to 19-9 with their 13th consecutive victory.

As Paloma Valley prepares for a Maranatha team that owns an 18-7 record, Dale is encouraged by his team's play but continues to seek more balance.

"Mya runs the floor," Dale said. "They believe in her. "They want her to make plays. We've got to do a better job of not having her make all the plays, and she's got to do a better job of trusting other girls to make plays. But we don't win tonight without her being great."

Below are video highlights of the game: