Heritage, Paloma, SRA basketball teams top playoff entries

Inland Valley League co-champion Heritage and Ivy League co-champion Paloma Valley will lead a group of local high school teams into the winter sports season playoffs beginning this weekend.

Heritage takes a 19-4 overall record into its home playoff opener against Artesia in a Division 4AA game Saturday at 7 p.m. The Patriots are led by senior Aaliyah Benavidez, who is averaging 17.2 points and 4.6 assists per game. Freshman Sierra Maxwell averages 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 5.5 steals per game.

Also contributing key plays to Heritage’s most successful girls basketball season are a host of others, including Laura Paktaghan (11 ppg) and Naya Perez (6.7 points, 7.4 rebounds).

Artesia is 13-10 overall, having finished fourth in the 605 League.

Paloma Valley has moved up to Division 1 this year and will play at Eisenhower High in Rialto Saturday at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 11-6 overall and posted a 7-1 record in the Ivy League.

Junior Christianna Hawkins is one of Paloma’s leading players at14.6 points and 7 rebounds per game. Junior Jada Tiggett averages 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

In Division 4A boys basketball, South Valley League champion Santa Rosa Academy will be at home against Segerstrom Friday at 7 p.m. The Rangers were 10-0 in league play and have a 20-6 overall record.

The Rangers are led by Marcus McCray (14.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Jeff Sims (13.5 ppg) and Max Steward (12.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

In girls soccer, Heritage will play at The Archer School in a Division 5 game and Santa Rosa Academy will play host to Le Lycee in Division 7. Santa Rosa Academy will play at United Christian Academy in a boys soccer Division 7 game. All soccer games will take place on Saturday.

In addition, girls wrestlers from Paloma Valley, Heritage and Santa Rosa Academy will all be competing in a CIF individual tournament at Paloma Valley Friday and Saturday. The Paloma Valley, Heritage and Santa Rosa Academy boys wrestling teams will be competing at separate sites.