A second-place finish in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League and a win in the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section playoffs capped the most successful season in Scotts Valley girls basketball history.
The team — in its 10th year — finished 21-8, including a 7-5 mark in SCCAL play, and notched wins over San Lorenzo Valley High and Aptos High in the league tournament before losing to Santa Cruz High 49-41 in the championship game Feb. 19.
The strong regular season also afforded the Falcons a first-round bye in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
In the quarterfinals Saturday, Feb. 27, senior guard Kelsey LaPorte scored 19 points as the defense-minded Falcons dropped Half Moon Bay, 37-23.
A few days later, in the semifinals, the Falcons used their size against a quick Mercy of San Francisco squad to go into halftime tied at 26. But in that game’s third quarter, LaPorte, Scotts Valley’s primary ball handler, fouled out, and Mercy outscored the Falcons 15-2 in the quarter to put the game out of reach.
The flustered Falcons were hounded all game by speedy Mercy guards Kimmie Fung and Mariah Masoli, who scored 16 points each. Liz Munger led the way for the Falcons with 13.
The Falcons will graduate four seniors, LaPorte, Katrina Silver, Annika Gustaffson and injured Alex Price, but they will return a strong core for the 2010-11 season while adding several strong players from the first-place junior varsity team.
San Lorenzo Valley
The SLV girls fell, 49-37, to Santa Catalina School in the quarterfinals of the CCS tournament on Feb. 25.
Brittany Carroll scored 10 points, and Olivia Ambris and Sierra Clark tallied seven each in the season-ending loss for the Cougars.
SLV finished 12-15 overall but did some damage in the fist round of the CCS playoffs on Feb. 23, coming away with a 57-38 win over Soledad.
