Players and coaches from both the Away and Home teams at the Santa Ana Prep Classic. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).
Senior high school girls basketball players mostly from Santa Ana Unified School District played a competitive game which was close until the final minutes in the Santa Ana Prep Classic Friday night at Segerstrom.
The Away team rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to defeat the Home team 48-37.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
Valerie Esteban of Godinez led the Away team with 16 points. Godinez teammates Valeria Arcos added 14 points and Julissa Mota seven points.
Abby Quero from Segerstrom led the Home team with 17 points and was named the game MVP. The award was named after former Segerstrom Coach Shontya Pouncey, who died last August. Pouncey’s wife helped hand out the award.
The victory capped a successful season for the Godinez players, who with Coach AJ Alaman reached the CIF State tournament for the first time in school history.
Alaman was proud of the Away team’s effort Friday night.
“I think we were getting good looks in the first half,” Alaman said. “They just weren’t falling and at halftime, we said, move the ball around a little more, work inside out, the shots will still be there in the second half and they started falling, I think that’s what the big difference was.
“And then we switched it up, we went man that first half …. we told the girls let’s switch it up and go to a two-three zone to cut off the penetration.”
The Home team, after leading 21-16 at halftime, extended its lead to 30-18 on a 3-pointer by Quero. But the Away team, led by Esteban and Mota, eventually took a six point lead.
The Home team tied the game on a 3-pointer by Quero with 1:40 remaining but the Away team finished on an 11-0 which included a late 3-pointer by Arcos, to win.
Quero said after the game she wasn’t expecting to win the MVP award.
“I was kind of surprised, I think another player from the other team, Valerie Esteban deserved it but I’m not that suprised either,” Quero said.
Quero said she was honored to receive the award in honor of her former coach.
“It means a lot especially since he was a great coach, he always looked for the best and looked for opportunities for us,” said Quero, who played three years under Pouncey.
Alaman was impressed with the event, presented by the Raya Foundation, led by Leon Raya.
“This event is huge. I’m a product of Santa Ana Unified and I always tell everybody when I was at Valley High School, there were only four schools, I wish they would have put something on like this for kids from the city,” he said. “For them to have this for their city, to represent and play one last time with their teammates and other kids from other schools and to play in front of their fans is a big accomplishment. It was a special season for us and for those four girls, a real special way to end it.”
Segerstrom coach Valentin Valencia coached the Home team.
Raya praised the volunters for their work and thanked the sponsors, which included Santa Ana Elks Lodge Number 794 and Chick-fil-A on Bristol and MacArthur in Santa Ana.
The restaurant’s owner Tony Stewart greeted fans at halftime and tossed T-shirts into the stands.
The girls game was followed by an exciting boys game.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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