PHOTOS: Home team holds on for victory in first game of Santa Ana Prep Classic

Home team’s Kalleigh Solis of Santa Ana drives to the hoop as the away team’s Oilicec Fernandez of Santa Ana Valley defends during the second half. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).

Game one of the Santa Ana Prep Basketball Showcase went down to the wire but the home team held on for a 39-36 victory over the visitors Friday night in a game featuring the top high school seniors from basketball programs in Santa Ana Unified School District at Godinez.

The event was run by the Raya Foundation and Godinez with girls divided into the away and home squads.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Santa Ana Valley's Talyah Paepule comes up with a rebound for the zway team on Friday night at Godinez.

Away team head coach Sean Barnet of Santa Ana Valley gives instructions to his players on Friday night at Godinez.

Godinez's Lizbeth Lagunas drives to the basket for the away team on Friday night.

Home team head coach Shonyta Pouncey gives directions to his players on Friday night.

Members of the Home team pose after a victory at the Santa Ana Prep Basketball Classic on Friday night at Godinez.

Both teams joined in for a group photo after the culmination of the Santa Ana Prep Basketball Classic on Friday night.

Home team's Faith Ledesma of Segerstrom looks for an open teammate as away team's Belen Cortez of Saddleback defends.

Home team's Valeria Quero of Segerstrom drives to the basket during the second half of Friday night's contest at Godinez.

Away team's Lizbeth Lagunas of Godinez drives to the basket as home team's Kalleigh Solis of Santa Ana applies pressure.

Away team's Lizbeth Lagunas of Godinez goes for a layup as home team's Valeria Quero looks on.

Home team's Valeria Quero of Segerstrom drives the up the court during the second half of Friday night's contest.

Home team players Abby Quero, Valeria Quero, Alexi Torres, Elena Becerra and Faith Ledesma from Segerstrom pose prior to Friday night's contest.

Home team players Kalleigh Solis, Cynthia Silva, and Yarexy Diaz from Santa Ana before Friday night's contest.

Away team's Valerie Garcia from Saddleback drives to the basket on Friday night.

Home team's Yarexy Diaz of Santa Ana, and away team's Raquel Vallejo of Saddleback go for a loose ball during the first half of Friday night's contest at Godinez.

The home team built up a 33-23 lead in the third quarter before the away squad battled back cutting the lead to six points on a 3-pointer by Olicec Fernandez (Santa Ana Valley) with 2:18 left in the game.

Trailing by four, the away team recorded a steal but couldn’t convert at the other end with about a minute remaining.

Valeria Quero (Segerstrom) sank a free throw in the final seconds for the home team to clinch the victory.

Kalleigh Solis (Santa Ana) led the home team with 21 points. Santa Ana teammate Yarexy Diaz added nine points. Tayla Paepule and Fernandez from Santa Ana Valley each had 11 points for the away team.

Coaches and players seemed to enjoy the event.

“I think it was a very fun game with all the girls on the other schools and we really bonded,” said Solis, who helped the Saints reach the CIF playoffs this season. “It takes a lot of practice every single day in the gym and some (shots) were falling and some weren’t, but to always keep shooting was my mentality today.”

As for her future plans:

“I want to play in college, probably a community college, but the goal is to always move up and play for a higher level.”

The home team coach Shonyta Pouncey from Segerstrom was thrilled with the final outcome.

“I was excited for the first time being an all-star coach for sure” he said. “It’s an honor and a blessing, these things are so valuable because most people don’t get them. My son texted me from Minnesota today and said, ‘you’ve been a football all-star coach and now a basketball all-star coach,’ most people only get one in a lifetime.

“It’s a very big honor to be a part of this whole thing and the Raya Foundation, it was great to have all of our seniors playing in this game, a couple last year and some this year. We made sure that everyone got in. I’m blessed to have this opportunity.”

Pouncey was impressed with the play of Solis.

“Huge game. The kid is a player, for somebody who doesn’t look the part, she can do it and I’m proud of her,” Pouncey said. “I told her, ‘you’re probably player of the game but you got four fouls I got to get you out and I’ll play you in the end,’ and of course we had the ball in her hands in the end. It was stressful in the end, but we held on.”