Warriors Bounce Buena From Lofty State Perch

Ventura Buena, poised to be recognized as the No. 1 girls’ basketball team in the state, missed its chance Monday when it fell short against Woodbridge, 56-54, in the Pacifica Premier Challenge at UC Irvine.

Woodbridge’s upset came two days after Brea Olinda, ranked No. 1 in the state, lost to Mater Dei.

“It really boils down to where you are at the end of the year,” Buena Coach Joe Vaughan said before tipoff. “If we win, we’ll be No. 1 in the state.”

Who knew it was such a big IF. Woodbridge, ranked No. 3 in Orange County, went unnoticed in the Cal-Hi Sports Top 20, though it was No. 6 in Division II.

The game pitted last year’s Division I-A champion vs. the II-AA champion.

“By far, this was our biggest win of the year,” Woodbridge’s Krissy Duperron said. “This was a confidence game--we were the underdogs and had nothing to lose.”

And they had everything to gain. Woodbridge (13-3), the defending state Division II champion, foiled the Bulldogs (12-2) with a strong inside game and a timely outside one.

Duperron, a 6-footer headed to UC Irvine, had 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Her physical strength prevented 6-foot-2 Nicole Greathouse, bound for UC Santa Barbara, from monopolizing the key. Although Greathouse scored 17, she went almost 21 minutes with only one basket between the first and fourth quarters.

Woodbridge had a seven-point lead, 47-40, before Greathouse took a rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup with 3 minutes 9 seconds remaining. She went on a 6-0 run over a 63-second span to make it 47-46.

After exchanging baskets, Carly Moss’ three-pointer with 1:13 gave Woodbridge a 52-48 lead. Buena’s Stephanie Kinnear (11 points) made a free-throw with 21 seconds left, but the Bulldogs gained nothing after Renae Hofmann (10 points) stole the inbounds pass because Moss tied up the ball. Buena got possession, but Kinnear missed a three-pointer and Duperron got the rebound.

Duperron was fouled and made both free throws with 8.2 seconds to go before Greathouse’s three-pointer with one second left.

Duperron got plenty of help from sophomore Cathy Joens, a 5-10 sophomore, who scored 16 and had 11 rebounds.

“We played great interior defense,” Woodbridge Coach Pat Quinn said. “I think we gave up too much on the perimeter, but we had to make a choice.”

Woodbridge’s perimeter shooting saved the Warriors. Tied at 35, Nicole Roberts and Debby Caine (nine points) opened the fourth quarter with consecutive three-point baskets.

“They hit a couple of key threes late and got some big free throws,” said Vaughan, who thought his team’s lack of movement early in the game set the pace that bogged it down throughout.

In the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Challenge:

Brea Olinda 64, Victorville Victor Valley 40--Second-ranked Brea Olinda (14-2) extended its 13-point halftime lead to 20 going into the fourth quarter for an easy victory. Marissa Bradley scored a game-high 15 points, and Rochelle Anthony scored 13 and had 12 rebounds. Erin Kelly scored 12 and Stephanie Wettlin (eight rebounds) scored 10.