Sobrato will enter the Central Coast Section playoffs on a 13-game winning streak after a 53-46 win over rival Live Oak.
The Acorns, meanwhile, end the season just on the bubble of making the playoffs, meeting the prerequisite mark of a .500 league mark to put in a bid for CCS play. Live Oak finished 7-7 in Blossom Valley Athletic League South play and 11-13 overall.
The Acorns got back into playoff consideration thanks to two big wins against Leland and Oak Grove.
“They did what they needed to do in those games. I knew coming into the season we were a really, really good team, we were just very young,” said Live Oak coach Mike Kiefer.
Sobrato finishes 20-4 overall and 13-1 in league play.
“I feel like the team picked it up after that one loss,” said Sobrato coach Erica Wallace about the 13-game win streak. “It really didn’t sit well with them and they decided to push themselves and they have pushed themselves to new heights. I’m so proud of them for just completely believing in each other.”
This is the second time in school history the Bulldogs have won 20 games in a season, three off the team record of 23 set back in the 2007-08 season where the girls went 23-5.
“It’s unbelievable. We worked so hard, put all our heart into it and we made it,” said Sobrato senior post player Karla Martinez.
The Bulldogs this year will likely have to win a CCS title in order to pass that mark depending on the seeding they receive and how many byes they have in the playoffs.
The gym was rocking the entire night as fans on both sides cheered on their respective teams, exchanging friendly barbs from across the gym ranging from pointing to the score board to not so subtle references to the outcome of this year’s El Toro Bowl.
All was background noise for a game that went back and forth with both sides getting stellar performances up and down the lineup.
“Tonight we fell short. In a rivalry game it’s not always about who is the better team, it’s just who is making plays that night and Sobrato proved why they won the division. They made the plays when it counted and we didn’t,” Kiefer said. “But in the end, the overall element of the season I am very, very proud with this young team. I’m excited to see how they grow.”
Sobrato had four girls in double figures, led by KiannaBriel Maldia and Helena Batey with 14 followed by Martinez and Ally Nodohara with 12.
Batey added a game-high 16 rebounds with Martinez pulling down 14 of her won.
On the other side, freshman Adrianne Gomez had 22 points, including eight in the second quarter that briefly gave the Acorns the lead.
Gomez used her speed to sprint behind the Sobrato defense in transition leading to several easy layups
Sobrato opened the game by taking a 13-10 first quarter lead.
But Live Oak responded behind Gomez’ effort to outscore Sobrato 13-8 in the quarter to take a 23-20 lead.
After not turning the ball over the entire first quarter, Sobrato had six giveaways.
This turned a 21-14 lead for the Bulldogs into a 23-21 lead for the Acorns.
Live Oak eventually outscored the Bulldogs 12-0 starting from the end of the second quarter and into the third.
Sobrato, however, got its legs back and the shots started to fall.
“Just getting the girls in the right positions and the right places and getting that rhythm, that gel a couple of plays in a row offensively and defensively,” Wallace said. “That’s really what I was waiting for, that’s why I’m so patient with my timeouts. I was waiting for that run and we totally got one.”
Maldia and Batey both had six points in the third as the Bulldogs put up 20 in the quarter and opened up an eight-point advantage.
Martinez said during the break, her coach just stressed that the team needed to enjoy the experience and go out there and play.
“It’s all about heart,” Martinez said her coach told them. “We should learn to have fun and not put so much pressure on us and just as like a family.”
The margin eventually grew to 10 to start the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs couldn’t put the game away.
Live Oak rallied behind some quick buckets from Lindsay Baker and a trey from Grace Smith.
“At that point when they went up 10, we could easily have packed it in and said ‘OK, the game is over,’” Kiefer said. “One thing about this team being so young, they have a lot of heart, a lot of fight. All season long we’ve had those instances where we claw and fight to get our way back in. The difference is why Sobrato was the league champion this year: We were able to get back in the game, but they were able to close it out.”
Live Oak eventually brought the game down to a one-point margin, but it was as close as Live Oak would come.
Eventually, it became a free throw game where Live Oak was outscored 7-1 to close the game.
Wallace said she switched to a full-court press to take out the Live Oak guards and eventually the Acorn run ended.
Sobrato will now be doing their annual CCS seeding party, assured for the fourth year in a row that the Bulldogs will take part in postseason action.
Emotional pregame
As is custom, the final regular season home game is a time to honor the seniors.
This year, the senior night festivities took on a more emotional tone as outgoing senior Baker was taking the floor for the final time at home and doing so without her father.
Her dad passed away a year ago from leukemia.
Players from both teams wore orange shirts to honor her dad.
Her extended family joined her on the floor during ceremony with a photo of Baker with her dad.
