Godinez players, with Coach AJ Alaman (far right) are introduced before Saturday’s CIF Division 5 playoff game. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
It’s been a historic season for Godinez High School’s girls basketball team, which became the first team from the program to advance into the semifinal round of the CIF playoffs.
But the Grizzlies hopes for an appearance in the CIF finals ended Saturday night when they lost to Bishop Diego 48-42 in the Division 5 semifinals at Godinez.
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The season for Godinez (16-12) is not over. The Grizzlies will still continue play in the CIF So Cal Regionals the week after the CIF finals are concluded. But Coach AJ Alaman was disappointed in the result.
“It stings, it’s going to hurt for a while,” Alaman said after the game. “I’m trying to look at the silver lining is that we qualified for state and talking with the coach (from Bishop Diego), he was saying, ‘maybe we will see you in a couple weeks.’ I’m kind of hoping we do.
“We just didn’t execute our defensive game plan tonight. We left their shooters wide open at times, and credit to them, they knocked down some big shots and some good looks and I I think that was the big difference. When we got down, we tried to work the ball outside and inside and our shots were there, our shots just weren’t falling tonight.
“We could have done a better job of attacking the basket and being under control. But credit to them, they’re in the semifinals for a reason, they showed it tonight.”
Bishop Diego (26-4) was led by Eden Wynn, who had 19 points and five 3-pointers.
Valeria Esteban had 11 points and Crystal Cruz and Valerie Arcos eight points each for Godinez.
Bishop Diego led 25-19 at halftime and extended its lead to eight points early in the third quarter.
After trailing by five points after three quarters, Godinez cut the lead to three points on a basket by Julissa Mota but Bishop Diego responded and extended the lead to 46-37 on a 3-point basket by Wynne with 3:11 left and closed out the win.
Alaman said he was proud of the effort of his seniors: Arcos, Mayra Soltero, Angie Romero-Martinez, Emily Cruz, Mota, Esteban, Daniela Vasquez and Karina Cruz.
“All of my seniors, there is a good group, seven or eight of them that have played together since they were 5 or 6 years old on a travel team, I really wanted this for them, but we get to regroup and try and make a state run,” he said.
Godinez will continue to practice to prepare for the regionals.
It’s the first time that either the girls or boys program has advanced into the state tourney, according to Athletic Director Bill Snyder.
Bishop Diego moves on to face Burroughs of Burbank in the CIF finals.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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