Chargers Lose First-Round Girls Basketball Game, 55-51

El Toro High's girls basketball team was brought down in its first-round playoff game by a Corona team that connected on nine three-pointers en route to a 55-51 victory in the CIF Southern Section Division 1A playoffs on Thursday night at El Toro High.

The Chargers got off to a slow start, while Corona senior guard Sarah Wood hit three consecutive three-pointers to help give the Panthers a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Panthers then opened the second quarter with a 5-0 run, including a three-pointer by Leilani Chavez that gave Corona a 21-8 lead and forced a Charger timeout.

“We didn’t defend the three-point shot," Chargers coach Erin Schimeneck said. "I think we gave up eight or nine three-point shots and that’s just not acceptable, that’s not playing effort defense.”

But the Chargers began to fight and slowly got back into the game. Senior guard Reanna Karp sparked a run with a steal and length-of-the-court drive and layup and then a three-pointer that cut the Panthers' lead to 23-16, midway through the second quarter. Freshman Christen Morris and junior Alyson Doherty had offensive rebounds and scores on consecutive possessions that cut El Toro's deficit to 26-22.

The Chargers pulled to within 28-25 at halftime on another rebound and put-back by Doherty, who led the Chargers with 16 points. Jasmine Kennon had 13 points and Whitney Williams added 12. In the third quarter, Doherty scored and was fouled at the 6:13 mark. She converted the three-point play to cut the deficit to 32-30 and Kennon followed with an inside bucket that tied the score at 32.

After Chavez banked in a three-pointer to give the Panthers a 35-32 lead, the Chargers went on a 6-0 run to end the third quarter. Doherty had another rebound and put-back and Williams followed with a driving layup and two free throws to end the quarter. But in the fourth, after Kennon gave the Chargers a 40-38 lead, the Panthers went on a 10-0 run to take a 48-40 lead with five minutes left in the game.

The Chargers stayed close, with two three-pointers from Kennon, but they missed a couple of chances to tie the score in the closing minutes and the Panthers made key free throws when El Toro was forced to foul.

The Chargers finished the season 17-9 and finished second in the South Coast League. Schimeneck was in her first year as head coach of the team and said it has come a long way since they began working together.  

 “I’m going to tell them I’m proud of them, regardless of what happened," she said. "I’m proud of what they have accomplished from September to now."