Schools
Girls Basketball: Nighthawks’ Remarkable Season Comes to an End
Murrieta Valley falls 58-40 to Ridgeview in the CIF Division 2 State Championships.
After eight straight victories, a 27-6 record and a CIF Southern Section Division 2A Girls Basketball Championship, the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks' magical season has come to an end. The Nighthawks ran into a Wolfpack that they just couldn’t soar over and fly away with yet another amazing victory.
The Nighthawks traveled to Bakersfield Saturday and locked horns with the Wolfpack in round two of the CIF Division 2 State Championship Tournament. Murrieta Valley fell behind early, and trailed 30-14 at the half.
“After a long trip the girls tried to focus in on the game and get ready for the task at hand. We started off a little slow, but I was very proud of the way the girls handled themselves in the second half,” said Murrieta Valley Coach Scott Richards.
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“We did a real good job protecting the ball against their zone press. We were able to break it every time. We just couldn’t get too many second opportunities from missed shots with their bigs on the inside.”
Ridgeview’s senior captain Erica McCall dominated the game. The 6-foot-3, Stanford-bound center scored 37 points, had 16 rebounds and blocked six shots for the Wolfpack.
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"McCall really has a nose for the ball and she was tough to stop. Our hat goes off to their team and we wish them luck going forward in state,” Richards added.
Karen Wolf led the Nighthawks with 10 points against a very tough and stingy defense. Aliah Marshall and Deshea Wilkes each scored nine for the Hawks. Wilkes led the team with 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Ariana Hernandez scored eight points as Brynn Dahmer and Alex Morrison each scored two. The usually efficient Nighthawks were only nine for 18 from the charity stripe.
Murrieta Valley played a much better second half, keeping pace with the Wolfpack till the end. The Nighthawks lost 58-40.
“Through it all I’m very proud of the way the girls played tonight and throughout the season. This is a team that will be remembered for a long time to come in our community,” Richards said. “They played the game the right way, prepared and executed very well as a team, and have made many memories that will last a lifetime.”
