Randy Braga wore a smile that rivaled some of his celebratory grins from his time at St. Francis and Watsonville.
Ceiba College Prep was down big to Oakwood, and the chance of winning a league championship was gone. But the Spartans’ second-year basketball coach was as happy as could be.
Micaela Macias, a senior who had never played organized basketball before this winter, muscled away an offensive rebound, and managed to score her first points in the waining moments of Tuesday night’s 30-13 loss to the Pacific Coast Athletic League Arroyo division champion Hawks.
It wasn’t the final result Ceiba (9-4, 7-3) had hoped for, but the season was more than the small Watsonville charter school could have asked for. The Spartans, only in their second year of varsity competition, were one win away from sharing a league title with Oakwood (13-6, 9-1).
“I told them in the 19 years I’ve been coaching basketball, from freshman all the way to varsity, they’ve grown the most in one year of any of my teams,” said Braga, who won a trio of Central Coast Section titles at St. Francis and put together a pair of winning seasons at Watsonville.
Ceiba, a K-12 school with an enrollment of a little more than 250 students, had plenty of girls like Macias on its 11-player roster. It also had a handful of players who doubled up in the winter by playing soccer, too.
“They would come to some games full of mud, cleats on still, they just played a full soccer game,” Braga said. “They’re learning the basketball, and they’re loving the basketball. They have a passion for it, but they’re not as talented as other teams. They play really hard.”
That effort kept things interesting during the first quarter, but Oakwood blew the game open over the next two frames. The Hawks outscored the Spartans 18-3 during the second and third quarters to complete their run to the program’s first league title since 2015-16.
Oakwood dropped its league opener, but reeled off nine straight wins to win the PCAL-Arroyo championship and the automatic CCS berth that comes with it.
“We had a lot of new players this year and I’m really proud of how our team gelled,” said longtime Oakwood coach Isaac Berniker. “We’ve been getting contributions up and down our lineup.”
Senior point guard Jade Bautista and sophomore center Lydia Sattler each had 10 points for the Hawks, who also received big minutes from sophomore guards Sammie Frazer and Kate Marcotullio.
Sophomore guard Maya Carrisales had four points for Ceiba, which was without starting senior guard Summer Hashimoto. Senior center Fenesia Braga chipped in 10 blocks, three points and three rebounds.
Ceiba will lose seven to graduation: Alexia Carrisales, Tanya Garcia, Ariana Gonzalez, Nicole Lorente, Macias, Braga and Hashimoto.
In other girls’ basketball action from Feb. 7-13:
• Pajaro Valley 45, at P.C.S. 16 – The Grizzlies completed their undefeated run through the PCAL-Santa Lucia on Tuesday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
Jayleen Solorzano had 23 points and 10 steals for the Grizzlies, who finished the regular season with a 20-4 record, and captured the program’s first league title with a perfect 10-0 PCAL-SL standing.
The Pajaro Valley girls’ basketball team completed its 10-0 PCAL-Santa Lucia season with a 45-16 win over Pacific Collegiate School on Tuesday at Kaiser Permanente Arena. — Contributed
• Salinas 69, at Watsonville 47 – Watsonville’s season came to an end with Tuesday night’s PCAL-Mission loss.
The Wildcatz went 4-19 overall and 0-10 in league play.
• At North Salinas 52, M.V.C. 50 – Madison Hill scored a team-high 18 points, and Hanna Harvey added 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks as the Mustangs gave the co-PCAL-Gabilan champs a scare on Tuesday night.
Aleah Rafat recorded a double-double for the Mustangs with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
M.V.C. finished the regular season 17-7 overall and 5-5 in PCAL-G action.
• At Carmel 58, St. Francis 54 – Janessa Yniguez poured in 33 points for the Sharks but it wasn’t enough to stop the Padres from forcing a tie for the PCAL-Cypress title in Monday’s regular season finale.
St. Francis finished the regular season with a 11-12 overall record and a 7-3 league standing.
• Aptos 60, Soquel 41 – Hannah Hocom poured in a team-high 18 points, and Natalia Ackerman stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, as the Mariners avenged their loss to the rival Knights to win the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League tournament championship on Feb. 9.
Aptos (20-6) and Soquel (17-9) split their two-game league series and each earned a share of the SCCAL regular season title, but the former won the rubber match thanks to a dominant performance in the third quarter. The Mariners outscored the Knights 16-7 in the frame.
Gabby Giuffre chipped in 10 points and five rebounds for Aptos, which won 20 games for the third straight season.
• At Christopher 58, Watsonville 39 – The Wildcatz dropped their PCAL-Mission game on Feb. 8.
Ruby Galvan had nine points for Watsonville. April Alvarado, Tea Villalta and Andreina Lopes were a combined 6-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line.
• At Pacific Grove 44, St. Francis 29 – St. Francis lost its PCAL-Cypress game on Feb. 7.
LINES OF THE WEEK (Feb. 7-13)
• Natalia Ackerman, Aptos – Had 20 points, 16 rebounds and six steals against Scotts Valley on Feb. 7.
• Janessa Yniguez, St. Francis – Scored 33 points against Carmel on Monday.
