Coronado Is Seeing Triple With Flores

BURBANK —  Cheryl Flores knows what it takes to win a championship.

The senior point guard for Bell-Jeff High played a major role in the Guards’ recent Southern Section Division IV-A championship.

Tuesday night against Coronado in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division IV tournament, she had 15 points, 12 steals and 10 assists in the Guards’ 67-42 victory at Bell-Jeff.

The Guards (30-1) will play Santa Ynez, a team they defeated, 64-46, earlier this season, in Thursday’s second round at 7:30 p.m.

“I don’t want to be mean, but this is more competition so we have to step it up,” Flores said. “We’re looking at every day as our last game.”

Flores’ constant hounding of Islander guards Kathy Cox and Leilani deJesus helped create Bell-Jeff’s 26 steals and Coronado’s 32 turnovers.

“I’m just anticipating the passes, just guessing,” Flores said. “And I kept guessing right. I was going to keep guessing till it went the other way and it never did.”

Bell-Jeff got out to an 8-0 lead, using its full-court press to create three quick turnovers.

Four times in the first half, the Guards scored a basket, stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored for 4-0 runs in under five seconds.

“Cheryl is playing excellent right now,” Bell-Jeff Coach Jim Couch said. “The last two games she’s playing better than any guard I’ve seen and not just scoring points, but knowing what to do at all times. She’s is a major factor defensively.”

“The defensive game is my interest. That’s what did it for us Friday [in the Southern Section Final] and that’s what’s got to do it for us if we’re going to win this.”

Flores had 11 of her 15 points in the first half as the Guards forged a 37-21 lead.

In the second half, the Guards held the Islanders (22-5) nearly seven minutes without a point and led, 55-29, early in the fourth quarter.

Jaclyn Johnson had 20 points for Bell-Jeff and Veronica Cobb added 14 points and eight rebounds.

“They have a lot of good weapons,” Coronado Coach Bill Cass said. “It was an honor to play a team of this caliber.”

Josee Lalonde had 25 points and eight rebounds for Coronado. The other Islanders made six of 25 shots.