18-2 Spurt Does In Alemany as Valley Drought Continues

SACRAMENTO —  The San Fernando Valley is no stranger to droughts.

El Nino may have helped take care of any water concerns, but the area will remain thirsting for its first state girls’ basketball championship.

Alemany High lost to San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral, 67-54, Saturday in the Division III state final at Arco Arena.

“It’s just too bad we couldn’t win . . . and bring [a title] back to the Valley,” Alemany guard Kelli Kobayashi said through tears.

Alemany (27-7), which two weeks ago won its third Southern Section title of the decade, took a 13-4 lead early in the first quarter and appeared headed for a rout.

That’s when Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Crissy DeLuzio caught fire, sparking an 18-2 run from which the Indians never recovered.

DeLuzio, who tied the Division III final record with 29 points, connected on four consecutive three-point attempts in the second quarter and the Irish (22-10) rode a 26-12 quarter to a 38-25 lead into halftime.

“She just refused to lose,” Alemany Coach Melissa Hearlihy said of DeLuzio, who set a tournament record with 11 field goals.

The Irish were improbable champions. They began the state playoffs seeded last in the eight-team Northern Regional, but stunned top-ranked Bear River and defending Northern Region champion Lafayette Acalanes to become the first San Francisco team to reach the final since the St. Ignatius boys advanced in 1926.