SOLEDAD — The host Soquel Knights knocked the Soledad Lady Aztecs out of the Central Coast Section Division III Playoffs with a 68-55 victory on Saturday in the Soquel High Gym.
Jacky Saldana scored 24 points and had seven rebounds to lead Soledad in her last game as an Aztec. Soledad finished the season with a 18-6 record.
“They (Knights), transition really well and played us man-to-man the entire game,” said Soledad head coach Tatiana Rodriguez. “That defense is something we are not used to. They had size on us with three girls over 5’7.”
The Lady Aztecs trailed 21-13 after the first quarter and Soquel took a 33-24 halftime lead. The Knights outscored Soledad 19-12 in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead at 52-36. The Lady finished the game with a 19-16 fourth quarter.
Theresa Chavez and Xenia Suarez scored nine points apiece respectively and the two players had five rebounds apiece. Daisy Bugarin added six points and five rebounds and Olivia Fale scored five points with four rebounds. Desiree Mexicano contributed with two points and two rebounds.
In the first round of the playoffs the Lady Aztecs claimed a 57-45 win over the #12 seed Capuchino Caps of San Bruno. Soledad led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter and built the lead to 32-22 at the half. The Caps fought back and outscored Soledad 14-5 in the third quarter as the host team could not get their shots to drop and had a few turnovers.
In the fourth quarter the Lady Aztecs finished strong and outscored the Caps 20-9 in the finals eight minutes of the contest. Suarez led Soledad in scoring with 19 points and added five rebounds. Bugarin had a monster game on the boards with a game-high 30 rebounds and scored 12 points. Saldana just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Also scoring for Soledad were Chavez with seven points, Emily Tinajero with three points, Denise Virgen with three points. The trio combined for nine rebounds.
“Capauchino was an exciting game to watch as my team had to adjust to a new competitor,” said Rodriguez. “That kept the game interesting and made the team go that extra step, add the extra, and work hard to earn the W.”
The Lady Aztecs had a great season winning the Mission Trail Athletic League championship for the first time and winning nearly 20 games in total victories (18-6). The Knights played on Saturday at home.
“We accomplished all our team goals and some,” said Coach Rodriguez. “It was such a special year for the Soledad basketball program. My team’s hard work and dedication to the game we all love made the season possible. I am beyond proud of this team and their talents and I can’t express it enough.”
