Bishop Diego girls basketball’s historic season came to a close with a 51-43 loss to Carlsbad High in the first round of the CIF Division 3 State Tournament on Tuesday in Carlsbad.
The Cardinals went 27-5 on the season, including the program’s fourth CIF-SS title and first since 2015. Their season-ending loss came at the hands of the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 champion.
The two sides battled back and forth in the first quarter, with Bishop Diego taking a slim 10-9 lead into the second. Carlsbad found a bit of a groove in the second, building up a 24-19 halftime advantage.
The Cardinals responded with a strong quarter of their own, but Carlsbad ended the third with a baseline out-of-bounds play to take a two-point advantage with one quarter to play.
Bishop Diego trailed by just two points with four minutes remaining, but Carlsbad ended the game on an 8-2 run to pull away for the victory.
“I think we were a little slow-footed in some rotations and they hurt us,” Bishop Diego head coach Jeff Burich said. “We just weren’t as quick as we needed to be. The team showed no quit, and I know we left a few points on the floor.
“This was a very winnable game for us on the road. That’s what makes this loss so tough despite being a 14-seed. We did a great job in the 2nd half rebounding. It kept us in the game despite our low shooting percentage.”
Eden Wynne capped off her standout junior season with 16 points for the Cardinals, while Jaymi Coronado brought her high school career to an end with an 11-point performance.