Dos Pueblos girls basketball coach Manny Murillo calls them effort plays, individual accomplishments in a game that can spark a team to victory.
Junior Carly Letendre provided the Chargers with one of those plays in the last 50 seconds of their 53-49 win over Saugus in a first-round game of the CIF-SS Division 2AA playoffs at Sovine Gym on Thursday night.
With DP trailing 49-48, Eden Wynn fired up a NBA-distance three-pointer that bounced off the rim. Letendre hustled into the paint, battled for the rebound and controlled the ball in the corner. She then passed to Wynn, who moved into the elbow area of the key. Wynn tossed the ball to a wide-open Taylor Grant and she knocked down a three-pointer for a 51-49 advantage.
Kindah Ahmad Reda and Wynn each made a free throw, Saugus misfired on its last two shot attempts and the Chargers (17-11) celebrated a first-round playoff win for the second year in a row. They’ll play at second-seeded North Torrance in the second round on Saturday.
“Whether the shots fall or not, we have to have the effort. We got to win those effort plays,” said Murillo of Letendre’s key offensive rebound. “We got to have more effort plays than they do if we want to win the game and I thought we did. Those O boards down here won us the game in my opinion. We don’t get that shot if we don’t get that second chance.”
Letendre saw the opportunity to sneak inside for the rebound of Wynn’s shot.
“The (Saugus) girl was out of position and I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll sneak in there and get it,’” she explained. “And then it went right to me and Taylor was like perfectly behind me, and I was like, ‘Yes!’”
Letendre “can kind of do it all,” said Murillo of his 5-foot-7 guard. “She can score, she can pass, she can rebound, even though she’s our smallest player, right? The past 6-7 games, she didn’t score a lot but she managed the game and made those type of plays when we needed it. In the past, when she wasn’t scoring as much, it kind of affected her mentality. I’m so proud of how much she has grown and learned how much she can effect a game without even scoring with the ball. That play was nothing to do with scoring, that was just all high IQ and effort.”
Grant knew Letendre’s savvy and hustle would give DP the chance to retake the lead late in the game.
“Of course,” Grant said of expecting her teammate to make a big play. “I know she’ll set me up for any shot. I just spotted up. I know I missed the shot before but I trusted myself and the shot and it went in.”
Murillo was confident Grant would take and make the eventual game-winning shot.
“Tay is a killer. She’s grown a lot this year,” he said of his 6-foot sophomore. “I think her mentality has kind of evolved to the point she’s really skilled. She’s getting the mentality to compete at a high level, and she has the green light, too. I always tell her to be aggressive: ‘I want you to shoot as many shots as you can.’
“Tay is a special player. I think she has D1 potential. We love having Tay around. She’s aways positive, she’s a great teammate, too.”
Wynn and Ahmad Reda each scored 11 points to lead a balanced DP attack. Lauren Robles and Grant followed with nine points apiece and Letendre and Hannah Remick each scored five points.
Saugus (16-12) had four players score in double figures, Rachel Correa and Bri Burroughs each had 12 points and EvaMaria Rios and Jasmine Garcia finished with 10 apiece.
Saugus led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter, but Wynn brought DP back in the second quarter with seven straight points. Grant followed with two free throws and Asha Nayak and Letendre buried threes to complete a 13-0 run for a 33-21 advantage. The Centurions ended their scoring drought with five straight points to trail 33-26 at halftime.
Robles hit a trey and Ahmad Reda scored after a steal for a 39-33 DP lead midway through the third quarter.
Garcia and Rios sparked a Saugus comeback. Garcia hit a three and scored on a drive and Rios scored off a Burroughs assist for a 40-39 lead.
Remick scored inside to put DP back in front heading into the fourth quarter.
The teams went back and fourth until Letendre and Grant delivered the difference-making plays for the Chargers.
“I am so proud of my team for everything they are accomplishing this season individually and as a family,” said Murillo. “I wouldn’t want to be pouring into any other group besides this one. We are building the winning culture here at DP brick by brick and I’m blessed to be here leading them.”