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Lady Dragons fall to Justin-Siena

Sonoma girls traveling to Arizona for Cactus Jam

It was shaping up to be a close, but triumphant, return from a long five-game road trip for the Sonoma Valley High School varsity basketball girls, who controlled the tempo of their nonleague showdown with Justin-Siena of Napa and held a slim 33-30 lead after three quarters Saturday night in Pfeiffer Gym.

But the Lady Dragons suddenly lost their offensive edge, especially their scoring touch, mustering only three points, while committing eight turnovers in the fourth quarter, and Justin-Siena took advantage of their stumble by going on a 15-3 run to seal its 45-36 win.

Sonoma was paced by sophomore Mackenzie Albrecht’s nine points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two assists; sophomore Delaney Swanson’s seven points and six rebounds; senior Kendall Ashe’s seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals; sophomore Alexa Hall’s five points; senior Ali Romano and junior Amanda Lacy’s three points each; senior Ashley Vail’s two points and four rebounds; and junior Giana Monterosso’s five rebounds.

Justin-Siena again has a strong Valley presence on its team with longtime varsity head coach Mike Boles, assistant coach Victoria Deely and Lady Brave players senior Amanda Mertens and juniors Melissa Casteluci, Payton Orr and Natalie Avellar.

Deely is a former Sonoma and Bay Area traveling team youth hoops star, Justin-Siena prep MVP and all-state cager, and a collegiate athletic-scholarship starting standout at the University of California, Davis.

The varsity Lady Dragons will make their return trek to Arizona for some highly competitive holiday desert hoops in the annual Cactus Jam tournament in Tempe from this Wednesday, Dec. 26, through Monday, Dec. 31.