Lady Dragons seeded 6th in NCS

With their unexpected regular-season run and 21-5 record, which included, in long-shot fashion, winning the Sonoma County League title, the young Sonoma Valley High School varsity basketball girls were acknowledged Sunday by the North Coast Section and awarded with the Division-3 sixth seed.

The tough NCS Division-3 bracket begins with this evening’s opening round as the sixth-seed Lady Dragons (SCL champion, 22-6) host 11th-seed Encinal (WACC-S, 16-12) at 7 p.m. in Pfeiffer Gym, and whoever triumphs faces the winner of third-seed Acalanes (DFAL, 20-6) hosting 14th-seed San Rafael (MCAL, 9-15) in Friday night Feb. 27, NCS quarterfinals.

Tonight’s other NCS Division-3 games include top-seed Miramonte (DFAL champion, 24-2) hosting 16th-seed Del Norte (HDNL Big 5, 13-11); second-seed Bishop O’Dowd (WACC-F champion, 18-8) hosting 15th-seed Albany (TCAL-S, 13-10); seventh-seed Hercules (TCAL-S champion, 20-7) hosting 10th-seed Alhambra (DFAL, 13-13); eight-seed Campolindo (DFAL, 13-13) hosting ninth-seed Petaluma (SCL, 21-6); fourth-seed Moreau Catholic (MVAL, 18-8) hosting 13th-seed San Marin (MCAL, 12-15); fifth-seed Eureka (HDNL Big 5 champion, 17-6) hosting 12th-seed Tamalpais (MCAL, 16-11);

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It was both the rubber game of the three meetings between longtime SCL rivals, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma varsity girls basketball teams and, as expected, last Thursday night’s SCL Tournament title clash in Pfeiffer Gym turned into a physical, low-scoring battle.

With both squads splitting the two regular season games on their respective home courts, the Lady Dragons used their tough, in-your-face defense to yield only one basket and two free throws for an 11-4 first-quarter lead over Petaluma.

But while the defense did its part throughout the game, Sonoma’s offense stagnated when leading scorer junior Jenny Eggers was sidelined with foul trouble early in the second quarter and, though still clinging to a 16-15 edge at the half, the visiting Trojan girls were finally able to take the advantage.

After Petaluma opened the second half on an 8-0 run en route to finish the third quarter up 29-22, then pushed the lead to double digits in the fourth period, the Lady Dragons put together an 11-2 flurry down the stretch, but still dropped a 37-33 decision and the Trojans had their third-straight SCL Tourney crown.

Pacing Sonoma were junior Sami Von Gober’s nine points and three rebounds; junior Bella Bollman’s eight points, three rebounds and three assists; junior Renee O’Donnell’s five points and one blocked shot; junior Emma Stanfield’s four points and eight rebounds; senior Alexa Hall’s four points; and Eggers’ three points and seven rebounds.

The SCL champion Sonoma varsity girls – directed by head coach Sil Coccia and assistant coaches Dino Minatta and Sheila Brady – include seniors Shelby Camilleri, and Sierra Lilly; juniors Rocky Darnell, Jenny Eggers, Annie Greenslade, Heidi Landeros, and sophomores Grace Cutting, Kayla Field and Alanna Johnston and Katie Stovall, who were added to the postseason roster from the strong junior varsity team.