LIVE BLOG: Carondelet vs Berkeley, Girls Basketball, D-I NorCal Finals

Carondelet and Berekely have met three times this year, but tonight's game is the one that matters. The winner will advance to next week's Division I state title game.

In the first meeting, at the West Coast Jamboree, Carondelet won . Berkeley got revenge with a   win on Jan 15., and then took out the Cougars in the .

First quarter

5:40: Carondelet out to a 4-0 lead as both teams try to establish a flow to the game. Carondelet 4-0

3:49: Culberson to the line for Berkeley. She hits both. Carondelet 6, Berkeley 6.

2:45: Ashley Webster shows off some impressive athletism driving to the basket for a score. Berkeley 8-6

1:07: Huffman gets two back from the free throw line, but Culberson and Elisha Davis score on back-to-back possesions to put Berkeley up 5. Berkeley 13-8

END OF FIRST — Berkeley 14, Carondelet 8

7:30: Huffman opens the second quarter with a three for Carondelet. Berkeley 14-11.

6:07: Pace is starting to pick up. Berkeley 18-15.

5:30: Brittany Boyd with with a nice drive for Berkeley. Berkeley 20-15. 

5:05: Hannah HUffman is carrying the Cougars right now, she has 11. Berkeley 23-17.

2:05: Cal has a good one coming in Brittany Boyd. Wow, she is incredilve to watch. Berkeley 27-17

1:46: Natalie Romeo is just a freshman, but she doesn't play like it. Solid with both hands dribbling the  basketball and she showed that off on a nice drive, but Berkeley answers quickly. Berkeley 29-19.

HALFTIME — Berkeley 31-19

Berkeley came out and was the more energized. The 'Jackets look every bit like the favorite. Stat of note: Erica Payne, 0 points. 

Scoring leaders — Berk: Culberson 8, Davis 8, Boyd 6, Guinn 2, Webster 2, Howard 2, Youngblood 2, Hunter 1. Carondelet: Huffman 11, Romeo 8.

6:09: Berkeley has opened a 37-23 lead — it is like they picked up where they left off in the NCS championship game.

4:49: Natalie Romeo and Hannah Huffman are doing their best to keep the Cougs in the game. Berkeley 39-29

3:45: Cougs starting to get the momentum on their side. Berkeley 39-31

3:25: Katherine Luther coming out of nowhere to energize Carondelet. Just finished off an and-1 to make it a 5-point game. Berkeley 39-34

3:13: Berkeley fans behind me are having trouble coping with the refs calling legit fouls against Berkeley. Here's a solution, don't commit obvious fouls and they won't get called. Berkeley 7 team fouls, C-Let 1. Berkeley 39-35

2:34: Here come the Cougars. Huffman for two. Berkeley 39-37

1:37: After a brief Berkeley run, Huffman hits a pair of free throws. Berkeley 43-39

33.3: After a 3 from Berk's Rachel Howard, Huffman answers with an and-1.  Berkeley 46- 42.

END OF THREE — Berkeley 48, Carondelet 42

7:44: Hannan HUffman has 25. She cuts the lead to 4 to open the 4th. Berkeley 48-44

7:23: Culberson hit one of two free throws to push the lead back to 6. Berkeley 49-44

7:04 — Boyd just picked up her 4th foul. She's staying in the game. 

6:41: Boyd is out now and Erica Payne goes coast-to-coast for a bucket. Lead down to 3. Berkeley 49-47

6:07: A quick answer has it back at 5. Berkeley 51-46.

5:33: Romeo goes 1-for-2 from the line. Berkeley 51-47

Hunter, Guinn and Boyd all have 4 fouls for Berkeley

4:25: Payne picks up her fourth with the Cougars down 51-47.

4:00: Luther and Hunter trade baskets. Berkeley 54-49.

3:17: Berkeley pushes its lead back to 56-49. Payne is watching from the bench ... oh wait, now she's back in.

2:30: She immediatley gets a bucket, but Berkeley answers. Portia Velasco just fouled out for C-Let. 

1:30: Looks like Berkeley has this in the bag now. Jackets up 62-53.

With Huffman and Romeo coming back next year, "There's always next year" rings true for the Cougars. But for a program of their prestige, that can probably be said every year. Berkeley leads 64-55 with 43 seconds left. 

FINAL SCORE — Berkeley 68, Carondelet 57