Dixon Girls Eliminated in Disappointing Loss to East Union to Open Basketball Playoffs

MANTECA -- Valley Oak League runner-up East Union started fast and eventually bounced Dixon High's girls, 58-48, eliminating the Rams from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III basketball tournament on Tuesday.

"We played pretty well," said Dixon assistant coach Guy Garcia. "East Union had a good team, but they were a team we could've beaten. It's unfortunate."

The tournament's 10th seed Dixon finishes the season 18-10 after finishing second in the Golden Empire League with an 8-2 mark. No. 7 seed East Union is now 20-6, after finishing 11-3 in the powerful Valley Oak League. 

East Union will play the winner of Tuesday's game between second-seeded El Dorado and 15th-seeded Whitney, of Rocklin. The second-round game will be play on Thursday.

Dixon's sophomore guards Maddie Dwelley  and Sam Del Mugnaio led the scoring for the Rams. Dwelley scored nine points. Del Mugnaio added eight.

The Rams fell behind early and trailed by seven points at halftime.

"East Union tried to press us, but that wasn't effective," Garcia said. "We had our chances, but we just couldn't take advantage of opportunities."

East Union wasn't troubled by the trapping defense that Dixon used successfully to slow teams all season.

"They handled it pretty well," Garcia said. "But, we missed some shots we probably should've made. We didn't turn the ball over."

First-year head coach Mike Barrett will lose five seniors from this year's GEL power -- including post Sophie Kroll and guard Marisa Vela. He will return Dwelley, Del Mugnaio, guard Carlene Dyer and post Miranda Williams who starred as sophomores down the stretch. 

"We know the competition gets a lot tougher in the playoffs," Kroll said entering postseason play. "We want to win in the first round, but we know that there are teams we could play who are really good. We just want to hang in there and not get blown out. We want to play hard."