Tesoro's Girls Hand Over Basketball Victory to Norco

The Outcome... Norco 57, Tesoro 43

The Cougars came into Rancho Santa Margarita on a mission and left with a road victory over Tesoro  in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2-AA playoffs. Norco (19-9) pulled away early, building a 41-17 cushion by intermission, and left the Titans (14-13) on the outside looking in for the remainder of the postseason.

“We stressed to the girls early on that there are three seasons wrapped into one; the preseason, the regular season and the postseason,” Cougars coach Rick Thompson said. “The difference is that if you mess up in the playoffs, your season is over. Our motto today was to come out from the beginning playing our game and take control.”

The Turning Point... Cougars Catch Fire From Long Distance

Tesoro was content to give Norco open looks from beyond the three-point arc throughout much of the first half. The Titans implemented a zone-based defensive scheme that clamped down the paint but left the perimeter open, and they paid dearly for the decision.

The Cougars, ranked eighth in the Division 2AA coaches' poll, buried six of their first eight three-point shot attempts, putting the pressure on their hosts. Norco received three-point baskets from four different players and, although the team didn’t sink a single triple in the second half, it gave the visitors a decisive early edge.

“We knew we were going to see a tight zone from [Tesoro] and they tried to get us to shoot ourselves out of it,” Thompson said. “Because we were able to hit those three-point shots early, it got them out of zone and into man coverage, which is what we wanted to see. We were able to do some very nice things against their man defense.”

The Difference... Ball Security

It’s difficult to win a basketball game when you lose the turnover battle. It’s nearly impossible to win when you lose nearly twice as many possessions as your opponent.

Tesoro surrendered 17 takeaways, resulting in a bevy of Norco transition points. The Titans wound up with more turnovers (eight) than field goals (seven) in the first half

“Once we got our rhythm and tempo going, we were able to create easy points off turnovers,” Thompson said. “The defensive focus was there and it allowed us to build a lead.”

The Cougars coughed up the ball eight times, but only twice in the opening half. Norco junior Deanna Johnson ran the show at point guard and played mistake-free basketball throughout the win. Johnson scored 10 points and had a game-high five assists.

All five of Norco’s starters scored at least eight points and Johnson was a major factor in the well-rounded offensive effort.

“Dee handles the ball very well for us and that’s important in the playoffs,” Thompson said. “She can control the tempo, break down the defense and make sure we get a nice shot.”

It was Over When... The Second Half Began Like the First Half Ended

Johnson capped off the Cougars' sensational first half by scoring seven points in the final two minutes, including two field goals off steals. Tesoro emerged from the locker room looking a lot like the team that struggled mightily during the opening 16 minutes.

The Titans turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions of the second half, allowing Norco to maintain momentum and cruise to the finish line.

The Aftermath... Norco Heads Home for Round Two, Tesoro Takes a Seat

The Titans' postseason run came to an abrupt end Thursday evening, but senior captain Ally Weiler said it doesn’t sully a successful season through the South Coast League.

“It’s sad that this is the way my time at Tesoro is ending, but this season has been a great experience for our team,” Weiler said. “My teammates and I have become so close and I’m sure we’ll play together again soon in the future.”

The Cougars, who hail from the Big VIII League, will have home-court advantage in Saturday’s second-round game. Norco hosts the winner of Thursday’s matchup between Burbank and Royal.

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