Armijo girls ousted from section hoop playoffs

STOCKTON -- The pressure got to Armijo High's girls basketball team.

No, not the pressure of a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinal game. Rather, the defensive pressure applied by highly-ranked St. Francis, of Sacramento, was too much for the Indians.

St. Francis blew the game open in the second quarter and roared past Armijo, 83-40, in the Spanos Center at the University of Pacific.

Armijo is eliminated from the Sac-Joaquin Section tournament, but will advance to the Northern California Division I tourney next week with a 24-6 record. The Indians had their 16-game winning streak ended in the Spanos Center.

St. Francis improved to 24-6 and advanced to the section Division I title game and next week's Nor Cal tournament.

The Indians turned the ball over 31 times in the face of a swarming Troubadors' defense. Armijo uses the press to win games, but couldn't handle that same press when it was applied to the Indians.

Armijo trailed just 20-16 after the first quarter, but St. Francis went on a 10-1 blitz to open the second quarter. After Melaya Gaines scored to cut the Armijo deficit to 32-22, the Troubadors took advantage of six consecutive Armijo turnovers.

Thirteen unanswered points to conclude the first half put the game all but out of reach for St. Francis.

Justice Robinson-Kroon scored 11 points for the youthful Indians. Chloe Dawkins, Marshanique Hall and Gaines scored eight points apiece.

The first-round matchups for the Northern California Division I tournament will be announced on Sunday.