The Rancho Bernardo High School girls basketball team was facing a team on a historic run in Saturday’s CIF State Division II championship.
Unfortunately, the Broncos also had to do it without their game-changing 6-foot-3 force in the middle.
It was too much to overcome as Rancho Bernardo couldn’t overcome a sluggish start and dropped a 56-36 contest to Caruthers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
It was Rancho Bernardo’s first trip to the state championship, although the Broncos (26-8) won the Southern California regional in 2021 in which there was no state championship game as it was played in late June that year.
“Words don’t describe how proud I am of this team,” Broncos coach Kyle Williamson said. “To be here and experience this opportunity and then compete the way we did — especially in the second half — couldn’t be more proud. I have continually been at a loss for words with what this group has done this season especially down the stretch and in state.”
Caruthers (26-6) captured its second straight state title and became the first girls basketball team in state history to go 3-0 in its first three trips to the state championship in three different divisions.
Junior forward Abby Lesagonicz didn’t make the trip because she had a previous club volleyball commitment. She was replaced by freshman Hannah Powell, and the Broncos struggled at the rim on both ends.
All but four of the Blue Raiders’ field goals in the entire game came inside, and all four were 3-pointers.
“Not having Abby there controlling the paint and altering shots was a huge reason for that run, but we definitely weren’t playing to our capabilities defensively,” Williamson said. “That also has to do with how great a team Caruthers is.”
The Broncos got here with a stifling defense, one that allowed opponents just 32.4 points per game. The Blue Raiders sured that with two seconds left in the first half to close an 11-0 run.
Caruthers went on an 18-2 run that began toward the end of the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the Broncos went 1-for-8 from the field in the second quarter, which came after going 1-for-7 to start the game.
“They just put so much pressure on you to defend the ball and then be aware of their post and then have to defend their shooters on top of it,” Williamson said. “Our girls tried to make adjustments in that first half figuring out how to play without Abby, but we just couldn’t make them until that second half.”
Broncos leading scorer Lindsay Biddle was outstanding with 19 points, including three shots from close to NBA range, and a game-high 11 rebounds. She hit back-to-back 3-pointers as the Broncos started to chip away at what was a 33-10 deficit to start the second half.
Keira Tokushige chipped in with 11 points with six rebounds and four assists, but missing Lesagonicz — who nearly had a triple double in the Southern California Regional championship, including eight blocks — was a big hole offensively.
Junior forward Brooklyn Weddle came off the bench with three points, Tokushige’s twin sister Reese added two and freshman forward Ameya Mullapudi added a short jumper at the end. But that was it offensively.
The lead was 26 at one point until Rancho Bernardo twice got it down to 14. A 10-foot jumper from Tokushige ended a 15-4 run to cut it to 49-35.
But the Blue Raiders full-court pressure defense and efficient inside scoring was too much to overcome.
“I’m so proud of our team,” Williamson said. “To be down 26 and coming into the locker room at half hearing it from the Caruthers fans — which were in huge numbers — telling us to warm the buses, it was humbling. Got to give these girls all the credit in the world for their character and toughness. They grounded out that second half and completely handled the moment like the champions they are.”
