No. 1 seed San Jacinto Valley Academy were the “runners-up” in the CIF-SS Division 5AA girls’ basketball championships held Saturday, Feb. 29, at Godinez High School. Valley News/Courtesy photo
They are the new kids on the block, but No. 1 seed San Jacinto Valley Academy proved their worth as they scratched and clawed their way to the CIF-SS Division 5AA girls’ basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 29, at Godinez High School. Their opponent, No. 3 seed Artesia High School, piled it on though, behind a crafty freshman in Samerika Young, who boosted the Pioneers to a 46-39 victory.Young scored 21 points and pulled down 22 rebounds – both game highs – including 17 rebounds from the offensive end, despite being double-teamed most of the game. In the first quarter alone, she hit all five of the Pioneers’ baskets from the field and made six of eight shots for the half.“It really was a team effort,” Young said. “Without the team, we wouldn’t have gotten thi
