The Manteca High girls basketball team held off a late surge from Emma Coronado and Valley Oak League rival Kimball on Friday, winning 56-53 to advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals and qualify for the NorCal playoffs.

Michailla Springs led the second-seeded Buffaloes (24-6) with 17 points, five rebounds and four steals, while 6-foot-1 senior standout Izabella Sanchez accumulated 10 points and 10 rebounds in her return from injury. Sanchez tweaked her knee in Manteca’s final regular-season game, and she missed the postseason opener Wednesday.

Manteca swept the No. 7 Jaguars (17-12) of Tracy in league play. Their quarterfinal showdown was back and forth throughout, and the Buffs led 38-37 going into the final period.

Coronado, Kimball’s dangerous sophomore shooting guard, knocked down three 3-pointers in the fourth and led all scorers with 21 points. She accounted for five of her team’s seven made 3s.

Manteca had four players in double figures. Jada Ikharo added 15 points, 10 boards, two steals and two blocks, while Brea Vieira collected 12 points and five assists. Springs and Vieira each made three 3s.

Manteca plays host to Will C. Wood next Monday in the semifinals.

Wood 62, East Union 58

The Cinderella story continues in Division III, as the 11th-seeded Wildcats (19-11) from Vacaville took down another contender.

No. 3 East Union (24-6) came up short despite a program-record performance from Nylah Dyson, who amassed 45 points. The sophomore guard made four of her six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished 17 of 21 from the free-throw line.

Donnese Payne contributed eight points and 16 boards in her final game for the Lancers. Wood was paced by Natalia Sanchez’s 22 points.

East Union led 29-28 at halftime, but Wood took started the third quarter with six unanswered points and was able to fend off the Lancers from there. The Wildcats stretched their advantage to nine early in the fourth.

EU rallied to close to within one with about 4 minutes to go but could not recapture the lead.

Wood opened its postseason with a 55-44 win over No. 6 Pioneer.

“They’re a good team, and they’re athletic,” East Union coach Jim Agostini said. “They were a little quicker to the ball than us tonight, unfortunately. We competed, we just didn’t play well in the first half and got behind the 8-ball.

“It’s a tough loss to end a great season. I thought my team competed extremely well.”

DIVISION III BOYS

West Park 51, Manteca 47

In Roseville, the No. 7 Buffaloes (20-10) put a scare into No. 2 West Park (23-6) after climbing out of a 12-point, halftime hole.

Evani Gaeta pushed Manteca ahead by one after drilling a 3-pointer with 2:30 remaining. Turnovers down the stretch ultimately doomed the Buffs, but coach Jason Hitt came away pleased with the effort.

“I was proud of the defensive effort in the second half, we battled back and died hard,” Hitt said. “Evani and Peyton (Neiman) had tremendous offensive nights. It was a true testament to the brotherhood on this team. They never gave up.

Gaeta led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Neiman scored 20 to go with eight boards.

Sacramento State commit Tallis Toure, a 6-9 center, scored 16 for West Park, nine coming in the first half. The Buffaloes held him without a field goal in the second half, but he made seven of eight free throws in that stretch.

Up next for the Panthers is No. 6 Christian Brothers next Monday.