These are the types of free throws Jaleiyah Ray is comfortable with.
The junior guard knocked down two with 18.3 seconds remaining, capping the final score of No. 3 Lathrop’s 49-42 victory over No. 6 University Prep of Redding in a CIF State Division IV Northern Regional quarterfinal on Thursday.
Ray was faced with a far more pressure-packed situation in the opener just two days prior, as she hit the second of two free throws with three-tenths of a second left in overtime of a 43-42 triumph over 14th-seeded Hillsdale.
“Feels good to be able to put the game away and come through for my team,” Ray said. “Last game, there was a bit more pressure, but this time it was a little easier to seal the game and put it away.”
Lathrop’s historic season continues on Saturday, and the Spartans (32-1) are going to have another NorCal home game. They can thank 10th-seeded Benicia (22-10), which upset No. 2 Bret Harte, 56-53. Benicia visits Greg Leland Gym for a regional semifinal starting at 7 p.m.
“Isn’t that something?” 12th-year Lathrop coach Dwayne Davis said. “We came from going 13-14 last year, and here we are home for the (NorCal) playoffs.”
Ray finished with a game-high 18 points with eight rebounds and two steals. She was able to get to the free-throw line at the end by grabbing an offensive rebound off missed free throw from Shakara Porter, Lathrop’s fourth-year varsity veteran who amassed 10 points, eight rebounds and eight steals.
Earlier, freshman guard Aisha Wiseman (four steals) caused a turnover with about 40 seconds remaining, setting up two free-throws makes from Breanna Wiseman to make it 47-40.
Although the Spartans have failed to break the 50-point barrier for a third straight game, Davis has been pleased with the defensive effort. They held University Prep (20-10) to just six points in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot Breanna Wiseman was a presence in the post in crunch time, coming up with four defensive rebounds and two blocks in the final period. She finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
“Defensively, we’ve been able to clamp down when we need to clamp down and get stops and turnovers,” Davis said. “I like the adjustments we made, and I was able to bring players in and keep them on the floor for 3 to 3 ½ minutes — no drop-off. The next player comes in, and we still have the defense. We may lose a little bit of offense, but that just means we need a couple more stops.”
Both teams dealt with foul trouble in the physical battle. U-Prep relied on scoring balance, getting eight points apiece from Aubrey Caudell, freshman Monet Johnson (six rebounds) and Lanea Jackson (seven rebounds, two blocks).
The Panthers led 12-7 after the first quarter and 25-22 at halftime. Lathrop shot 1 of 8 from the free-throw line in the first half.
The Spartans scored nine unanswered points early in the third, getting back-to-back banked-in 3-pointers from Ray during that stretch. Jaylah Seabron punctuated it with a mid-range shot and later hit a corner 3-pointer for a 34-31 Lathrop lead.
Ray pushed the Spartans ahead for good 56 seconds into the fourth quarter, converting a traditional 3-point play for the 41-38 lead.
“We knew this was going to be a challenge,” Ray said. “When you get to the state tournament, all the teams are going to be challenging. We had to come in headstrong with the energy and courage on every possession.”
The next challenge is a team that has already vanquished two higher-seeded teams. Benicia started the state playoffs with a 54-38 win over No. 7 Twelve Bridges. The Panthers are the North Coast Section Division III runners-up.
“It’s been a good way to close out my high school career before I go off into a new phase in my life,” Porter said. “I’m excited to get another home game and proud, because we’ve worked so hard to get this far.”
