Wildcats Girls Basketball Team Falls in CIF Playoff Opener

Alize Hancock scored 22 points and the Paloma Valley High School girls basketball team led 18-8 early in the game, but the Wildcats lost a 69-62 decision to Chino Saturday in the first round of the CIF playoffs.

Ashlynn Cota contributed 16 points and Claire Garland 11 rebounds for the Wildcats. Regina Sheffield finished with four assists and four steals as Paloma Valley's season came to an end.

Foul trouble hurt Paloma in the second quarter, but the Wildcats rallied to take a 61-60 lead before falling behind again in the final minutes.

Paloma Valley Girls Will Open Basketball Playoffs at Chino

The Paloma Valley High School girls basketball team earned the No. 3 CIF playoff berth from the Sunbelt League and will open the 1A Division playoffs at Chino next Saturday, Feb. 22.

According to the CIF pairings released on Sunday, Paloma Valley will be facing the Mt. Baldy League champions, who have a 21-3 overall record. Chino was 11-0 in league play and will have the home court advantage in what should be a strong challenge for the Wildcats.

Paloma Valley finished the regular season with a 15-12 record, 6-5 in the Sunbelt League. In their final league game, the Wildcats defeated Elsinore, 49-42. Paloma is led in scoring by Ashlynn Cota (14.2 ppg), Alize Hancock (13.8) and Regina Sheffield (12.1).

The complete pairings for all girls and boys basketball divisions are available on the CIF's website, www.cifss.org.

Paloma Valley Girls Basketball Team Set for Ramona Tourney

Junior guard Regina Sheffield has attracted college coaches with her shooting and defensive abilities.

The Paloma Valley High School girls basketball team will continue to prepare for the Sunbelt League season when it opens play in the Ramona Tournament Thursday in Riverside.

The Wildcats (5-5) will face Ramona at 3 p.m. In their most recent competition, they beat Don Lugo (53-14) and Campbell Hall (47-43) in the Mustang Classic at Roosevelt High.

"The tournament went well," said coach Romeo Galbreath. "We good to face a good mix of teams. We got to see big post players, some good guards, and we went 3-1 against some good teams."

Paloma Valley's offense is guard-oriented, with Galbreath starting three or four guards at a time. That group is led by 5-foot-2 junior guard Alize Hancock (left) and 5-8 junior guard Regina Sheffield. Hancock is expected to be back for the Ramona Tournament after missing some games with a concussion. Sheffield is expected to average 15 points and 7 steals per game.

"Regina has a couple college coaches interested in her already," Galbreath said. "Her aggressive deefense, her speed and her ability to score are her strengths."

Adding to the team's depth is senior guard Ashlynn Cota (right). For strength on the front line, Galbreath will look to 5-11 freshman Rochelle Wagner.

Paloma Valley Hosts Girls Basketball Tournament This Week

The Paloma Valley High School girls basketball team is hosting a 10-team tournament beginning today and running through Saturday.

The Wildcat Tip-Off tournament begins with four games today. In the featured game beginning at 8 p.m., Paloma Valley plays Citrus Hill.

Elsinore, Rancho Verde, Temecula Valley and Murrieta Valley are other local teams entered in the tournament, which culminates in the championship game Saturday at 6 p.m.

In Tuesday's pool play tournament action, Paloma Valley plays Murrieta Valley at 4:30. Pool play continues the next three days.