Miller, Sierra roar past Moorpark in state women's basketball quarterfinal

LEMOORE--Five colleges that advanced to the 2020 state tourney only to have the COVID-19 pandemic derail their hopes for a state title have returned to the 2022 CCCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Two hooked up in Thursday's second quarterfinal as North #2 seed Sierra overpowered South #3 Moorpark, 83-53, on Thursday afternoon.

Moorpark (24-4) came right out of the gate, sinking three straight 3-pointers, the last by Ashley Orozco for a 9-0 lead two minutes into the game. Little did the Raiders know it would be their last hurrah in the contest.

Sierra rallied early thanks to the inside play of All-State Second Team forward Jesse Miller, who made all six of her first-half field goals for 12 points. A Miller jumper gave the Wolverines the lead at 15-14 after one quarter. Miller's layup capped a 10-0 run early in the second quarter. With seven seconds left, Jenna Duley's bucket extended Sierra's lead to 35-26 at halftime. 

The Wolverines (26-3) then poured it on in the third quarter, outscoring Moorpark, 27-7. When Miller drained a trey just 30 seconds into the fourth quarter, Sierra had doubled the score on Moorpark, 66-32. 

Miller finished with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds (9-for-11 from the floor). Sierra shot 49.3 percent from field overall, and was even better beyond the 3-point arc, hitting 8-for-17 (47.1 percent). All-State Third Team guard Chiristina Oliva sank a trio of 3s as part of her 15 points. Duley, an All-State First Team guard, added 11 points and four assists while Brianna Lambley scored 10 off the bench with five rebounds. 

Sierra's size was too much for a smaller Moorpark lineup as the Wolverines relied on the 5-foot-11 Miller and 6-foot forward Kiki Griffin (eight points, five rebounds) to control the paint. Another key player on both ends of the floor was Devon Lewis, who tallied six points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Orozco, an All-State First Team guard, led Moorpark with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Kaydn Mew contributed 12 points. The Raiders still hit ten 3-pointers overall, but made just 6-for-32 on 2-point attempts. The Raiders were state runner-up in 2019 and have become a regular participant at the state tourney. 

Sierra, which won its only state championship in 1999, advances to the state semifinals on Saturday and will play the winner of tonight's S1 Mt. San Antonio/N4 College of the Sequoias quarterfinal. 

Release by Robert Lewis, for the CCCAA