Piedmont High School’s girls basketball team advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation Division 1 Northern regional semifinals with a 62-60 win over San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno on March 6 at Binks Gymnasium.
The ninth-seeded Highlanders advance to play No. 4 St. Mary’s-Stockton on March 8 at 5 p.m.
“That was a good game,” Piedmont coach Bryan Gardere said. “That was a really good game. The girls played really hard. Both sides.”
Andrea Martin scored 22 points to lead the Highlanders. She also grabbed nine rebounds. Jenelle Solis had 19 points and Briana Webb scored 17 to go along with seven rebounds.
Sienna Evans led the Panthers with 29 points and eight rebounds.
“She was doing it all,” Martin said. “She’s a really good basketball player. I love her game.” Teyanna Burrell had 10 points and 10 rebounds while Alex Perryman had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists before fouling out late.
Webb hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half to give Piedmont a 35-33.
“Bri’s top of the key three, and we kept it from that point on,” Gardere said. “Two or four or two or four and then five.”
Piedmont’s Jenelle Solis (22) and Briana Webb (25) defend San Joaquin Memorial’s Amieya Walters (red) in a CIF Division 1 playoff game at Binks Gymnasium. 
San Joaquin Memorial’s Amieya Walters (red) drives on Piedmont’s Savannah Dennig (21) during the Highlanders 62-60 win in a CIF Division 1 playoff game. 
Piedmont’s Jenelle Solis (22) cuts around San Joaquin Memorial’s Sienna Evans (red) during a CIF playoff game. Solis scored 19 points while Evans scored 29. 
San Joaquin Memorial’s Teyanna Burrell (34) and Piedmont’s Savannah Dennig (21) watch for a rebound during the Highlanders 62-60 victory.
The Highlanders got the lead to seven a couple of times, but Memorial wouldn’t go away. In the final seconds, Piedmont was up 61-57 with the ball. Webb put up a 3-pointer and missed as the clock ticked down to 10 seconds. A long rebound was tipped by White and secured by Solis, who was eventually fouled. She made one shot with 3.3 seconds left. Evans hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer but it wasn’t enough.
That rebound was emblematic, according to Panthers coach Jordan Whitfield. “I think their effort on the offensive boards is really what killed us tonight,” she said. “We played some great defense on some possessions, we made them go for 30 seconds and then we gave them an extra opportunity, a couple on some possessions. Ultimately their effort on the offensive side is what killed us.”
She noted her team came back from six down in their first round game against top-seeded Folsom, which Memorial won in double-overtime.
“We were feeling good about the time but we couldn’t get that rebound there,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been preaching to our kids all season is boxing out, not allowing extra possessions and that’s ultimately what won them the game.”
Whitfield coached the game with her two-month old daughter Tatum strapped to her chest. Tatum earned a technical foul for being fussy in the second quarter. (We’re kidding – Tatum was adorable and sound asleep when Whitfield did her postgame interview.)
San Joaquin Memorial Jordan Whitfield coached with her two-month old baby Tatum strapped to her chest during a CIF Division 1 playoff game at Binks Gymnasium.
“I’ve never seen it and I thought it was awesome,” Gardere said of Whitfield coaching with her daughter wrapped up. “That kid is going to have basketball all the way through their system. The ball bouncing, the cheering, nothing is going to bother them. That kid is going to be something else.”
Gardere wanted something else to be known. “I want to go on record saying that was the best 16th seed in the history of 16th seeds,” he said. “That’s crazy.”
Said Whitfield, “We were shocked to get the 16 in D1 but we knew if we executed our gameplan we would win and we just couldn’t get it done tonight.”