Down four at halftime, Kennedy-Richmond went on a 13-4 run to start the second half and never trailed after again in a 69-54 over host Branham in a California Interscholastic Federation NorCal first-round girls basketball game Wednesday night. The Eagles (26-6) advance to take on top-seeded Sacred Heart Cathedral in the regional quarterfinals Saturday night; the Bruins finish their season at 23-8.
Kennedy established control by working the ball inside in the third quarter. Post player Julian Robinson scored 12 of her team-high 24 points as the Eagles wiped out the halftime deficit, outscoring the Bruins 21-12 to go into the fourth quarter with a 50-45 lead. Robinson scored most of her points on put-backs and layups down low.
The Eagles continued to work the ball inside, opening up a double-digit lead at 63-52 midway through the fourth quarter. Junior Kaylonii Bardell picked up the scoring slack with seven of her 11 points and Robinson added six in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Regina Sankey kept the Bruins in the game with a game-high 30 points, scoring at will from both inside and outside. Sankey hit five 3-pointers and got Branham off to a good start with 10 first-quarter points. The Bruins led 21-12 at the end of the first period, as they were able to consistently break Kennedy's full-court press and create open shots.
Lefty sharpshooter Raven Caldwell kept Kennedy close in the first half, bombing in 11 of her 17 points in the second quarter as the Eagles came back from an early double-digit deficit.
Branham forward Taylor Morway, the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton Division Senior of the Year, scored 10 points in her final game in the Bruin uniform.
