Just eight days after making school history with their first CIF-SS Championship, the Murrieta Valley Lady Nighthawks were eliminated in the regional quarterfinals of the State CIF Division 2 tournament by top-seeded Ridgeview 58-40. The loss ended an eight-game win streak. Their last loss was to Vista Murrieta on Feb. 1.

The #8 Lady Nighthawks dispensed with Westchester (27-9, 10-2, Western League runner-up) 71-48 in the first round of the Southern California bracket. Aliah Marshall shot 71 percent, making 10-of-14 attempts and leading all scorers with 22 points. She also contributed four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Karen Wolf had her usual double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Deshea Wilkes had 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one block. Brynn Dahmer recorded 10 rebounds. Ariana Hernandez had 10 assists and seven points. Julia Cardenas was two-for-three from the land of plenty.

The win earned them a five-and-half hour bus trip to Bakersfield to face Stanford-bound Erica McCall and the Ridgeview Wolf Pack (28-3, 8-0, South Yosemite League #1). McCall, a McDonald’s All-American, has scored ten triple doubles on the year, averaging 18.1 points, 15 rebounds, and 9.1 blocks per game. The Nighthawks were unable to stop McCall as she scored 37 points, pulled down 19 boards, and rejected ten shots. The Wolfpack press shortened the time clock and they established a 2:1 advantage on the glass.

Murrieta Valley trailed 30-14 in the first half behind poor shooting (6-of-22). They ended the night 15-of-49, 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Wolf finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Wilkes had nine points, ten rebounds; Marshall also had nine points, five rebounds. Wilkes and Marshall each had three assists.

Murrieta Valley ended their season with a 27-6 record, their first CIF Southern Section title, and their first win in the state tournament.