DIVISION IV-AA GIRLS’ BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS : Santa Ynez Puts an End to Corona del Mar’s Run

NEWPORT BEACH — Corona del Mar’s unexpected playoff run came to a crashing halt Wednesday night when Kristi Rohr and Santa Ynez dominated the Sea Kings, 77-32, in the Division IV-AA girls’ basketball quarterfinals.

“It was like the 49ers and the Chargers,” Corona del Mar Coach Garth Flint said. “It was a tough ending and unfortunately, it is what everyone will remember.”

The Sea Kings (13-15), a wild-card selection who upset two opponents on their way to the quarterfinals, were outmatched from the start. Corona del Mar starting center Jennifer Gardner did not play because of illness. And without Gardner, the Sea Kings couldn’t stop Rohr, a junior center.

Rohr, 6 feet 1, dominated the inside, with 27 points, 18 rebounds, three blocked shots and four steals. She scored the first 14 points of the game for the Pirates and finished the first quarter with 16, on eight-of-nine shooting from the field. She finished the night 12 of 17 and was three for five from the line.

“She is an incredible player,” Flint said. “Our game plan was to slow her down, and obviously we didn’t do a very good job. She reminds me a lot of Marie Philman of Edison.”

Top-seeded Santa Ynez (25-1), ranked fourth in the state, didn’t make a lot of mistakes and shot 50% from the field. The Sea Kings shot 23% and were outrebounded, 44-29.

The Pirates were in control early, taking a 23-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led by 23 at the half.

Sophomore Lindsay Warmington paced the Sea Kings with nine points, and junior Melissa Ford added seven.

Santa Ynez got 15 points from senior guard Erika Dommeyer and nine rebounds from junior Kirsten Pederson.

The Pirates, who beat Carpenteria by 47 points in the first round, will face fourth-seeded Inglewood St. Mary’s.