Schools
Update: Archer Playoff Game Postponed Until Friday
The first round game in CIF 4A is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Santa Monica College.
The Big Bear Unified School District declared today a "snow day", thus prohibiting all BVUSD athletic teams from traveling. The first round CIF 4A girls basketball match-up between the Archer School for Girls and Big Bear High School will be played on Friday at Santa Monica College. Tip off will be at 7:30 p.m. Clear skies are predicted for the rest of the weekend in Bear Valley.
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The California Scholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) announced the 2012 high school basketball playoff brackets from their office in Los Alamitos on Sunday and the Delphic League champion Archer School for Girls (Brentwood) will host a first round game in the CIF 4A division against Big Bear High School (Big Bear) on Friday. The game will be played in the Pavilion at Santa Monica College, Archer's "home away from home". Tip off is 7:30 p.m.
Archer, 17-8 overall, has played a tough out of league schedule this year, competing against large public and private schools in prestigious events like the Inglewood City of Champions Tournament and The West Coast Jamboree in the Bay Area. Archer also represented small private schools in the MLK Public vs. Private Showcase hosted by Beverly Hills High School. The games against strong competition paid off as Archer put together a 9-1 league record to win the Delphic League Championship and earn the #15 seed from the CIF playoff committee. The Archer team is led by sophomore standout Maia Barnett, an All-CIF pick as a 9th grader last season who is averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists this season. The Archer co-captains are seniors Leslie Baker, a 2011 All-Delphic League selection that is averaging 9 points per game this season, and Coco Maurice, the 2011 Delphic League MVP and 5AA All-CIF team selection. Maurice is averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds per game. Juniors Mariah Davis (9 rebounds and 3 blocks per game) and Ciena Lennon (5 points and 5 rebounds per game) round out the starting five, although Lennon was recently lost for the season with a dislocated shoulder.
Big Bear comes into the game with a 11-9 overall record. The Bears (yes, they are the Big Bear Bears), went 5-5 in De Anza League play, a league the features a 20-win team in Twentynine Palms High School (4AA) and Yucca Valley High School, the #9 seeded team in the CIF 3AA. The Big Bear Bears have five seniors and return ten players from a team that qualified for the 2011 CIF playoffs. Big Bear is led by twin sisters, seniors Cori and Cara Burks. Cori leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game. Cara goes for 11 points per game in addition to holding the title of "2012 Miss Big Bear", which of course used to be known as the "Miss Snow Queen" competition.
This is the third straight year Archer has qualified for the CIF basketball playoffs. Last season the team posted an 18-8 record and advanced to the CIF 5AA quarterfinals. This season, based on both the new CIF legislation whereby schools with 1250 or more are required to play in division 1AA through 3A and the success of Archer in last years playoffs, Archer will compete in division 4A. Division 4AA and 4A will both include strong private schools that fall below the 1250 enrollment figure. As Los Angeles Times prep sports editor Eric Sodenheimer notes in the Times today: "Usually the strongest divisions rank from 1 to 6, but that can be ignored because 4AA has been labeled the "Super Division", with its cast of ambitious private schools, all of whom have enrollments of no more than 1,250 students. It's going to be a demolition derby before a champion is crowned."
The "demolition derby" starts Thursday and an anticipated loud and supportive Archer crowd will be on hand to cheer the home team. If Archer wins, they will more than likely travel to Santa Fe Springs on Saturday to face the #2 seed, St. Paul High School. For game updates and information be sure to follow us on twitter @ArcherAthletics.
CIF BASKETBALL INFORMATION
CIF 4A Basketball Playoffs: Big Bear High School vs. Archer School for Girls @ Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Parking available in metered spots on Pearl Street between 16th and 20th. Parking also available in public lot off Pico Blvd.
Game Time 7:30pm. General admission is $7.00, $4.00 for students with school ID.
Team Roster:
Kirsten Avila, Leslie Baker, Maia Barnett, Adriana Bass, Mariah Davis, Ciena Lennon, Rachel Magnin, Coco Maurice, Allie Simon, Emily Ward, Chanel Williams
Coaching Staff:
Denny Lennon, Kristen Benjamin, Alex Pegnato, Christine Jinbo, Lisa Live
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