Late run sends Toros to semis

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Matilda Torres freshman Kaylin Perez goes up for a shot during Thursday’s Div. VI quarterfinal victory over Santa Ynez. Perez led the second seeded Toros with 21 points against the 10th-seeded Pirates.

---

The Matilda Torres Toros girls basketball team found itself trailing by nine midway through the fourth quarter, but closed the game on a 17-0 run for a convincing 47-39 victory over the Santa Ynez Pirates in the Div. VI Semifinals.

The second-seeded Toros recorded eight turnovers in the run and helped seal the game by going 10-of-12 from the free throw line in Thursday’s victory over 10th-seeded Santa Ynez.

“Towards the end of the third quarter I could see our team’s body language,” head coach Jose Villalobos said. “I told them the importance of eight minutes left and have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. I told them to go back to what got us here. They started closing gaps on the press, started to get some steals. They got excited from the steals. Before you know it, you’re up three.