Team effort propels Erica's Ridgeview past J W North 92-73 into State semifinals

Ridgeview High's Erica McCall is fired up after Ridgeview beat J.W. North from Riverside to advance to the D II Southern California finals.

ZACH EWING, bakersfieldcalifornian.com, March 12, 2013

For the second straight state playoff game, Ridgeview's girls basketball team had to play an extended period without Erica McCall. For the second straight time, the Wolf Pack responded and marched closer to the state finals.

In fact, the Wolf Pack has rarely looked better.

Ridgeview raced past Riverside-John W. North 92-73 on Tuesday night at home, scoring at least 20 points in every quarter and advancing with style into the CIF Division II Southern California championship. That game will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Ontario against Lynwood. The winner there plays March 23 in Sacramento for a state championship.

"This was one of our good ones," Ridgeview coach Michael Martin said. "We've got two more good ones to go."

By many standards, this was a really good one: Ridgeview (29-3) had four players score in double figures, led, as usual, by McCall. The McDonald's All-American scored 32 points and had 15 rebounds, but she had plenty of help, too.

"That's something we've been working on," Martin said. "The way (North) plays, they're so aggressive, they take risks, they give you some open shots. They were really focused on Erica, and we hit the open shots."

That was especially important in the second half, when McCall picked up three quick fouls in and had to go to the bench with four fouls and 3:52 still remaining in the third quarter.

But in the six-plus minutes she was out, Ridgeview's 20-point lead actually increased to 21. She checked back in at 5:33 of the fourth quarter and the Wolf Pack coasted from there.

"I'm so proud of my teammates," McCall said. "I didn't worry too much when I had to go out."

"McCall is phenomenal," J.W. North coach Leonard De Coud said. "She's a beast in and of herself, but then they had other girls step up and do a good job."

Now it's time for Lynwood, a team Ridgeview defeated 43-41 on Dec. 1 in Fresno. Lynwood has lost just four times since then, but Ridgeview could scarcely have more confidence: The Wolf Pack has won 16 games in a row and just scored 92 points, nine more than its previous season-high.

"By far, this postseason has been the best we've played in my four years here," McCall said. "Now we just need to go finish it off."