CBS 13 Sports: Tiger’s one game from immortality

The Imperial girls basketball team squares off versus Branson in the CIF State Division IV title game on Saturday

SACRAMENTO, Calif ( KYMA, KECY-TV ) - Win or lose the Imperial girls season will come to an exhilarating end on Saturday. For the first time in program history, the Tigers find themselves as far as they can possibly go in a California prep high school season, the final game of the year, the CIF State Division IV championship game.

"This is incredible," Head coach Rich Ponchione said. "What the girls have been able to do, somebody asked me, what were your expectations for the year, honestly, I said coach {Daniel Cardova} and I were just planning for Holtville, we just wanted to win league. We had no idea we were capable of this."

A run at the state title didn't seem to be on the radar after the CIF San Diego Section Championship loss to Fallbrook. Imperial found themselves with a home playoff game as a #6 seed against #11 Heritage.

"We only had one practice before that game and it was a really bad practice," Pochione said. "A lot of the girls seemed, I don't know, like they were checking out?"

On the court it was just the opposite as the Tigers trampled the Patriots 50-21, earning the program's first ever state playoff win. Imperial followed that with a win on the road over San Marcos in Santa Barbara.

"I think the win in Santa Barbara really gave us confidence, like, hey, we could do this," Ponchione said. "They {San Marcos} looked real good on tape and they had played well, they played against some powerhouses up there and did really well. So, we were like oh boy. I said coach {Daniel Cardova}, this is our measuring stick, if we can get a win here in Santa Barbara then yeah, I think we can go all the way."

The Tigers then defeated defending state Division V champion Trinity Classical Academy on the road followed by their third straight win over top seeded Yucca Valley this past Tuesday. A win Rich Ponchinone says one of the best team efforts of the season.

"They kept double teaming Sierra Morris so we told her to just look for her buddy down low, Amy Riley, and that's what she did," Ponchione said. "Amy really stepped up, she converted like three in a row for us. She got us a little bit of a lead back until they started fouling."

Just like in the game versus Trinity where late free throws decided the outcome, the same scenario happened in the Southern Region final versus Yucca Valley.

"We missed I think three front ends of one and ones," Ponchione said. "That allowed them to come back until Georgia Gomez was put on the line and she made four in a row, which pretty much sealed it."

Sophomore Georgia Gomez recently earned her way into the starting lineup just a few weeks ago.

"Georgia just started playing basketball just a few years ago, she one of the best volleyball players at Imperial High," Ponchione said. "She's a starting outside hitter for the volleyball team and she does the rodeo circuit. So, we've been trying to get her to become more of a basketball player because she has so much athleticism. She's so fast and strong. She has all the pieces but hasn't had a lot of practice."

It was the play of Gomez late in the game and the play from Xiomara and Nayeli Cardona along with key minutes from junior Erin Lizarraga.

Imperial will play the Branson Bulls out of Ross, California, located just north of San Francisco in the state finale.

"If we get everyone to pitch in four, six, eight points here and there," Ponchione said. "We're nearly unbeatable."

The Imperial Tigers will look to become the first state champion in girls basketball history to hail from Imperial County. The last time any basketball team made it this far was the 1988 Calipatria boys basketball team who fell in overtime.

Tip off between the Lady Tigers and Bulls from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PST on Saturday morning.