Del Oro surges past Colfax in D2 quarterfinals

With a trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinals in the balance, the Del Oro High School girls basketball team delivered its most complete finish Thursday night. After surrendering its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, the third-seeded Lady Eagles responded with a 22-4 closing run to defeat No. 6 Colfax 57-40 in the quarterfinals. Del Oro (24-5) advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2022 and clinched a berth in the CIF NorCal Regional Tournament. The victory snapped the Lady Eagles' run of consecutive quarterfinal exits while ending Colfax's streak of three straight section championships and seven consecutive state tournament appearances. Colfax (22-8) was hot on Del Oro's tail for the majority of the night, staying within a possession or two throughout. The Lady Falcons finally broke through when senior Madalyn Sigrist drilled a 3-pointer with 7:38 remaining for a 36-35 lead, their first of the game. The response from Del Oro was immediate. The Lady Eagles regained the lead on clutch free-throw shooting by sophomore Skylar Moffitt. Minutes later, senior Aleyna Estrada buried a massive 3-pointer, igniting the run that flipped the game for good. "Aleyna hitting that big three just kind of sparked that energy," interim head coach Tristan York said. "It created something defensively in them, too. They just got a little more focused, a little more energy after that three hit. That made the difference for us." From there, Del Oro tightened defensively and attacked offensively. Frankie Steffes took control, scoring eight of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. Madeline Poe scored 14 points, and Moffitt scored all five of her points during the decisive stretch. Steffes' impact went beyond scoring. "She's a really big deal on this team," Poe said. "Not only scoring, she makes a huge impact on rebounds. When she goes in the game, you just see our rebounding go up immensely. And as a leader, she's always hyping up our team." The win was anything but easy. When the Lady Eagles fell behind and Colfax had the momentum, it became Del Oro's rallying cry rather than its last stand. "Our message was just play 100 percent, get every 50-50 ball, win the game," Poe said. "We have home-court advantage. We have the crowd rooting for us. Just come out with all that energy." Poe did so despite foul trouble. After picking up her fourth foul, she returned midway through the fourth quarter and delivered five points and key rebounds down the stretch without fouling out. "I was definitely thinking, don't pick up a foul. Play solid defense, keep my hands off," Poe said. "On offense, just get my team the best shot possible and make plays." Del Oro's defense did the rest. Sigrist led Colfax with 13 points, including all seven in the fourth quarter. Belle Chu scored 12, but the Falcons managed just four points after taking the lead as Del Oro switched everything defensively and contested every look. "It was just a team effort," York said. "We trusted them to switch and help over. We were just bothering them enough." York said he was proud of his team, especially after a tumultuous season that included an unexpected coaching change in December. "This was a big thing for them," York said of advancing to the semifinals and qualifying for the state tournament. "They really wanted to get past the second round. After everything they've been through, it's good for their morale." Now, the Lady Eagles are one win away from the section championship game at Golden 1 Center. "It means so much," Poe said of having the opportunity to play for a section and state title. "It's a testimony to all our commitment to this team and those of us who stuck through it, no matter the challenge. No matter what happens, we can just push through it and get the wins." Del Oro will visit No. 2 Christian Brothers (25-5) on Tuesday in the semifinals.