Placer pulls away from Twelve Bridges in D3 semis

For the first time since 1990, Placer High School girls basketball is headed to a Sac-Joaquin Section championship game. The top-seeded Hillgals defeated No. 4 Twelve Bridges 52-39 Tuesday night in the Division III semifinals to give head coach Tony Camillucci his first trip to a section final. "It's great because it's a special group of kids," Camillucci said. "They love each other, they work hard, they buy in. I've got three amazing assistant coaches. So yeah, it feels good for everybody." The program's last section championship appearance came 35 years ago, when the Hillgals not only won their second straight section title but went on to capture a CIF state championship. Now, a new generation will try to add to that history and Camillucci said this run has been years in the making. "We started this journey a couple years ago when they were freshmen, and we had two key kids go out with knee injuries," Camillucci said. "So we're finally all together, and they've just committed to working hard every day in practice. There's no days off." Twelve Bridges tested the Hillgals early, making five three-pointers in the first half despite entering the game shooting just 20 percent from beyond the arc as a team. Placer had a double-digit lead in the first half but the Raging Rhinos ended the second quarter on a 16-3 run to tie the score at halftime. "Credit to them, they hit open shots," Camillucci said. "So we adjusted a little bit at halftime to get rid of those threes." Twelve Bridges took the lead early in the third quarter and trailed by four heading into the fourth, but Placer began to pull away late. Camillucci also made a bold move, sitting Brookelyn Dunkle for nearly a quarter and a half in the first half to ensure she was able to guide the Hillgals to victory with a strong second half. Dunkle responded with big plays down the stretch, scoring all nine of her points in the fourth quarter as Placer put the game out of reach. "That was a big gamble," Camillucci admitted. "I was questioning myself the whole time, but it worked out. She had some big plays. She had a rough night, but when it counted, she came through." The message to her was simple. "My message to her is just constantly just reminding her that she's very good at this sport," Camillucci said. "It's a game. Have some fun. Take some pressure off. Just get out there and do what you do all the time. She's worked really hard on that part of her game, and it showed tonight toward the end." Lana Terrell and Ginger Biddle led the Hillgals with 16 points each. Twelve Bridges was balanced in its scoring with Addison Carpenter leading the way with 11. Karlie Hermit scored eight points and Isabella Sanchez six. Now the Hillgals (29-2) prepare for Saturday's section championship game against No. 2 Manteca-East Union (26-5) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Camillucci said it will be a great experience for his team to play on an NBA floor but wants them to remember there is work to be done. Said Camillucci, "We're going to work hard in practice the rest of the week. Enjoy it, soak it in. But once that ball's in the air, it's time to go to work."