There were frowns and sounds of frustration, but the long faces didn't last long.

This Del Oro Golden Eagles team is one confident, chipper bunch, and in defeat, there was a resounding sense the season is far from being on the brink.

Seeded second, Del Oro gave national power and three-time defending champion St. Mary's of Stockton every bit of a game in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II final at Power Balance Pavilion on Saturday.

The Rams used their trademark exhausting defense, three-point shooting and cool foul shooting late for a wildly entertaining if tightly officiated 70-65 triumph.

Now both sides are talking rematch. The teams advance to next week's Northern California Regional tournament.

"We'd love to see them again," said Del Oro senior leader Madeline Campbell, who scored 23 points. "If we see them again, it'll be a different story. We played a great team. Today wasn't our day. Tomorrow will be. Early on, it was, 'Wow. We can beat them.' "

Del Oro, a tradition-rich program based in Loomis under veteran coach Mike Takayama, was in a section final for just the second time, the first since winning a D-III crown in 1999. Takayama said he has his best team in the 25 years he has run the program, a tall, talented, determined crew that can pass, run, break pressure and rebound.

That's also what St. Mary's has featured for years.

The Rams played in their 15th title game in the last 17 seasons and gleefully hoisted their 12th banner, a record, eclipsing the great Bear River teams under coach Duwaine Ganskie a generation ago. St. Mary's has amassed a 49-2 section playoff record under fiery coach Tom Gonsalves since 1999-2000, and he has a record nine titles to show for it.

Still, with all that pedigree and gloss, Del Oro never blinked or flinched at the opponent or setting.

The Golden Eagles charged to early leads and made 17 of 24 shots in taking a 41-36 lead, largely by beating the Rams' pressure defense.

In the second half, defense set the tone for St. Mary's as the Golden Eagles finished with 31 turnovers. The miscues and loss of three players to fouls doomed Del Oro.

"They're really good," Campbell said of St. Mary's.

Or, as Takayama said when asked if the Rams were still great, "Oh gosh, yes."

Campbell made all seven of her shots in the first half for 19 points, but she had no more field goals the rest of the way as the Rams hounded her. They also hacked, slapped and pushed at will, per their defensive nature.

Fellow senior leader Crystal Sewell had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Brianna Ruiz and Stephanie Geyer combined for 14 points and 15 rebounds. The most frustrated Golden Eagle was Belle Obert, a superb player who was slowed by foul trouble. She had two points and six rebounds.

"We have a great group," Takayama said. "This is the best basketball we've ever played, this year, in my 25 years. We have a lot of confidence. We hope to see them again."

Said Gonsalves, "A rematch would be fun."

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