Trust, cohesion, fundamentals, effort.

Roll them into one, and you have the makings of a champion.

Dabbling in the large-school basketball realm this postseason for the first time after years of good living in Divisions II and III, the St. Francis Troubadours on Saturday night relied on the ingredients that have made this one of the dominant programs in Northern California since the mid-1980s, and the celebration continues.

Top-seeded and battle tested from a brutal nonconference schedule, the Troubadours pulled away late from Lincoln of Stockton 57-49 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I final at Power Balance Pavilion. It was an entertaining and taxing experience with bodies spilling onto the floor for loose balls and controlled chaos in the lane, prompting one old-timer fan to mutter, "Wow, the girls compete."

There were fast breaks, inside passing, three-point bombs and defense. It's the eighth title for the program that features scholars and ballers, and the Troubadours now head to the Northern California Regionals for the 11th time.

All this from a club that started the season 2-3 after soul-searching defeats to powerhouse programs Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, Narbonne of Harbor City and Del Oro. There was concern but hardly despair. This is a program that never panics, certainly not with veteran coach Vic Pitton preaching the positive and pushing his pupils to the limit in practices and games.

"Every team has to learn how to deal with adversity, and we didn't know how to earlier this season," Pitton said. "We learned, got better, and we believed."

They believe they can do a lot more, too, including challenging for a NorCal title on this same Power Balance floor on March 19. As they have all season, senior guards Jolise Limcaco and Briana Charles led the Troubadours, scoring 12 points each and combining for 13 rebounds and providing a defensive presence that kept the Trojans of Stockton gassed and guessing in the fourth quarter. Pitton was also masterful in having waves of players come in and out – fresh bodies to defend inbound plays, run the break and crash the boards. This included Mary Mumper and MacKenzie Conarro, who would sprint into action, sprint off, then in again.

"We are a team," Pitton said. "We learned to depend on each other, rely on each other, trust each other. (Our guards)… don't have to have the ball to make a difference."

St. Francis is certainly guard strong with Charles and Limcaco, best pals since the sixth grade and body clones in blur and production at 5-foot-6. The supporting cast is, as Limcaco said, "the best." It includes Ellie Earley , Beth Balbierz and Kristin Anderson.

St. Francis, in its 70th year in education, has long wheeled out droves of academic achievers who can throw their elbows and throw down threes. There isn't a bona fide Division I recruit on the roster, but good luck matching SAT scores with this crew.

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