School cancels classes so students can support team in section final; how they did
In front of more than half of the high school student body, Valley Christian Academy of Roseville defeated Forest Lake Christian 56-50 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI girls basketball championship Friday morning at Golden 1 Center.
Classes were canceled due to the game, and many of Valley Christian’s 111 students occupied the first six rows of section 102.
“It meant so much,” said sophomore Abby Larson, whose basket gave the Lions a three-possession lead with 1:45 to play. “We’ve worked very hard this whole season, and it’s nice to win for my team. We are all very excited.”
It’s Valley Christian’s fourth section championship, all since 2014, and its first in an NBA arena. The Lions’ first two section titles were won at Galt High School. Valley Christian’s previous title in 2017 occurred at University of the Pacific in Stockton.
The reaction was a consensus, “Wow!” from the team when the Lions stepped into the colossal 17,608-seat Golden 1 Center to face the Falcons.
“It’s a lot of fun and an amazing experience playing where the Kings play, and it’s wonderful,” senior Bernada Rreshpja said. “It wasn’t new for me, but this is huge and I just love it.”
Rreshpja has played in front of big crowds before as part of the Albania women’s under-16 team. It’s her first season playing in the United States. She said she came here because she wants to play in college. Rreshpja signed a national letter of intent with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and ranks No. 31 in the nation in scoring per game and fourth in California.
Five times Rreshpja brought the Lions faithful to their feet when she rained down a 3-point basket. She finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
“She wants it, she wants it so bad,” Valley Christian coach Kimberly Contreras said. “She brings the inside game and outside game. Assists, she brings down the boards, steals, she is an all-around player. A team leader. She is always there for the team.”
Both teams qualified for the CIF Division VI Northern Regional by reaching the section final, but for Valley Christian, redemption was desired. Rreshpja joined a team that lost to Forest Lake Christian last season in the section semifinals.
Contreras said she was devastated by last season’s ending. Larson, who had two points in that game as a freshman, said one of the team’s weaknesses was a lack of endurance. She said the team practiced harder and had extra practices this season.
“We definitely stepped it up,” said Larson who scored 12 points in the section final. “We were really nervous at the beginning, and we managed to shake off all of our nerves. We played hard, and it was probably the best game we’ve had in a while.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 4:02 PM.