End of the line in CIF quarters

PROVIDENCE HIGH — Providence High girls' basketball Coach Andrew Bencze was disappointed Wednesday following his team's ouster from the postseason.

However, the coach's feelings weren't directed at his squad's 42-33 CIF Southern Section Division VAA quarterfinal loss to Villanova Prep at Providence, ending the Pioneers' season.

Instead, his sadness about something else took precedence over his emotions concerning the loss.

"I'm not as disappointed with losing the game than I am with the fact that I won't see this group of players in practice [Thursday]," Bencze said. "This is a very special group and I will miss having them around."

Providence's run to the quarterfinals was the program's best postseason showing in school history.

The No. 3-seeded Pioneers just couldn't keep up with Villanova Prep, which used a superior inside game to stake the victory.

Although Providence (20-7) did forge a valiant comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats proved to be too tough down the stretch.

"I wish we could have been able to go further in the playoffs," Bencze said. "Our goal was to get to a CIF championship game.

"But I feel the worst for our group of seniors, who have played a lot for us and who helped us be successful this season."

Those seniors are Heather Hansen, Natalie Kasbarian, Melissa Rosal, Kelly Rosales, Jackie Pereira and Liz Reuter.

Unfortunately for Reuter, she was relegated to watching the team's success from the bench after she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament earlier in the season.

The playoff loss marked the end of a fine career for Hansen, who has been a standout on the team for four years.

This season's Liberty League Player of the Year in basketball, she guided the Pioneers to their second straight league championship. Also an All-CIF outside hitter in volleyball, she paced the Pioneers to a share of the league title and a berth in the CIF semifinals — the first in program history — and was the league MVP last fall.

"Heather is the best player in the division," Bencze said. "We are going to miss her very much."

Villanova Prep Coach Sarah Angell was also impressed with Hansen's play.

"She is a very good, physical player," said Angell, whose team finished second in the Frontier League. "We had trouble stopping her in the first half."