STOCKTON — For the third season in a row, the St. Mary’s girls basketball team’s quest for a state championship has ended in the regional semifinals. And for the second time in three seasons, it ended at the hands of Los Altos Hills-Pinewood High.The Rams came almost all the way back from a 19-point deficit to pull within a point in the final minute of play, but couldn’t finish things off in a 59-56 loss in the CIF NorCal Open Division semifinals held Tuesday at Delta College’s Blanchard Gym.St. Mary’s finishes its season with a 27-3 record, not to mention a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship. It’s the second time the Panthers have ended the Rams’ season, with Pinewood beating what was a national No. 1 St. Mary’s team two years ago, a squad that was both the reigning state champion and winners of 57 consecutive games.That 2016 loss was a tight game all the way through, with the Rams leading by six at the half, but succumbing to a second-half surge by Pinewood. For three quarters Tuesday, things were a much different story.
St. Mary’s season ends in regional semis
