Photos by Ray Hamill/HumoldSports.com

By Ray Hamill — One week after their breakthrough Dick Niclai tournament win, the St. Bernard’s were clearly fired up for their North Coast Section playoff opener.

The top seeds in the Division-3 bracket came storming out of the starting gates on their way to a comfortable 58-40 win over No. 8 San Domenico.

The win was the Crusaders’ 19th straight, a winning streak that dates back to late December, and it sets up a semifinal showdown at home against No. 5 Dougherty Valley on Tuesday night.

According to head coach Matt Tomlin, “the amazing Lady Crusaders played an outstanding team game for four quarters.”

It’s difficult to argue that assessment.

The St. Bernard’s girls went on an 18-3 run to open the game and there was no way back for the visitors.

The Crusaders would outscore the Panthers in each of the first three quarters and led 46-22 going into the final period.

There were several standout performances for the top seeds, including from senior Aliyah Vigil, who did an outstanding job on Stanford commit Carli Amborn, a senior guard.

“Vigil played amazing and held Amborn to 12 points,” Tomlin said. “We could not have won this game without her performance.”

Fellow senior Laila Florvilus also had a big night in the win and turned in an inspiring performance, helping to set the early tone for her teammates.

Florvilus had a double-double, finishing with 27 points and 17 rebounds to go with five steals and three blocks.

“Laila Florvilus was again sensational and lit up the stat sheet,” the coach said.

The Sundberg sisters also impressed for the Crusaders.

Senior Jocelyn finished with five points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists, while sophomore Samantha had 10 points and six rebounds, going over the 500-point career mark in just her second season with the team.

Freshman Carli Baum also had a good night in her first-ever high school playoff game and chipped in 12 points, while also playing some great defense against San Domenico’s second-leading scorer, holding her to just eight points.

Tuesday’s game is set for 7 p.m.