Golden Valley girls will host playoff basketball game

Golden Valley High girls basketball coach Matt Thissen isn’t a fan of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s new rule where league champions have to play up to the level of their conference’s division.

Because the Central California Conference is considered a Division I league, Golden Valley – with a Division II enrollment of 1,772 students – will play up in Division I for the playoffs.

The Cougars (24-3) earned the No. 5 seed and will host No. 12 Franklin of Elk Grove (18-9) on Tuesday in the first round.

“We don’t think it’s right that we’re playing D-I with a D-II enrollment, almost a D-III enrollment,” Thissen said. “I believe that for all teams who were moved up, not just us. We’re happy with the five seed if we have to play D-I, but we’d rather be in D-II where our enrollment dictates. But we’ll roll with it and be ready to play. I’m sure Franklin will be a tough opponent.”

Moving up to Division I put Golden Valley in the same bracket as St. Mary’s of Stockton, ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Another hurdle for the Cougars entering the playoffs is a 14-day layoff between their final regular season 59-40 win over Merced on Feb. 9 and Tuesday’s first-round matchup.

“That is a concern,” Thissen said. “Two weeks off … I don’t know. We’ll find out if it affects us. I’d rather us have finished up this Tuesday like the other leagues.”

Thissen wasn’t the only area coach upset over the playoffs.

The Livingston girls finished the regular season at 19-8 and a share of the Western Athletic Conference title with an 11-1 record.

The Wolves were shocked to see they earned a No. 12 seed in Division IV and will open at No. 5 Placer (18-7) on Tuesday.

Livingston coach Nina Garcia said her players were just as surprised when the bracket was announced during the Sac-Joaquin Section’s online selection show.

“It was silent,” Garcia said. “It was like all their jaws hit their desks. They are all looking around like, ‘What happened?’ I think we were all banking on a home game.”

Atwater (18-8) earned the No. 14 seed in Division II and will travel to No. 3 Elk Grove (18-9) in the first round. Southern League champion Mariposa (20-7) was the only other girls team to qualify for the playoffs. The third-seeded Grizzlies will host No. 6 Holt Academy (17-3) on Tuesday.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Golden Valley girls will host playoff basketball game."