Jordan Cruz – Basketball – Sophomore

   With so much attention on Lions’ 6-foot-2 forward Gigi Garcia, it can be easy to overlook sophomore Jordan Cruz. The 5-10 forward seized the spotlight on the biggest stage by scoring 19 points and leading a stout defensive effort as McClatchy downed Oak Ridge 58-49 in the NorCal Division I girls final at Sleep Train Arena.

McClatchy-Sacramento – Basketball – Sophomore 

   With so much attention on Lions’ 6-foot-2 forward Gigi Garcia, it can be easy to overlook sophomore Jordan Cruz. The 5-10 forward seized the spotlight on the biggest stage by scoring 19 points and leading a stout defensive effort as McClatchy downed Oak Ridge 58-49 in the NorCal Division I girls final at Sleep Train Arena. Cruz made four 3-pointers and converted 7 of 8 free throws, including four in the final minutes of the victory that earned the oldest operating school in Sacramento its first-ever state finals berth. Cruz played most of the second quarter with Garcia on the bench with three fouls and helped the Lions hold off a Trojan rally to maintain a slim lead at halftime. Then, she scored 14 of her game-high 19 points in the second half. McClatchy will face Serra-Gardena in the Div. I CIF State Championship on March 27 at 6 p.m. at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.

   IN HER OWN WORDS: “I was feeling confident coming into the game and I was ready to succeed on the court with my team,” Cruz said. “I like shooting at (Sleep Train) a little better because I feel like it’s just our team and the court. I can’t really see the fans out there as much and it’s so loud that you can’t really hear the noise from the stands as much.”