Once Again, Santa Ynez No Match for St. Bernard : Division IV: Although the Vikings play sloppily, their tough defense prevails in 55-39 win.

The St. Bernard High girls’ basketball team could point to several positive things after its game against visiting Santa Ynez on Thursday night:

* Minimal wear and tear on its nets (though the rims and backboards took a beating).

* None of its players were hurt.

* A 55-39 victory in the Southern California Division IV regional semifinals.

But there was nothing pretty about how St. Bernard (28-4) advanced to the regional final. The Vikings will play Valley Christian of Cerritos at 6 p.m. Friday at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

At the end of a turnover-filled first quarter, St. Bernard led, 10-6.

But as Viking forward LeTisha DuCree said: “I figured we had to warm up before we got into it.”

Things picked up in the second quarter as St. Bernard took a 30-18 advantage at halftime, led by two three-point baskets by guard Kelly Shimabukuro, who teamed with center Marte Alexander to lead the Vikings with 10 points each.

Kristi Rohr had a game-high 12 points for Santa Ynez (27-3).

Pirate point guard Erin Alexander injured her right ankle seconds before halftime. She started the second half but was visibly slowed by the injury. St. Bernard’s defense took advantage, forcing Alexander to turn the ball over repeatedly. The Vikings took a 41-22 lead with 3:04 left in the third quarter and coasted the rest of the way.

“We were a little bit flustered,” Santa Ynez guard Rachael Gillingham said. “We missed a lot of little shots we should have made.”

St. Bernard Coach Lori Pawinski was unhappy with her team’s own shooting performance. But, she reasoned, “Defensively, both teams played their guts out tonight.”

The Vikings had beaten Santa Ynez, 75-50, Saturday.