Andrew Uloza
for Miami Herald
When Sela Travieso first started playing for Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart when she was in sixth grade, Carrollton had never even been to a region championship.
Now a senior, Travieso played in her second straight region title game Friday, and she and her Cyclones made sure the result was different. For the first time in school history, Carrollton is heading to the final four after blowing out Immaculata-La Salle, 73-50, in the Region 4-3A championship.
The Cyclones will be the No. 4 seed in the Class 3A state semifinals and next travel to Jacksonville to face top-seeded Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons on Monday, March 9 at a time to be determined.
“Last year, we got close, and we lost,” Travieso said. “This year, we weren’t going to let that happen again.”
Carrollton’s Sela Travieso (2) tries to score against La Salle during the Region 4-3A girls’ basketball final game on Friday, February 27, 2026 at Carrollton School in Coconut Grove. Andrew Uloza for Miami Herald
The Cyclones (22-2) trailed for only a few seconds in the first quarter—down 3-2—and used a fast start to take and maintain control of the game. Carrollton nailed four three-pointers in the first five minutes—three by Cyclones guard Josephine Salazar, who scored 11 of her 14 points in the opening quarter—to build a double-digit lead, which it clung to for nearly the entire game.
With a double-digit lead in hand, Travieso guided Carrollton the rest of the way, scoring 15 points and dishing out five assists, pushing the tempo in the way the Cyclones prefer, controlling the offense whenever the pace threatened to get too chaotic, and picking apart La Salle’s defense with a mix of midrange shots and smart passes.
In two previous matchups with the Royal Lions (17-9) this season, Carrollton won by just two and nine. In the third meeting between the Miami rivals, the Cyclones—and specifically Travieso—had answers for everything La Salle threw at them.
“She’s the most underrated player in the state,” Carrollton coach Danny Ramos said. “The way she controls the floor and controls the other team’s defense is unlike anything I’ve seen at least in this area of Florida.”
Carrollton fans celebrate teams victory against La Salle during the Region 4-3A girls’ basketball final game on Friday, February 27, 2026 at Carrollton School in Coconut Grove. Andrew Uloza for Miami Herald
The most serious matchup problem for the Cyclones in the 4-3A championship was 6-foot-3 Royal Lions forward Ana Villarreal, who stood four inches taller than any Carrollton starter. Although she led all scorers with 21 points, Villarreal didn’t disrupt the Cyclones’ hyper-efficient offense because Travieso was able to get into the paint and make smart decisions.
When Villarreal stepped up to try to block Travieso’s shot, the guard slipped a pass to a back-door cutter for an easy layup. When Villarreal dropped to seal off cutting lanes, Travieso dropped in floaters for easy buckets.
“No single point guard has an effect on the game like she does,” Ramos said of Travieso, who also had nine rebounds and six steals.
The entire team was efficient, though: Salazar also had five assists and six steals; Carrollton guard Alisa Azcuy led the team with 20 points and had six rebounds; and Cyclones senior Veronica Larrea added 10 points.
A year ago, Carrollton’s best season yet ended with two losses to SLAM Miami Academy in the span of two weeks, including a blowout in the region title game.
Carrollton and La Salle players fight for the rebound during the Region 4-3A girls’ basketball final game on Friday, February 27, 2026 at Carrollton School in Coconut Grove. Andrew Uloza for Miami Herald
In 2026, the Cyclones flipped the script, winning a pair of high-profile games against La Salle to make some more school history.
“It means a lot. They work so hard. I’m happy for them,” Ramos said. “They make me look good, they make the school look good, they make each other look good, so we’re proud right now. We’ll celebrate today, but we’ve still got work to do.”