On the strength of a fourth-quarter surge, the Chatsworth Chancellors beat league rivals Taft to win the City Section Championship last night, 60-49. After evenly trading baskets for three quarters, Chatsworth broke away in the fourth, lead by All-American Gennifer Brandon and junior guard Monica Jackson.
The 6-foot-3 Brandon not only made big plays under the hoop all night, but she dribbled the ball the full length of the court twice - once taking it to the rack herself and the second time, outletting to a teammate for the bucket. It was remniscent of the multi-skilled Candace Parker, who is 6-foot-4. Brandon, headed to Cal next year, finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Jackson, with 15 points and five rebounds, seemed to be in the right places at the right times, all the time. But it was her sometimes-dazzling moves that seemed to impress the crowd most. In the fourth quarter, she stole the ball and then spun around under the hoop, away from her defender, for the layup. Chatsworth fans were on their feet, and it was that bucket that put the Chancellors up 44-39 at the 5:34 mark, and began their run. Brandon, who had scored only six of her points in the first half, put in more than that in the fourth quarter; she seemed hungry for the win.
Taft, fighting valiantly behind their crew of good shooters, suddenly began to miss shots in the last period. Junior guard Rmanii Haynes lead her team with 10 points and 10 assists.
First quarter, 17-14 Taft
Second quarter, 26 all
Third quarter, 37-36 Chatsworth
Final, 60-49
Chatsworth won the title this year after losing in last year's finals to Narbonne High School. Chancellors coach Michelle Chevalier had also lost to Narbonne in the same game in 2003, when she coached for Sylmar. And ironically, it was a game against Narbonne this season that kicked Chatsworth out of a slump, igniting them to a 17-4 season finish:
Nine games into the season, the Chancellors were just 5-4, riding a three-game losing streak at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. Not exactly a running start.
It would only take one game to get back on a roll though, and in a weird twist of fate, that opponent was Narbonne, the team that had ruined Chatsworth's season twice a year before.
On Dec. 22, the Chancellors defeated the Gauchos 49-34 - since then, they've gone 17-4.
Link: http://www.dailynews.com/preps/ci_11849042
Good pics of both teams on this link: http://www.dailynews.com/preps/ci_11858243
On the other side of the Los Angeles metro area.................
Cajon did indeed beat Poly last night. Strangely, OCvarsity.com has no story on arguably the biggest game and upset of the Southern Section tournament so far. I am dying to know how it went down, who scored what and what went wrong for Poly. Tidbits on socalhoops indicate that both Darshae Burnside and Layshia Clarendon of Cajon were in foul trouble in the second half, but kept Poly down 8-10 points when one or the other was on the bench. OCvarsity.com better get off their cans and post a story about this upset of the defending state champions by basically two players.
Down the road at the Mater Dei-Beverly Hills game, MD sophomore forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored 41 points in her team's 81-42 route. This isn't the first time Mosqueda-Lewis has come close to outscoring an opponent on her own. It's ridiculous.
Is there anyone to stop Mater Dei this year? I think not. This piece says MD is ranked third in the nation. If they're third, who could be first and second? I'd like to see those teams.
Link: http://www.ocvarsity.com/articles/dei-mater-first-2327773-player-points
Tonight's games at Mater Dei High School:
Colony vs. Canyon Springs, 6:30
Brea Olinda vs. Edison, 8:15
3 comments:
I dont think OC Varsity will have an article on the LB Poly v Cajon game as it doesnt involve teams from OC(although it was played in OC)
article from the LB Press Telegram has a good wrap up
http://www.presstelegram.com/preps/ci_11858149
The line score was
Cajon 16 - 14 - 9 - 13 =52
LBP 11 - 8 - 8 - 17 = 44
Clarendon had 28 points.
Burnside had a lot of blocks and was able to out-rebound most of the Poly players all night.
Clarendon did have a couple of flops, but nothing like the MD game. She also took her time at the foul line late in the game, so that the Poly fans started a 1-10 count to make the refs call a delay on her.
I thought the refs could have called a lot more blocks on Poly when they were guarding Clarendon but they let the flow of the game go on if the bump wasnt affecting the flow of the game.
Poly had no real outside shooting game last night and that had to be due to the loss of Kelli Thompson/UNLV. She is coming back from a wrist injury and tried some shots, including an air ball that was way off target.
Strange site and something I thought might be ilegal was that Jasmine Dixon/Rutgers-->next year UCLA was allowed to sit on the end of the Poly bench.
Both teams brought a big group of fans.
I have seen Clarendon play and win two SS CIF championships in two straight years. She has done this with Burnside and then three other girls that are nowhere near as talented as their teammates nor much of the championship competition they have faced. I dont know if K. Lewis of Mater Dei or Christiana Marinacci of Foothill could do the same job as Clarendon has done. To me she is the player of the year for the Southern Section.
IM in OC
I was hoping you were out there, IM in OC. Great game recap, and I hope you don't mind, but I think I'll make a whole new post using it.
Very strange about Dixon.....I think that is indeed illegal. I will have to check with the Southern Section.....if their scared butts will even make one comment about it.
I agree about Clarendon - there really is no comparison - I don't know how anyone can put Lewis in there she plays on a team full of talent with the best coach around and is allowed to shoot evey time she touches the ball - she doesn't have to carry her team, handle pressure or see any difficulty D. There are other players who have to carry their team and get all the special defensive attention but she is not one of them. I luv Marinacci but she has a PG and another 6'2" player on her team so she has more than Clarendon to help her - Cajon has been given little respect for what they and Clarendon have done and it's about time she received the recognition she deserves.
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