GIRLS’ BASKETBALL / THOUSAND OAKS TOURNAMENT : Chino’s Height Advantage Too Much for Hart
THOUSAND OAKS — Beating Chino High was too tall an order for the Hart High girls’ basketball team Friday night.
Each Chino starter enjoyed at least a two-inch height advantage over their Indian counterparts and Hart came out on the short end of a 43-35 decision in the championship game of the Thousand Oaks tournament.
“They were definitely intimidating,†said Hart’s Jaclyn Kuptz, a 5-foot-10 center.
The Cowgirls (10-3) outrebounded Hart (9-4), 45-25, and used second and third efforts to jump to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter.
Hart’s LaCresha Clark, the smallest player on the court at 5-4, supplied the Indians with some big plays in the second half to help her team rally from a 16-point deficit.
Clark, an all-tournament selection, scored 16 points and applied the defensive pressure to help Hart close to within 36-28 in the fourth quarter.
Hart, which trailed 28-12 at the half, forced nine Chino turnovers in the second half and outscored the Cowgirls, 23-15.
Tansy Murillo scored 14 points and 6-1 center Jean Clark added nine points and 14 rebounds for Chino. Denise Jung, also 6-1, contributed eight points.
Thousand Oaks 60, Cabrillo 55--Freshman Courtney Miller scored 13 points and Nicki LaSala added 12 to lead the Lancers (8-6) to a third-place finish.
Lindsay Ball scored 30 points for Cabrillo (8-4).
Crescenta Valley 68, Sacramento Bear River 58--Amirah Leonard scored 24 points and Michelle Greco added 18 as Crescenta Valley (12-4) won the fifth-place game and gave third-year Coach Marc Ward his 50th career victory.
Honey Ramirez scored 28 points for Bear River, which advanced to the Division IV state championship game last season.
Canada Maple Ridge 50, Channel Islands 44--Eleanor Ecoffey scored 17 points and Danielle Curtis added 11 for Channel Islands (7-7) in the consolation championship.
Palmdale 54, Rio Mesa 28--Rena Bonde scored 20 points and Monique Nolan added 13 to pace the Falcons to a seventh-place victory.
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