Girls basketball: Round 1 goes predictably, unlike Round 2
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As I suspected, the Chatsworth-Lynwood game was the best of the night on Monday in the Southern California Regional Division I playoffs. Chatsworth, which had lost earlier in the season to Lynwood, 60-55, avenged that defeat in the first step toward winning a state championship with a 60-58 victory on the strength of Gennifer Brandon’s 18 points and Kim Smith’s basket with six seconds remaining.
Other scores were predictable, and one-sided -- the exception being Millikan’s 57-48 victory over Chaffey.
Tuesday is Round 2, and it is loaded with appealing games in Division I:
San Clemente at No. 1 Long Beach Poly: Probably a better game than most would assume. Few teams have the size to deal with Poly. San Clemente does. But the Tritons can’t rely on height -- they will have to be tough and be strong, because Poly goes after the ball with a vengeance. If San Clemente’s guards hold up and don’t wilt under the defensive pressure, this could be a whale of a game. Poly should still prevail, but it won’t be the one-sided affairs that it has had in victories over Lynwood, Millikan and Bonita Vista.
Miller at No. 4 Millikan: They played in the finals of the Ayala Extravaganza and Millikan scored a 61-52 victory. I like Miller in the rematch, even though it’s on the road. One reason: I don’t think Miller showed all its cards on Dec. 19.
Cajon at No. 3 Narbonne: On a night of good games, this might be the best as Narbonne’s Reiko Thomas matches up against Layshia Clarendon. The real key is how Cajon handles the Narbonne environment. If the fans show up and the gym is packed, it can be intimidating. If the fans stay home for ‘American Idol,’ Cajon can breathe a sigh of relief. Regardless, home-court advantage in this matchup is huge, and Narbonne’s depth should make a difference at the end. But this should be a close one.
Chatsworth at No. 2 Fresno Clovis West: The good news Monday was Chatsworth won. The bad news is that it must play in Fresno. The good news is that it has the shortest travel distance among any of the Southland teams. The bad news is that it could still be a long trip back. The good news is it won’t matter if it wins. The bad news is that it probably won’t. Chatsworth has been in tournament situations four times this season and lost the second game of the tournament three times; the exception was the City playoffs, which were really a free ride. With no prep time and huge travel, it doesn’t look good for the Chancellors.
-- Martin Henderson