HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS : Louisville Coach Criticizes Win : Top-Seeded Royals Struggle Before Putting Palmdale Away

On the O’Hara scale, Louisville High’s 62-43 basketball playoff victory over Palmdale Friday night at Crespi was not a pretty picture.

“That was about a 3 on the Louisville scale of 10,” Royals Coach Brian O’Hara said. “That was our worst game in a long time. If we play like that, we’re going to lose in the second round.”

The top-seeded Royals will host Burbank, a 70-64 winner over Los Altos, on Wednesday in the second round of the Southern Section 3-A playoffs.

Louisville (21-3) took control of the game at the outset, building an 18-6 first-quarter lead behind eight points by Lynn Flanagan and six by Andrea Knapp. The Royals led comfortably at halftime, 32-21, but allowed Palmdale (13-12) to creep back into the game in the third period.

Palmdale outscored Louisville 14-9 in the quarter to close the gap to 41-35, but never drew any closer. Flanagan and Knapp took control in the fourth period, leading the Royals on a 12-0 blitz that saw their lead balloon to 53-35.

Flanagan scored six of Louisville’s first eight points in the quarter, and Knapp added eight points as the Royals led by as many as 22 points in the fourth period.

Still, O’Hara did not give Louisville a good review.

“It was just a stupid, stupid game by Louisville,” O’Hara said. “I expect a lot better. Every year in the first round we play like bleep.”

Knapp led all scorers with 23 points, but hit only nine of 24 shots. She also had 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Flanagan added 20 points and guard Tina Kohler had 12.

Palmdale, which committed 34 turnovers, was led by Tara Imiola’s 13 points. Melissa O’Hara added 10 points and eight rebounds.

PALMDALE--Imiola 13, O’Hara 10, Beech 2, Mejia 1, Jonnum 8, Gentry 7, Hurst 2.

LOUISVILLE--Carpenter 0, Terhar 2, Knapp 23, Flanagan 20, Kohler 12, Guiteras 4, Long 1.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Alemany 76, Estancia 43--Jenny Beubis had 16 points and nine assists for Alemany in a Southern Section 3-A playoff game at Alemany. Jennifer Kroll added 14 points and Andrea Hoffman had 12 points and nine rebounds for Alemany.

Alemany blew the game open in the last four minutes of the first quarter. Beubis had three steals in that span and scored eight points in the first quarter as Alemany (20-5) took an 18-6 lead.

Alemany will meet Hacienda Heights Wilson on Wednesday.

Holy Martyrs 75, Ventura Temple Christian 40--Despite twisting her ankle in the first quarter, Dalia Gezenian had a school-record 21 rebounds, 16 points and 11 assists for Holy Martyrs in the Southern Section Small Schools playoff game at Temple Christian.

Gezenian’s rebound total set a school record. Caroline Zouloumian had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Ayline Amirayan added 21 points and six assists for Holy Martyrs (16-2).

Holy Martyrs plays Maricopa on Wednesday in the second round.

Santa Barbara 59, Newbury Park 37--Shannon Frowiss and Janelle Thompson each scored 16 points as Santa Barbara rolled to an easy victory in the first round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

Marlo Cormier scored nine points and Amy Tellefsen added seven for Newbury Park (15-9).

Simi Valley 72, Pius X 45--Senior forward Julie Arlotto had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven steals in the Southern Section playoff game at Simi Valley. Arlotto became the second girl in Simi Valley history to score more than 1,000 points.

Simi Valley guard Dani Elton had 19 points and Kristie Sterbens 10 assists. The Pioneers (22-3) will meet Huntington Beach on Wednesday.

WRESTLING

Led by Paul Hasson, Lou Hersh and Ari Taub, El Camino Real High captured the Valley League wrestling championship Saturday, outscoring second-place Canoga Park by 30 points in the league finals at El Camino Real.

El Camino Real had 180 1/2 points, and Canoga Park, which had four individual winners, finished with 150 1/2. San Fernando was third with 138 1/2, Chatsworth fourth with 109, Birmingham fifth with 45 1/2 and Granada Hills sixth with 25.

Individual winners were: LaMonte Simmons of Canoga Park in the heavyweight division; Hasson, 191 pounds; Tak O’Dama of Canoga Park, 175; Mario Varela of San Fernando, 165; Mike Flores of Birmingham, 154; Dubwana Clark of San Fernando, 145; Shaheen Awe of Chatsworth, 138; Edward Berans of Canoga Park, 132; Morris Biggers of Canoga Park, 126; Hersh, 119; Jonas Robledo of San Fernando, 112; David Yzaguirre of San Fernando, 105; and Taub, 98.