Louisville’s Mistakes Result in Season-Ending Defeat, 72-56

Turnovers and missed free throws turned Louisville High’s dream of a Southern Section 3-A girls basketball title into a nightmare Tuesday night at Thousand Oaks High.

Mission Viejo came from behind to record a 72-56 win over Louisville in the semifinal round of the playoffs. In Friday’s championship game, Mission Viejo plays Katella, a 59-56 winner over Brea on Tuesday.

“Our missed free throws and all of the turnovers will give us nightmares for a while,” Louisville Coach Brian O’Hara said. “We were forcing the ball and Mission Viejo was very quick at anticipating us tonight.”

Louisville committed 26 turnovers and missed several key free throws late in the game, while out-rebounding Mission Viejo, 33-23.

O’Hara wanted to break Mission Viejo’s tough full court defensive game and stop its fast break. But Louisville (23-4) the San Fernando Valley League champions, could not handle Mission Viejo’s full-court pressure as the Diablos took the lead midway in the third quarter and never trailed.

Mission Viejo continued the pressure in the fourth quarter as the Diablo offense outscored Louisville, 26-12.

Mission Viejo’s Tricia Stringam scored 13 of her game-high 23 points in the second half to pace the South Coast League champion.

Andrea Knapp led Louisville with 21 points and eight rebounds.

“The game plan was to get the ball to Andrea,” O’Hara said. “But we just couldn’t get the ball to anyone on offense without turning it over.”

Lynn Flanagan added 18 points and Tina Kohler had 12 points for Louisville.

Louisville slowed the fast break of Mission Viejo (27-2) until Stringam tied the game on a breakaway that seemed to send the Diablos in scoring gear for the rest of the night.

“Mission Viejo kept pushing the ball up the floor on us all night and it paid off for them in the end,” O’Hara said.