CITY BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : 3-A GIRLS : Reseda vs. North Hollywood

Four years ago, Rich Allen was asked to coach the girls’ basketball team at North Hollywood High. At first, Allen didn’t want to leave his boys’ junior varsity coaching position and switch to a program that had never won more than four games.

But Allen made a phone call to Craig Raub, a former teammate at North Hollywood who happened to be the girls’ basketball coach at Kennedy. “Raub talked me into it,” Allen said. “Craig said I’d really enjoy (it).”

Allen proceeded to take his first team to the playoffs in 1983. Since then, North Hollywood has won three straight league titles.

Today, Allen’s Huskies (18-2, 10-0 in league) will meet West Valley League rival Reseda (15-2, 8-2) in the girls’ City 3-A basketball championship game at the Sports Arena at 4. It will be the first appearance in a City final for both teams.

Center Debbie Herz (16.4 points-a-game average) leads the Huskies, along with forward Sandrine Rocher (11.8) and guard Leti Carranza (11.9 points, 7.0 assists). Reseda will look to forwards Dana Jones (15.0) and Cheryl Hightower (12.5).

North Hollywood swept the two league games in the regular season. They were Reseda’s only losses.

In the first game, Herz and Rocher scored 18 points each in a 50-37 win at Reseda.

In the second meeting, Reseda made just 8 of 27 free throws in a 64-62 loss at North Hollywood.

“We’ve just made a lot of mistakes against them,” Reseda Coach Andrea Francola said. “It’s been more than a month since that game, and we’re a much better team since then. We’ve also come of age a little because we’ve had to play on the road in the playoffs.”