Girls’ Basketball : Kennedy Streak Reaches 91 With Win in League Opener

Kennedy High’s nine-year league winning streak is alive and well . . . at least for now.

The visiting Golden Cougars needed tradition and a third-quarter blitz to hold off stubborn Cleveland, 54-47, and extend the streak to 91 in a Valley League opener Friday afternoon.

First-year Coach Toya Holiday, a sophomore player for Kennedy when the streak began in 1979, said she had butterflies before the game but believed tradition would prevail.

“I knew as we walked through the door that the streak would continue,” Holiday said. “It was just tradition.”

Kennedy (5-7), which had struggled during the nonleague season, trailed, 23-20, at halftime. But the Golden Cougars outscored the Cavaliers, 25-6, in the third quarter behind the play of guard April Ham, who made 4 of 6 shots and finished with 10 points in the quarter and 13 in the game.

An 8-1 spurt by Cleveland (4-4) early in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to seven points with 5:25 to play. But the Cavaliers were held scoreless on their next five possessions and made only 3 of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Tisa Rush, a senior All-City Section guard, scored 12 points and collected 5 assists for Kennedy. Lupe Fujarte scored 10 points and Debbie Barnard had 11 rebounds.

Nancy Nicholls had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead Cleveland.

--CHARLES SIFUENTES

Thousand Oaks 57, Newbury Park 51--Despite playing most of the second half with four fouls, Barbara Tanner scored a game-high 22 points to lead Thousand Oaks (13-3, 3-0) to a Marmonte League win at Newbury Park. Tanner made 11 of 14 field-goal attempts. Katie Krause scored 18 points to lead Newbury Park (9-3, 1-1), but the Panthers committed 12 turnovers.

El Camino Real 59, Van Nuys 28--Kerrie Marshall scored 21 points and Lisa Huffaker added 20 as El Camino Real (6-3, 1-0) won its Valley League opener at home.

Leah Charbonneau scored seven points for Van Nuys.

Birmingham 56, Taft 52--Amy Rubinroit scored 24 points, 18 in the second half, to lead Birmingham in a West Valley League opener at Birmingham.

Sylmar 44, Verdugo Hills 18--Chris Parks had 30 points and 13 rebounds to propel Sylmar to the win in a Pac-6 League opener at Verdugo Hills.

Kelly Smith added 10 points and grabbed 22 rebounds for Sylmar (1-0, 2-3). Sylmar held Verdugo Hills’ starting five to 12 points.

Oakwood 36, Windward 32--Capucine Rubin scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for Oakwood in a Liberty League opener at home.