Kennedy Girls Extend Streak to 110 : Golden Cougars Need Late Basket to Secure Another League Title

Debbie Barnard hit a jump shot to open the fourth quarter for Kennedy High to give the Golden Cougars a cozy 15-point lead against El Camino Real on Thursday night, and one could sense the impending celebration.

The Golden Cougars were a mere 7:45 away from their 110th consecutive league win and their 11th consecutive league title. Certainly, with Barnard’s two points, Kennedy had earned the right to relax.

Not so fast.

Before anyone in the loud crowd at Kennedy could say perfection, an inspired El Camino Real team--playing without star player Kerrie Marshall, who was attending a family funeral--took control before Kennedy’s very eyes and went on an 18-4 run that left the Golden Cougars hanging onto a one-point lead with 1:06 to play.

But form prevailed as Kennedy’s Jennifer Wright rebounded teammate Dawn Coleman’s missed shot and banked in a two-foot jump shot with 19 seconds left to give Kennedy a 49-46 win and the final say in keeping the streak alive.

For Kennedy, which played without All-State guard Tisa Rush who is academically ineligible, there were tears of joy. For El Camino Real (13-5, 8-2 in Valley League play), there were tears of another sort.

“We just got started too late,” a glum Conquistadore Coach Neils Ludlow said. “We went in a little too flat in the first half.”

The Conquistadore run was led by guard Lisa Huffaker, who scored 6 of her team-high 14 points in the final three minutes.

“We knew they were going to come back,” Kennedy guard April Ham said. “They’re too good.”

But it was Kennedy (14-6, 10-0) that proved too good in the end.