Loss at Home Sends Marina Home for Good

The Marina High School girls’ basketball team has only lost two games on its home court. But both times have been bitter disappointments.

The first time, two weeks ago, Marina lost the Sunset League championship to Fountain Valley. The second time came Saturday night, when Marina was knocked out of the 4-A playoffs, losing 49-46 to a fast, aggressive Lynwood team.

“We could’ve quit then (after the loss to Fountain Valley),” Marina Coach Mike Thornton said. “But we’ve battled.”

Marina finishes the season 22-6. Lynwood, which won the 4-A Division in 1986, improves to 27-3 and will play Santa Barbara in Tuesday’s semifinals.

Marina stayed right with third-seeded Lynwood, ranked 14th in the nation, until the final 90 seconds of the game. The score was tied, 22-22, at halftime and 34-34 after three quarters, with Marina successfully taking the fast-break away from Lynwood.

But Lynwood sophomore forward Linda Watson hit six points in the final two minutes to give the Knights a six-point lead, their largest of the game. Marina narrowed the final score with a three-point shot at the buzzer by Dee Dee Stigar.

Stigar’s outside shooting had been Marina’s most effective weapon. Lynwood’s Neicy Williams did an effective job of shutting down Marina center Dawn Charroin.

Charroin, who had scored 36 points in Marina’s victory over Lakewood on Wednesday, finished the game with 14 points but didn’t hit her first shot from the floor until the start of the fourth quarter. Charroin had 13 rebounds.

Stigar led Marina with 15 points, including three three-pointers.

“We wanted to stop their center,” Lynwood Coach Van Girard said. “But then that little No. 22 (Stigar) just started banging from the outside.”

Marina turned the ball over 25 times, many times to Lynwood’s aggressive full-court press.