Girls’ 3-A : Reseda Takes Aim on a Dynasty : Regents Defeat North Hollywood for 2nd Consecutive Title, 64-52

Reseda High center Aggie Garcia has been through the physical give and take of winning a City Section championship for two seasons now, and for obvious reasons, her thoughts were rooted in the present. Especially because there were flowers, trophies, hugs and kisses to be collected.

Andrea Francola, her coach, could not help taking a quick look down the road, however. After all, winning two titles in as many years can tend to make one start looking at trends.

“Being through this again, being exposed to the City finals two times, that’s just got to have a positive effect on her future,” Francola said.

Garcia, a 5-11 junior, had an effect on plenty in the present, finishing with a team-high 15 points and 11 rebounds as Reseda defeated North Hollywood, 64-52, in the City Section 3-A Division girls’ championship at the L. A. Sports Arena on Friday.

Reseda, which defeated North Hollywood twice this season in West Valley League play and also in last season’s City 3-A final, posted its fourth consecutive win over North Hollywood. With Garcia returning next season, along with starting guards Cheryl Hightower and Denisha Jordan, maybe it is time to start talking long-range.

Two titles in a row? Some people might be tempted to start using the D word. The one once used to describe UCLA basketball. The one used in connection with Chinese artisans and scholars and Ming.

You know, is anybody thinking the Linda Evans word?

“Next year? No way,” said Garcia, who answered questions with a trophy in one hand and flowers in the other. “This was just a lot of hard work and it paid off, believe me.”

Garcia and frontcourt teammate Sharlene Cirrito, who had 14 points and 7 rebounds, labored as diligently as anybody. The pair looked especially good in the second half, but they had some help.

North Hollywood Coach Rich Allen’s team was working hard as well--too hard. Senior forward Sandrine Rocher, the West Valley’s co-player of the year, fouled out in the third quarter with eight points, 10 under her seasonal average. Junior forward Dominique O’Neal, who scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, fouled out with 6:43 remaning, which left some wide-open spaces inside.

“I guess we were just trying to do too much,” Allen said. “Sometimes when we’re trailing we try to take control among ourselves and do too much. I can’t fault them for trying hard, though.”

North Hollywood (17-5) led, 11-10, midway through the first quarter but never thereafter. O’Neal came off the bench to score 10 points in the first quarter, yet Reseda took a 19-15 lead. Reseda (22-1) expanded its lead to 32-26 at the half, despite 16 turnovers.

Halfway through the third quarter, North Hollywood was in trouble. Rocher picked up her fourth foul with 5:54 left. O’Neal collected her fourth less than two minutes later.

With the North Hollywood power players handcuffed, Garcia and Cirrito scored almost at will inside.

“There’s no way you can play them with your best players in foul trouble,” Allen said. “They’re too good. And that was probably the best they played us all year.”

Cirrito, the East Valley co-player of the year with Rocher, scored 14 points, including six in the fourth quarter.

North Hollywood tried playing catch-up from outside behind All-City guard Leticia Carranza and Michelle Cabaldon, but the two shot a combined 3 of 14 in the second half. Both finished with seven points; Cabaldon entered the game averaging 15. Hightower scored 11 points for the Regents, nine in the first quarter.