Dreams Fulfilled : Morningside, Palos Verdes Girl Cagers Win Division Crowns

A dream season.

Those were the words of both Palos Verdes girls basketball Coach Wendell Yoshida and Morningside Coach Frank Scott as their teams won CIF Southern Section titles on Friday.

“I never thought anything like this would ever happen,” said Scott after his team took the 4-A crown.

It seemed unreal for Scott even though he’s used to winning. His teams have won seven consecutive Pioneer League titles, and last year the Lady Monarchs reached the semifinal of the CIF playoffs. This year his team is 30-1 and ranked 11th in the nation by USA Today.

Yoshida, on the other hand has never seen his squad do this well. Palos Verdes has never made it past the quarterfinals in the playoffs. But he said that he’s always told his players some day the dream could come true.

“We used to come watch the good kids in the finals,” he said after his team’s 3-A victory, “and I’d tell them, ‘Just keep dreaming. One day it will happen.’ ”

Both teams put on quite a show at Cal Poly Pomona, bringing home CIF crowns and earning spots in the regional playoffs this week.

The victims were Los Altos (20-4), the Sierra League’s second seed and Lynwood (28-4), the San Gabriel Valley League’s top team, which was ranked 15th nationally.

Palos Verdes (25-7), the Bay League’s top seed, defeated Los Altos, 52-47. The Sea Kings were led by 6-foot-4 twins Heather and Heidi Burge, who scored 15 and 16 points respectively. Senior Anglesey Thomas, a 6-foot forward added 10 points and 5 rebounds.

“This is just an unbelievable goal,” said Heidi after the game. “We had a lot of injuries throughout the season that slowed us down, but they weren’t enough to stop us.”

The Sea Kings showered, put on civilian clothes and stuck around to cheer on their South Bay counterparts in the final contest.

Before heading to the locker room though, as Palos Verdes cleared the bench so the Lady Monarchs could prepare for their game, several Palos Verdes and Morningside players hugged, exchanging congratulations and words of encouragement.

“You guys were tough,” said Morningside guard JoJo Witherspoon as she hugged Heather.

Heather responded: “So are you guys. You’re going to kick butt.”

That thought remained with Witherspoon throughout the Lady Monarchs’ game. Even when Morningside’s 6-foot-4 center Lisa Leslie fouled out with 4:32 remaining in the game, Witherspoon was optimistic.

“Before Lisa got her fifth foul, I wasn’t contributing,” Witherspoon said. “Once she was out, I knew I had to get into it more. I knew that we could do it.”

It was Witherspoon, a 5-foot-8 junior, who is known for her quick defensive skills and assists to Leslie, that turned the game around for the Monarchs and allowed them a 60-55 victory over Lynwood.

With 6:38 left in the game, Witherspoon tied the score at 42 after a steal and a runaway layup. With 4:21 remaining, she sunk a pair of free throws and 20 seconds later made a bank shot that gave Morningside a 51-46 edge.

Witherspoon scored all six of her points and four steals in the crucial fourth quarter.

“They did what they had to do at the end of the ball game,” said Lynwood Coach Van Girard, “which is to put the ball in the hole.”

Shaunda Greene, Morningside’s 6-foot forward, had an incredible game despite a sore ankle. She scored a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds, earning MVP honors.

“It’s been a long, hard, enjoyable and very much worth it season,” she said with a big smile.

Leslie also did her share before fouling out, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“After I fouled out, I was just sitting there crying and praying,” Leslie said. “I just thought: No matter what else happens, please let this be ours.”

Lynwood is the only team that has defeated Morningside this season. Early in the year the Lady Monarchs beat Lynwood 57-50 in the final of the Artesia tournament, but the following week the Knights defeated Morningside 63-60 in the Lady Monarch’s own tournament.

Today officials and coaches will meet to decide the sites and pairings in the regional playoff games, which start Tuesday.

“We’re not worried about who we have to play,” Scott said. “We’re No. 1. We’ll play anybody.”