GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Palos Verdes Girls Crush La Habra, 66-42, After Building Early 19-0 Lead

The way Palos Verdes girls Coach Wendell Yoshida sees it, Thursday’s CIF 4-A quarterfinal basketball game was over as soon as he and his coaching staff received the scouting report on visiting La Habra.

The contest was actually decided shortly after tip-off when the Sea Kings ran off the first 19 points of the game en route to a 66-42 victory. But Yoshida couldn’t say enough about the way his team prepared for the Lady Highlanders.

“We got a good scouting report on them and we did a good job of taking away all of their strong points,” he said. “And we have some pretty good players, too. Once we get confidence, we’re pretty hard to stop.”

With the victory, the top-seeded Sea Kings extended their winning streak to 18 games and move into a semifinal contest against Katella at a site yet to be determined. Palos Verdes improved to 24-3 while La Habra ends its season at 20-7

Heidi Burge and Mary Maloney got the Sea Kings off to a fast start in the first quarter by scoring six and nine points respectively as Palos Verdes built a 23-2 lead. Burge was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points to go along with six rebounds, while Heather Burge and Lisa Humphreys tallied 12 points apiece.

“We tried to get our kids to relax, but all the hype about their team kind of intimidated us,” said La Habra Coach John Kowhler. “It really bothered our young girls when they saw our older girls shook up.”

Ana Kristich led La Habra with 10 points.

Morningside 68, Rubidoux 15--The top-seeded Lady Monarchs held Rubidoux’s top player well under her season average and cruised to a quarterfinal victory in the Southern Section 5-AA playoffs at Morningside.

“They weren’t as tough as I thought they’d be,” said Coach Frank Scott, whose team improved to 27-1 heading into the semifinals Saturday night against Fountain Valley (19-8). “But I’m not complaining.”

Morningside blew the game open by outscoring Rubidoux 13-1 in the second quarter to take a 33-8 halftime lead. The Lady Monarchs dominated the inside, limiting Rubidoux’s 6-2 center, Rachel Rosario, to three points. She entered the game averaging 25.

Center Lisa Leslie led the Lady Monarchs with 21 points, 18 rebounds and 9 blocked shots, despite sitting out the second quarter because of foul trouble and most of the fourth period.

Freshman forward Janet Davis added 11 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks for Morningside, and point guard JoJo Witherspoon had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Mission Viejo 60, North Torrance 59--Forward Derrie Nauta hit a 17-foot shot with five seconds left to spoil a spirited comeback by North and lift the top-seeded Diablos t o victory in the 4-AA quarterfinals at North.

The Saxons, who trailed by 12 points at halftime and eight after the third quarter, went ahead with 12 seconds left but saw their upset bid end as Nauta capped a 19-point night. Mission Viejo improved to 23-4.

North center Laura Collins tied Nauta for scoring honors while forwards Carolyn Hiramoto and Lyanne Ogawa added 13 and eight points for the Saxons, who finished with a 16-10 record. Collins fouled out with two minutes left.