SAVANNA GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Rohrig-Titus Showdown Goes to Mission Viejo in Semifinals

At 6-feet-3, Jennifer Rohrig, Mission Viejo High School’s center, isn’t used to meeting her opposition on even terms.

That changed Thursday night in the semifinals of the Savanna Runnin’ Rebel basketball tournament, when Rohrig faced Traci Titus, Loara’s 6-1 center.

The game provided a showcase for two of the county’s taller centers, but that contest ended prematurely when Titus left the game early in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. With Titus out, Rohrig sparked Mission Viejo to a 36-30 victory.

Mission Viejo plays Ocean View, which defeated Redlands, 63-48, in the final at 7:30 tonight at Savanna.

“Titus getting hurt was psychologically demoralizing,” said Loara Coach Gary Blate, who had only eight players available.

To add insult to injury, Loara’s other post player, Liz Redmen, fouled out in the fourth quarter.

That, coupled with Mission Viejo’s press and some key baskets by Diablo guard Carrie Burt when Rohrig was on the bench with foul trouble, proved to be the difference in the game.

“We just broke down,” Blate said. “We threw away the ball, and we had less of a bench and we got tired.”

Before Titus got hurt, she gave Rohrig all she could handle. Titus helped send the Mission Viejo senior to the bench with her third personal foul with less than three minutes to go in the half.

While Rohrig was on the bench, Loara took its biggest lead, 24-18, on back-to-back baskets by Titus two minutes into the third quarter.

But Rohrig returned to score 10 of her team’s 12 fourth-quarter points in a 12-4 run to give Mission Viejo the victory.

Titus scored 13 points on five-of-16 shooting. Rohrig led all scorers with 16 points on six-of-14 shooting.

“I just reacted by fouling,” said Rohrig, who along with Mission Viejo Coach Steve Asay was feeling lucky to have escaped with a victory.

“It showed me a little bit that I need to work harder,” said Rohrig, a senior. Asay said Titus was a good test for his center.

“Titus was strong,” Asay said. “She was good. There was a lot of pushing and stuff going on and Jennifer didn’t react to it as quickly as she should have.”

Rohrig will get another chance to pick on someone her own size tonight. Ocean View has one of the county’s best centers in 6-3 Jenny Sullivan, the most valuable player of the Sunset League.

In the other semifinal:

Ocean View 63, Redlands 48--Sullivan’s 28 points and 20 rebounds paced Ocean View in a matchup of undefeated teams. Ocean View (5-0) entered the game ranked fifth in the state for 5-A schools and Redlands (6-1) was ranked fifth for 5-AA schools. Fabiola Nunez had 14 for Ocean View. Tring Swidntek led Redlands with 11.

In the consolation round:

Fullerton 63, Los Alamitos 62--Fullerton (6-1) outscored Los Altos, 16-12, in the fourth quarter. Sommer McLean had 21 points and Lynn Gilbert had 12 to lead Fullerton.