Morningside, No Longer Nationally Ranked, Routs North Torrance, 79-50

Stripped of its national ranking and coming off two consecutive losses for the first time since 1981, the Morningside High girls basketball team set out to halt its fall from grace Thursday.

“We have to regain some respect,” Coach Frank Scott said. “People think we’re easy now.”

Hardly.

Returning to familiar surroundings after two disappointing weeks on the road, the Lady Monarchs proved they are still the class of the South Bay by routing North Torrance, 79-50, in an Ocean League opener at North.

It was Morningside’s 73rd consecutive league win and the first step toward an eighth straight league title.

Is anyone capable of snapping the streak?

“Not in our league,” said North Assistant Coach Dan Hansen. “It just won’t happen. The only race is going to be for second place between us, West (Torrance) and Centennial.”

North made a game of it for a half. The Saxons jumped to a 6-2 lead before falling behind, and later scored the last six points of the second quarter to pull within 35-27 at halftime.

But Morningside (10-3 overall) quashed any thoughts of a third consecutive loss by outscoring North, 24-2, in the third quarter to open a 59-29 lead. The Saxons, whose previous two losses came in tournament finals, fell to 9-3.

“Lately we’ve been playing not to lose instead of getting into our mode of play,” Scott said. “I think we finally realized how to pull away from this team.”

The Lady Monarchs did it in typical fashion, going to 6-foot-5 center Lisa Leslie. The senior responded with a game-high 27 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. She scored 10 points in the decisive third quarter and punctuated her performance with back-to-back blocks against North’s star center, 5-11 Laura Collins, in the fourth quarter. Collins finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

“I don’t think (Morningside) is as good as last year,” Hansen said. “But Lisa. What can you say? She’s the best.”

Morningside opened the season as the nation’s best team, earning the No. 1 rating from USA Today. The Lady Monarchs dropped to No. 6 after their loss to Brea-Olinda two weeks ago in the Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara, and this week they fell out of the Top 25 following back-to-back losses to Cannon County of Tennessee and South Pike of Magnolia, Miss., in the Best in the U.S. Invitational in Shelbyville, Tenn.

Scott, though, isn’t losing any sleep over his team being ousted from the national spotlight.

“I’m not really concerned about that,” he said. “We wanted to get back on the winning track today. Right now we’re thinking about league games and the playoffs. That’s what’s important.”

Guards Bridget Williams and Akiba Flanagan added 11 and 10 points for Morningside, and 6-4 sophomore Janet Davis, still hampered by a bad ankle, contributed five points, five rebounds and three blocks.