CIF GIRLS PLAYOFFS

Torrance 55, Tustin 52--The Tartars were supposed to represent an easy draw for Tustin in the first round of the 4-AA Division playoffs. Instead, they gave Tustin an early exit.

Freshman guard Lisa Misipeka came off the bench to score 14 points in the fourth quarter to lead Torrance to a dramatic 55-52 upset over host Tustin. “This is the best game we’ve ever played,” Torrance Coach Rick Momohara said. “Our mental mistakes cost us at the beginning of the game, but once we decided we could really play with Tustin, our girls settled down.”

Torrance, which entered the playoffs as an at-large team, improved to 16-10. The Tartars will face Mission Viejo, a 60-25 winner over Claremont, in the second round on Saturday.

Tustin, which was unbeaten in the Sea View League, finished the season with a 21-6 record. Tustin led by as many as 10 points in the first half.

Misipeka hit a 10-foot jumper to give Torrance a 51-48 lead before fouling out with 1:01 left in the game. She finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Torrance freshman Tiffany Fujimoto knocked down a pair of free throws to put the game away after Tustin’s Shari Needham had hit a three-pointer to cut the Torrance lead to 53-52. Fujimoto led all scorers with 20 points.

Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball coach Dave Yanai watched from the stands as his daughter, Deanne, gave Torrance its first lead of the game on a layup with 2:01 left in the third quarter. Yanai finished with seven points, and sophomore Brittany Mounger added six.

“I told the team that we were up against a tough team that plays a lot like (Bay League rival) Palos Verdes,” Momohara said. “So the girls looked at it like it was a rematch with P.V.”