GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Morningside Overcomes Channel Islands in 2nd Half

The Channel Islands High girls’ basketball team had the formidable task of trying to stop No. 1-seeded and defending Southern Section 5-AA champion Morningside in a quarterfinal playoff game Wednesday night at Channel Islands.

The Lady Raiders took Morningside to the task and led by as many as 17 points early in the third quarter before Morningside turned a slew of turnovers into a 66-55 victory before an overflow crowd of 2,400 at Channel Islands.

Channel Islands (22-7), the Marmonte League co-champion, took a 37-22 halftime lead behind 6-foot center Sal Tauau’s 10 points and nine points each by Carrie Davidson and Dani Brooks. The Lady Raiders also fielded a tenacious 2-3 zone defense and controlled the boards over the taller Monarchs.

The Raiders surprisingly held 6-5 All-American center Lisa Leslie to only five points in the first half. Leslie scored 101 points in the first half of a game against South Torrance two weeks ago. Leslie’s shot was off and she also spent much of the first two quarters on the bench with two fouls.

Channel Islands self-destructed with 18 turnovers in the second half and Leslie turned on her inside game, scoring 21 of her game-high 26 points to spark Morningside (26-3).

“Leslie showed why she is an All-American,” Channel Islands Coach Ryle Lynch-Cole said. “She came out in the third quarter and did what she is supposed to do while we threw the ball away, and it killed us.”

Tauau paced Channel Islands with 14 points and 16 rebounds and Brooks and Davidson added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Leslie also grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds.

In other games:

Alemany 55, Brawley 42--Tori McCormick (15 points), Sarah Guziel (13) and Qina Shigematsu (10) scored in double figures to lift host Alemany to a Southern Section 3-AA victory.

Rachel Corelli came off the bench to score nine for the Indians (20-5).

Brawley finished 20-6.

Carson 60, North Hollywood 58--Guard Jacinda Sweet scored 24 points to lead North Hollywood, but her effort wasn’t enough as the Lady Huskies fell in the City Section 4-A quarterfinals.

North Hollywood trailed, 34-32, at the half but came back in the fourth quarter and took a four-point lead with three minutes to play.

Carson tied the score, 58-58, with 1 minute 20 seconds left, however. After Carson missed two free throws, North Hollywood (13-8) brought the ball downcourt, but a pass from Jenna Karimoto was stolen by Carson’s Gina Sua, who scored a layup for the winning points.

Sophomore forward Suzi Shimoyama added 18 points and six steals for North Hollywood.

Van Nuys 59, Dorsey 45--Tina Means scored 19 points and Stacie Toon added 12 to lead Van Nuys (21-3) in the City 4-A quarterfinal at Van Nuys.