MARINA GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Lakewood’s Twin Towers Hand Estancia First Loss

If one doesn’t get you, the other will.

That is the offensive scheme of the Lakewood High School girls’ basketball team and its two main weapons--6-foot-1 senior forward Charon Johnson and 6-3 senior center Melissa Gower.

Gower scored 19 points and Johnson added 16 to carry the Lancers to a 58-47 victory over previously undefeated Estancia Saturday night in the finals of the Marina tournament.

Lakewood (13-1) led, 6-0, 12-2 and 16-6 in the first quarter. The Lancers made 10 of 18 shots from the floor in the quarter and took away Estancia’s passing lanes, causing the Eagles to commit 11 turnovers and holding them to seven shots from the floor.

“With the exception of the first quarter, we would have been in the ballgame,” Estancia Coach Lisa McNamee said. “It was intimidation. They (Estancia players) said they weren’t intimidated but they wouldn’t shoot the ball.”

When they did start shooting, the Eagles (12-1) made a run at Lakewood by connecting for seven unanswered points to close the gap to 26-23 before the half. Senior forward Patrice Lumpkin had four of the points and senior guard Melody Earle had the remaining three.

The Eagles got within one point, 34-33, when forward Leah Braatz scored off of an offensive rebound with 3 minutes 30 seconds left in the third quarter, but Lakewood gradually pulled away.

Lakewood effectively ended any thoughts of an Estancia comeback with a 10-0 blitz to take a 54-41 lead with 3:25 left to play.

Johnson, Gower, Earle and Lumpkin were selected to the all-tournament team. Johnson, who averaged 19.5 points in Lakewood’s four tournament games, was voted the most valuable player.

In other tournament games:

Huntington Beach 70, Ocean View 53--The Oilers (10-4), behind the shooting of Deana Itow (24 points, including four three-point baskets), won the third-place game. Guard Kristen McCluskey led Ocean View (8-5) with 15 points.

Fountain Valley 56, Long Beach Wilson 53--Center Julie Murdent scored 13 points and forward Jodi Bixler added 10 for Fountain Valley (8-6) in the fifth-place game.

Edison 59, Marina 50--All Edison (10-4) starters scored in double figures to lead the team in the seventh-place matchup. Erika Miller led the Chargers with 13 points. Amy Periolat had 16 points for Marina (9-4).

Mater Dei 53, Valencia 43--Melissa McDonald scored 20 points for Mater Dei (5-7) in the consolation championship. Allison Granger scored 14 for Valencia.