DIVISION I-A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Thousand Oaks Shuts Down El Toro’s Starters for a 63-44 Victory

Taking advantage of its superior size and quickness, the Thousand Oaks High girls’ basketball team defeated host El Toro, 63-44, in a Southern Section quarterfinal game Saturday night.

The victory advances the Lady Lancers (26-3) into a semifinal game Wednesday against Cerritos.

“They are just a very, very good team,” El Toro Coach Deni Christensen said. “None of our starters were able to get open tonight. They have a very aggressive team.”

Thousand Oaks, the Marmonte League tri-champion with Channel Islands and Westlake, used some of that aggressiveness to take control of the game early.

The Lady Lancers jumped to a 10-2 lead in the early going, scoring eight of those points--including six by senior forward Suzanne Nelinger--on layups after their trapping full-court press forced the Chargers (19-7) into four turnovers in the first 2 minutes 24 seconds.

El Toro, the South Coast League champion, compounded its problems in the quarter by making only four of 15 shots (26.6%) while Thousand Oaks was shooting 42% (8 for 19).

Neither of the top scorers for either team--Thousand Oaks junior guard Michelle Palmisano or El Toro senior guard Tracy Heiser--was effective in the opening quarter. Palmisano, who finished the season with a 24.8-point average, was held to only a basket by various defenders and Heiser, who averaged 14.8, missed her six field-goal attempts.

But Palmisano came alive in the second period, scoring nine points to help Thousand Oaks to a 32-23 halftime edge. She finished with a game-high 23 points and had nine rebounds.

El Toro cut the lead to 49-42 with 6 minutes 15 seconds remaining, but after the teams exchanged baskets, Thousand Oaks scored the last 12 points of the game, seven of them by Palmisano.

Nelinger contributed 11 points for Thousand Oaks and 5-foot-6 senior forward Megan Rehwoldt, whom Christensen calls “the world’s smallest power forward,” had 12 points and 10 rebounds for El Toro. Heiser finished with six points.