DIVISION II-AA GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Game Plan Backfires, Tustin Falls

Executing its game plan to near perfection, Tustin figured that by stopping J.W. North’s high-scoring 6-3 center Kisa Hughes on the inside, the Huskies would have to try to beat the Tillers from the outside.

Unfortunately for Tustin, that’s exactly what happened.

With Hughes neutralized by the Tiller front line of Christine Garner, Shari Needham and Sylvia Salapski, North’s 5-2 point guard Marrissa Frial rose to the occasion, hitting a three-point basket from the corner with 10 seconds remaining to hand the Tillers a heartbreaking 56-54 overtime loss in Saturday night’s quarterfinals at Tustin.

Tustin (25-4) had a 54-53 lead and the ball with 30 seconds remaining, but a double dribble call gave the Riverside school an opportunity.

Yumeka Roberson’s 12-foot shot was too long, but teammate Tannia Price rebounded and found Frial, who hit three three-pointers earlier in the game, for the open shot.

“It was given to me and I had to take it,” Frial said. “It was our only chance to win the game.”

Tustin led, 50-44, on Needham’s basket with 4:40 left in regulation. But the Tillers went cold, hitting only three of 17 fourth-quarter shots. Frial drove for a basket with 2:53 to narrow the gap to 50-49 and Hughes’ offensive rebound tied the score 51-51 with 1:22 remaining.

Roberson hit a pair of one-and-one free throws with 1:41 left in overtime. Garner’s free throw closed the margin to 53-52 and Wanda Sequeira’s steal and layin gave the Tillers a 54-53 lead with 57 seconds left.

Hughes, who averages 20 points per game and is headed for Cal State Fullerton this fall, finished with only eight points but Roberson and Frial picked up the slack for North (25-1) with 19 and 18 points respectively. Needham led Tustin with 15 points and eight rebounds and Garner had 14 points and 15 rebounds.