HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CITY 4-A GIRLS’ FINAL : Washington Rolls by Crenshaw

Charisse Sampson scored 20 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked four shots and had three assists to lead Washington to a 64-34 victory over Crenshaw Friday in the girls’ City 4-A Division championship basketball game at the Sports Arena.

Washington, which has won three consecutive City titles and has not lost to a City opponent in 43 games, never trailed in defeating Crenshaw for the third time this season.

“I’m very happy with this team because we didn’t know how good we would be at the beginning of the season,” said Coach Phil Chase, who is 151-53 in his nine seasons at Washington.

Sampson, a 5-foot-11 junior, nearly outscored Crenshaw by herself in the first half, with 12 points and 12 rebounds, as Washington led, 37-14.

Shakeisha Chambers, a junior guard, added nine points and seven steals as Washington limited Crenshaw to six field goals in the half.

“We knew that the team that gets the most easy baskets is going to win a game like this,” Chase said. “We played really hard defense in the first half and that was a big key for us.”

Sampson, who played sparingly in the fourth quarter, now has 1,428 points and 1,165 rebounds, both school records.

Crenshaw finished 17-6.

“Everyone expected us to win this year, which at times made things tougher,” Sampson said of the Generals, who will have four starters returning next season. “But next year, we’ll be back trying to four-peat.”

Washington (24-4) qualifies for the Southern Regional State tournament beginning Tuesday.