Physical Washington Girls Stop Thousand Oaks

A quick glance inside the Gardena High gymnasium Tuesday night probably left casual observers shaking their heads.

After all, the messy setup inside could not have been a girls’ Division I first-round game of the Southern California regional basketball championships.

The crowd of about 450 was sparse, at best. No game programs were printed. The shot clock, and the game clock on at least one occasion, eluded the interest of the official timekeeper. And four additional backboards extended over each corner of the court, clearly affecting inbounds plays.

Many pickup games are better organized.

“I wasn’t real happy about the gym, but I guess you take it as it comes,” Thousand Oaks High guard Michelle Palmisano said.

The debacle will be considered a victory for Washington, which used a physical approach for a 66-59 win. But it will never be considered a textbook display of how to organize a playoff game.

At least it was played indoors.

“It really wasn’t what I had in mind, but you can’t blame the site,” Thousand Oaks Coach Chuck Brown said.

Instead, the game came down to Washington’s aggressive style of play.

Washington (25-4), the City Section 4-A Division champion, hounded Palmisano from the outset and dominated the game inside with taller, more physical players.

Leading the way for Washington underneath were 5-foot-11 juniors Charisse Sampson (22 points and 13 rebounds) and Keshana Ledet (20 points).

And the defense of Vickie Holden and Charrise Lockhart limited Palmisano, who entered the game averaging 25 points, to just three in the first half.

Palmisano, who finished with 19 points but scored 11 from the free-throw line, did not attempt a field goal until less than four minutes remained in the third quarter.

On a couple of occasions, Holden could be seen holding onto Palmisano’s jersey away from the ball.

“I don’t know what that is in the rule book, but I’m pretty sure it’s a foul,” Palmisano said.

All part of Washington’s game plan, according to Coach Phil Chase.

“We wanted to be aggressive on her and keep her from shooting,” Chase said. “Hey, we played in New York, where they knock you down and nothing is called. We were graceful compared to that.”

Thousand Oaks (28-4), which won its first Southern Section title last Friday, overcame the physical play and stayed within five, 50-45, on a basket by Sasha Scardino (14 points) with 6 minutes 56 seconds to play.

But Washington scored the next eight points, and Thousand Oaks turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions, allowing the Generals to extend their lead to 58-45 with 4:07 left.

“We let ourselves get down by (13) and that’s too much against a team like that,” Brown said.

Thousand Oaks didn’t surrender, though, and went on an 8-0 run that pulled the Lancers within 64-59. But only 37 seconds remained.

“If we could have kept them within three or five points, we would have had a good shot,” Brown said. “That’s one thing about this team--they never quit.”

The Lancers’ Suzanne Nelinger added 12 points but was hampered by foul trouble from the outset and eventually fouled out with two minutes left. Two players fouled out for Washington.

“It was a physical game, but that’s what we expected,” Brown said.

“We thought maybe we could outrun them, and to some degree we did. But they were just too physical for us in the long run.”

Palmisano was dazed after being knocked to the floor late in the game.

“I don’t think we came out as aggressive as they did, and that gave them an edge,” she said.