GIRLS’ BASKETBALL THOUSAND OAKS TOURNAMENT : Jones’ Basket Gives Lancers Championship

Marion Jones provided a dramatic finish to the Thousand Oaks High girls’ basketball tournament Saturday night, scoring inside with three seconds to play to give the host school a 48-47 championship-game victory over Lynwood.

Jones’ heroics before a capacity crowd of about 1,500 staved off what would have been a sour defeat for the Lancers (10-1), who led until Shefonda Colbert’s layup with 1 minute 58 seconds to play gave Lynwood (9-1) a 47-46 edge.

From there, a basket by either team was about as difficult to come by as a bleacher seat.

Thousand Oaks blew seven chances to regain the lead, including two free throws by Jones with 23 seconds to play.

Teammate Michelle Palmisano (team-high 13 points) missed four shots in the final two minutes, including the jump shot from the lane that the 5-foot-11 Jones rebounded and banked in for the game-winner.

After scoring eight points in the first quarter--including a crowd-stirring three-point basket--to help the Lancers to a 17-6 lead, Palmisano did not score another field goal.

Nevertheless, Palmisano and Jones, a junior who finished with 10 points, were selected co-most valuable players of the tournament.

“I just stopped right after the first quarter,” Palmisano said with a shrug. “I didn’t think we were really moving the ball around. I’m happy about the way we played but not about how we let them come back.”

Lynwood’s 6-4 senior center, Janet Davis, also was shackled, scoring eight points, including only two in the second half.

Davis spent most of the third quarter on the bench with four fouls. Lynwood’s Elana Adams led all scorers with 15 points.

Lynwood missed three free throws in the final two minutes.

“I knew it would be tight and tough, but I never thought it would come down to this,” Thousand Oaks Coach Chuck Brown said.

In other games:

Chino 51, Westlake 37--Chino’s defense smothered Westlake early in the third-place final.

Chino’s Amee Pina scored eight of her game-high 18 points in the first quarter as Chino (8-4) grabbed an 18-8 lead. Teammate Francine Moreno added 11 points.

Westlake (8-3) was led by Lauren Goldstine with 17 points.

Camarillo 64, Santa Maria 59--Despite being outscored, 26-14, in the fourth quarter, the Scorpions hung on to win the consolation final. Camarillo’s Karli Jungwirth scored a team-high 17 points, but teammate Joy Garcia drew more attention with 16 points, including four three-point baskets.

Palmdale 62, Centennial (Canada) 45--The Falcons held only a three-point lead at intermission, but junior Kim Schielke (game-high 22 points) and senior Aimee Grimes (15) sparked a second-half surge in the fifth-place final.

Schielke and Grimes each scored four in a 15-6 third-quarter run.

Channel Islands 72, Glendale 44--A 43-point second half enabled the Raiders to win the seventh-place final. Center Dolores Tuimoloau scored 15 points to lead Channel Islands.