Palmdale Girls Take the Game From Hoover

Hoover High ventured into a den of thieves Saturday night at Palmdale and did not escape until the Falcons had pocketed a 71-32 victory in a Southern Section Division I-AA first-round girls’ basketball playoff game.

Palmdale (20-7) suffocated Hoover with a full-court press, forcing the Tornadoes into 11 consecutive turnovers to begin the game. It took Hoover 4 minutes 13 seconds to take its first shot. Nancy Evans missed but was fouled and scored Hoover’s first point by making one of two free throws.

By then the Falcons, the Golden League champions, had roared to a 14-0 lead and, essentially, a first-quarter knockout.

Hoover played Palmdale on fairly even terms in the second half but the Tornadoes could not make a dent in the Falcons’ 42-8 halftime advantage. Twenty of Hoover’s 24 turnovers came in the first half.

“It’s the best defense we’ve played,” Palmdale point guard Kim Schielke said.

To that end, Schielke played a major role, coming up with four first-quarter steals. She also finished with 17 points and five assists.

But this was no one-dimensional team. Guard Latisha Beam had game-high totals of 25 points and 13 rebounds. Center Aimee Grimes added 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

And the 71 points marked a season high for the Falcons, who won their 15th in a row.

“We came together as a team tonight,” Grimes said. “I think that was our best game ever.”

The 39-point loss for Hoover (11-9) came as quite a shock for Coach Debby Rinder. The Tornadoes finished third in the tough Pacific League and had played a good Glendale team to within five points 10 days earlier.

Glendale had defeated Palmdale, minus an injured Schielke, in December.

“The bottom line is (Palmdale) has a great team,” Rinder said. “They are well-disciplined, well-coached and hard workers. They probably played the best defense we’ve seen this season.”