GIRLS’ BASKETBALL : South Gate Falls to Washington

April Adams and Sharmanee Bundy began a new era for the Washington High girls’ basketball team Tuesday, but they also continued the old era’s winning tradition in a nonleague opener against South Gate.

Adams had 20 points and 12 steals and Bundy scored 18 points as Washington, the four-time defending City Section 4-A champion, rallied from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to escape with a 53-51 victory at home.

Playing without any returning starters, the Generals extended their unbeaten streak against City opponents to 65 games in the debut of Coach Julie Rousseau, an assistant coach at Washington for three seasons.

“We had all the talent last year, but now we have to work extra hard to show people that we’re going to (win the title) again,” said Adams, a 5-foot-6 senior.

Washington, which outscored its opponents by an average of 27.7 points a game last season, needed extra effort Tuesday to avert its first defeat to a City team since a loss to Westchester in the 1988 4-A championship.

Adams gave the Generals the lead for good, 48-47, on a baseline drive with 2:18 to play. The Rams closed to 51-49 with 30 seconds to play, but Adams made a pair of free throws to preserve the victory.

In other Tuesday nonleague games:

Roosevelt 56, Kennedy 43--The Roughriders (1-0) led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but Kennedy closed to 43-41 with six minutes left.

Denise Caudillo (14 rebounds) scored seven of her game-high 22 points in the final quarter to preserve the victory at Kennedy.

Belmont 56, Eagle Rock 48--Blanca Monsivais made four consecutive free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory for the visiting Sentinels (1-0). Belmont trailed by as many as seven points midway through the third quarter, but Silvia Corado scored six of her 15 points in the final quarter as Belmont overcame a 39-36 deficit entering the fourth quarter.

Fremont 66, Westchester 35--The Pathfinders (1-0) limited host Westchester (0-1) to eight points or fewer in each of the first three quarters.

Dy Drummer scored a game-high 16 points, and Rochelle Davis scored 15 and Sheila Paige added six assists for Fremont.

Manual Arts 42, Chatsworth 26--The Toilers (1-0) pulled away after a 15-15 halftime tie to take a 40-23 lead with six minutes to play.

Ronneka Taylor had 12 points and six rebounds and Twanda Cole had seven steals, including five in the first half for Manual Arts.

Lincoln 77, Verdugo Hills 32--Inocencia Ibarra scored 32 points and Martha Reyes and Diana Quinones had 14 each for the visiting Tigers (1-0). Lincoln raced to 39-12 halftime advantage, holding Verdugo Hills (0-1) to six points in each of the first two quarters.

Bell 44, Hamilton 32--Yvette Serrano had 15 points for host Bell (1-0), which led by as many as 13 points in the second half.