SIMI VALLEY GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT : Mitchell’s Shot Lifts Alemany to Title, 57-56

Alemany High’s Zevette Mitchell turned a forgettable game into one to remember with a single shot Saturday night, lifting the Indians to a 57-56 win over Ventura in the championship game of the Simi Valley girls’ basketball tournament.

After struggling offensively throughout the game, Mitchell made a short jump shot in the lane with 23 seconds to play. The basket gave Alemany its only lead.

Mitchell missed the front end of two one-and-one free-throw situations in the final 13 seconds, but Ventura could not capitalize.

Ventura (6-2) looked like it might blow out Alemany (12-1) in the early going, racing to a 13-2 lead behind the hot shooting of Ember Brown and Becky Hantgin, who combined for 17 first-half points.

Hantgin finished with a team-high 17 points.

But Alemany turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter to rally to within a basket, 28-26, at halftime.

Overall, the Indians forced 27 turnovers.

Ventura built another 11-point lead, 45-34, with 7 minutes 18 seconds remaining on Hantgin’s 18-foot jump shot, but Alemany fought back behind the shooting of Samantha Rigley.

Rigley, who led all scorers with 22 points, hit a pair of three-point shots and converted a three-point play to cut Ventura’s lead to 56-55 with one minute to play.

Hart 60, Burbank 53--Center Shannon Martin scored 24 points and Hart held off a fourth-quarter surge by Burbank to earn third place.

Mandy Villasenor led Burbank with 14 points.

Newbury Park 42, Westlake 38--Forward Kara McKeown scored eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to guide the Panthers (8-3) to a comeback win and fifth place. Tracy Young and Shanon Sincock each scored 11 for Westlake (5-3).

Simi Valley 54, El Camino Real 21--Sara Griffin had 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals to lead the Pioneers (4-4) to seventh place.

Simi Valley led only 28-19 at halftime but held the Conquistadores (4-3) to two points in the second half.

Culver City 49, North Hollywood 44--Playing its second game of the day, North Hollywood (6-5) ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and lost to Culver City in the 11th-place game.

Jennifer Nakanishi scored 22 points for Culver City (8-3).