Crescenta Valley Rallies to Beat Torrance

The injury-plagued Torrance High girls’ basketball team needed a little luck to make it into the playoffs.

The Tartars could have used a little more down the stretch Wednesday night in a 59-52 loss to Crescenta Valley in a first-round Southern Section Division II-AA game at Crescenta Valley.

Julie Tamashiro set a school-record with seven three-point baskets for Torrance (12-13), which received an at-large berth after finishing 1-7 in Pioneer League play.

Tamashiro, a 5-foot-3 junior, finished with 22 points and Wendy Shimohara added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Sarah Hagman had 22 points, Nada Kawar had 13 and Heather Green added 11 for Pacific League champion Crescenta Valley (18-4).

The Falcons trailed by as many as six points in the first half, but Hagman made a three-point basket midway through the fourth quarter to put Crescenta Valley ahead, 52-46.

Tamashiro made her seventh three-point basket and Ieesha Donadelle scored on a short turnaround jump shot to cut the deficit to 52-51 with one minute 55 seconds to play.

The Tartars had an opportunity to go ahead, but Donadelle missed the front end of a one-and-one at the free-throw line.

The Falcons’ Keri Peterson scored on a layup to give Crescenta Valley a 56-52 advantage with 1:23 left.

“Our shots just didn’t fall,” Torrance senior guard Wendy Shimohara said.

The Tartars, who advanced to the II-AA quarterfinals last season, won nine of their first 12 games.

After losing senior forward Tiffany Fujimoto, a two-time South Bay first-team selection, because of a knee injury in December, Torrance ended the season by losing 10 of 13 games.

On Wednesday, Parrish Erickson and Joni Webb were did not play because of back injuries.

The players who were available were not at full strength.

Jamie Embree broke a tailbone earlier in the season and Sara Faulk was recently injured in an automobile accident. Donna Andreoli has been suffering from bronchitis and Shimohara had just recovered from measles.

“We felt like we were jinxed after all the things that happened this year,” Tamashiro said. “We were glad just to make it to the playoffs.”