GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Woodbridge Defeats Huntington Beach to Win Its Tournament

The contrast in styles Thursday night in the Woodbridge Tournament championship game made for an intriguing matchup.

Huntington Beach, small and scrappy, was coming off an upset of San Clemente in the semifinals.

Woodbridge, big and bulky, had survived a surprising challenge from Fountain Valley.

It was a good night for bulky.

Woodbridge got 17 points and 18 rebounds from sophomore Melanie Pearson, the tournament MVP, and won its first tournament, 50-34.

More important to Coach Eric Bangs, though, was the diagnosis on Lisa Weaver, a 5-foot-11 junior forward. She went down with a knee injury with 4 minutes 15 seconds left. It was the same knee in which she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last year. After a postgame examination, Bangs was informed she will miss only one week.

Weaver is the key to Woodbridge’s depth in the paint. She relieved Pearson (6-1) and Angela Burgess (6-4), who scored nine, had seven rebounds and blocked three shots.

This one was over early. Erin Stovall, who finished with nine points, scored five as Woodbridge bolted to a 9-0 lead in the game’s first 1:40 and stretched it to 23-4 midway in the second quarter. Huntington Beach did not score consecutive baskets until 53 seconds remained in the half, and by then trailed, 26-11.

“In the pregame, Coach drilled us to be strong to the ball, make decisive moves, come out hard and set our tone for the game,” said Woodbridge guard Jamie Oenning, who scored eight points and made the all-tournament team, along with Burgess, Huntington Beach’s Monica Geraci and Renee Kimoto, Dana Hills’ Karun Grossman, San Clemente’s Michelle Macintyre and Fountain Valley’s Nicole Strange.

Woodbridge’s greatest lead was 24 points (47-23) with 5:34 left.