GIRLS’ BASKETBALL / SIMI VALLEY TOURNAMENT : North Hollywood Trips on the Line, 76-52

The bottom line may have been 15 feet from the basket.

The free-throw line turned into a North Hollywood High nightmare in a 76-52 loss to Simi Valley in a quarterfinal game of the Simi Valley tournament Wednesday night at the Rancho Santa Susana Community Center.

“Normally, our goal is to get to the line,” said Husky Coach Rich Allen, whose team made only three of 15 free throws in the second quarter.

The eight-minute cold front was more than enough for the Pioneers (10-2) to put the game on ice.

Leading, 17-14, after one quarter, and, 23-19, with less than four minutes remaining in the half, Simi Valley went on a 12-2 run.

Most of that blitz came with the Pioneers’ top scorer, Tawnee Cooper, out with foul trouble.

“Tawnee’s a great player, but there’s a lot more on this team than just her,” said Corey Phillips, who scored 18 points.

Cooper still managed to score 16 points and grab 11 rebounds, while Jamie Griffin added 15 points.

Anna Celaya of North Hollywood (3-2) scored a season-low 17 points, leaving her five points shy of the school’s career scoring record of 938 set by Jalinda Sweet from 1989-91.

The Pioneers will meet Newbury Park tonight in the semifinals. Alemany plays Ventura in the other game.

Alemany 47, Channel Islands 28--Carly Funicello scored 13 points as the state’s second-ranked team trounced the Raiders (5-3).

Kelly McKay added 10 points for Alemany (6-0). Judy Tuimoloau scored 13 for Channel Islands.

Newbury Park 57, Kennedy 37--Jann Thorpe scored 22 points for the Panthers.

Kennedy (8-4), which played in a Van Nuys tournament game earlier in the day, stayed close in the first half.

However, Newbury Park (10-1) extended a 23-19 halftime lead by outscoring the Golden Cougars 17-8, in the third quarter.

Coyles Scarbrough scored 19 points for Kennedy.

Ventura 45, Chaminade 37--The Cougars trailed before taking charge in a 14-3 final quarter.

Ember Brown of Ventura (3-2) scored 18 points.