GIRLS’ BASKETBALL : Crenshaw Tested, but Still Wins

Crenshaw High Coach Greg Cobbs said he was a little surprised after his team fell behind by 14 points in the second quarter against Gardena Wednesday.

Worried? Not a bit.

“To be truthful, during the whole game there was never any doubt we could come back and win,” Cobbs said.

Particularly with Naila Moseley in the game. The sophomore center scored 18 of her game-high 25 points in the second half as the Cougars rallied for a 58-45 Southern Pacific Conference victory at Gardena High.

It was the hardest-fought victory yet for the two-time defending City 4-A champions, who had never trailed after the first quarter this season.

The Cougars went scoreless during a three-minute span in the first and second quarters. Gardena ran off 15 consecutive points to open a 25-11 advantage midway through the second period.

That’s when Moseley went to work.

The Cougars managed to cut the deficit to 31-24 at halftime and went ahead, 33-32, for good on a three-point basket by Sommer Tillett with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter.

Records: Crenshaw 15-0; Gardena 7-5.

* Roosevelt 58, South Gate 43--Zenobia Tyson Hunt had 20 points, seven steals and 10 rebounds, and Dawn Pellerin scored 10 points for Roosevelt in the Southeastern Conference victory Wednesday.

Ruby Maciel had a game-high 26 points, including two three-point baskets, for South Gate.

Records: Roosevelt 9-1; South Gate 2-5.

* Manual Arts 82, Los Angeles 17--The Toilers won their fourth in a row in the Coastal Conference game Wednesday. Jovanae St. Cyr scored 18 points and Shawnta Jones had 18 to lead five Manual Arts players in double figures.

Records: Manual Arts 6-3.

* Belmont 62, Franklin 49--Zakiyyah Johnson scored 32 and Nancy Gracia had 18 to pace Belmont to the Northern Conference victory Wednesday. Janice Arcilla was the only player in double figures for Franklin with 22 points.

Records: Belmont 9-4; Franklin 3-5.

* Fremont 53, Garfield 42--Shaterry Danley scored 20 points and Aisha Savage added 14 as the Pathfinders handed Garfield its first Southeastern Conference defeat in seven games Wednesday. Karina Chavez had a team-high 12 points for Garfield.

Records: Garfield 10-3; Fremont 6-8.

* Locke 60, Jordan 23--The Locke trio of Shamika Higgins (17 points), Tanisha Hunter (13) and Donna Dumas (11) were more than enough to offset a 19-point performance by Jordan’s Elea A’giza in the Southeastern Conference game Wednesday.

Records: Locke 14-4; Jordan 4-9.

* Marshall 40, Eagle Rock 28--Jamie Kogan scored 15 points and Solette Kummer had 11 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks as the Barristers improved to 6-0 in Northern Conference play Wednesday.

Records: Eagle Rock 6-8; Marshall 12-4.

* Bell Gardens 46, Montebello 42--The Lancers built an 18-point fourth-quarter lead and then held on for the Almont League victory Tuesday. Adriana Villalobos had 20 points, including three three-point baskets.

Records: Bell Gardens 10-7; Montebello 5-14.