One Game to Go for Crenshaw Boys and Girls : Girls Basketball: Even outnumbered, Cougars are strong enough to beat Westchester, 55-54.

Crenshaw High opponents have resorted to various strategies to knock off the two-time defending City Section 4-A champion this season.

The Cougars withstood a new twist down the stretch against Westchester, going up against six Comet players on the court at once.

Crenshaw, though, rallied for a 55-54 victory Friday night in a semifinal playoff game at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Crenshaw, which trailed by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter, overcame a 54-49 deficit in the final two minutes despite playing against six players for nearly 45 seconds.

Crenshaw called time out after Robyn Walker put the Comets ahead, 55-49, with 1:44 left. When play resumed, Westchester, though, inadvertently had six players on the court.

The Cougars cut the deficit to 54-53 on baskets by Naila Moseley and Devon King before officials discovered the extra player and called a technical foul with 1:02 to play after boisterous complaints from the Crenshaw bench.

Moseley, who scored a game-high 32 points, made both technicals to put the Cougars ahead, 55-54. Devon King, who had 10 points, came up with two steals in the final 47 seconds to preserve the victory.

“I was just trying to play as hard as I could; I didn’t even notice how many players were on the court,” Moseley said. “It was just pride, we had to step it up and go all out.”

That was especially the case after Westchester ran off 12 consecutive points at the end of the third quarter to open a 40-30 lead.

Moseley, who had 26 points in the second half, scored 11 of the Cougars’ first 13 points of the fourth quarter during a 13-2 spurt to give Crenshaw a 43-42 lead with 5:32 remaining.

Crenshaw led, 47-46, with 3:38 to play before Westchester roared back with an 8-3 run to go ahead, 54-49.

“We just had to keep our composure on defense and play extra harder,” King said. Crenshaw, the only unbeaten team in the state, will play Washington in the final, Saturday night at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Washington beat Roosevelt 60-51.

The Cougars struggled against Coastal Conference champion Westchester in the absence of All-City guard Kristi Lattin, who missed most of the second and third quarters because of foul trouble.

Lattin, who had 55 points in Crenshaw’s previous two playoff victories, failed to score Friday. She picked up her third foul early in the second quarter and her fourth foul a minute into the second half.

“This wasn’t the toughest opponent, but the toughest game by far,” Crenshaw Coach Greg Cobbs said. “I was praying to Jehovah. I was praying to Buddha. I was praying to everybody when we were down (in the fourth quarter). It would have been a heartbreaker for the girls’ season to end like this.”

Tiffany Lewis had 13 points and Traylia Dillon scored 12 to lead four Westchester players in double figures.