Palmdale Waits for Rally That Never Comes, 54-40

The Palmdale High girls’ basketball team is accustomed to slow starts.

In their two previous victories in the Thousand Oaks tournament, the Falcons were forced to put together impressive second-half rallies in order to advance.

On Saturday night there was no such recovery as Palmdale lost, 54-40, to Chino in the tournament final.

Palmdale (12-3) scored only four points in the first quarter and trailed, 23-15, at halftime.

But in the fourth quarter, Marjorie Knott, virtually singlehandedly, tried to stage a comeback for the Falcons. She scored six consecutive points, closing the gap to 42-31. Knott finished with 11 points.

But each time the Falcons tried to inch closer, Chino pushed them back.

Jean Clark and Rasheeda Clark (no relation) combined to score 29 points for the Cowgirls (11-3).

Palmdale Coach George Corisis admitted that he was hoping for a second-half run.

“We were waiting for that fourth-quarter push,” he said. “There were a lot of teams that would have liked to have played in the final and we did.”

Rasheeda Clark, who has signed with Colorado, hit several clutch baskets in the final quarter to hold off Palmdale.

Rasheeda Clark finished with 12 points and Jean Clark had 17.

“Today was a team game for us,” Rasheeda Clark said.

Chino used its pressure defense to create havoc for Palmdale, and Falcon center Kristi Rose was held to eight points.

“Today we ran into a team that just hit its shots,” Corisis said. “It’s not something you get frustrated about. If we were playing bad defense or something, then I would have been frustrated.”

Thousand Oaks 54, Rio Mesa 49--Nicole Woodruff scored 14 points and Jenn Detmer added 13 for the Lancers (11-4) in the third-place game.

Trina Ayala and Carol Saladana each scored 16 for Rio Mesa (7-3).

Crescenta Valley 77, Fresno 68--The Falcons built a 42-24 halftime lead and then coasted to victory in the fifth-place game. Amirah Leonard scored 30 points and Michelle Greco added 21 for Crescenta Valley (14-1).

Senior 6-5 center Janae Hubbard scored 45 points--all but 23 of Fresno’s total.

Hart 48, Santa Barbara 41--Jelene Daney scored 12 points, and Wendy Downen added 11 points and four assists for the Indians (8-7) in the ninth-place game.

Doreen Richardson scored 14 and Jennifer Soloski added 13 for Santa Barbara (4-8).

Oxnard 77, Bakersfield Stockdale 50--Freshman Jaline Bradley scored 20 points and made four three-point baskets for the Yellowjackets (6-4) in the 13th-place game.

Nicole Bradley also scored 20 for Oxnard.