Rosy Finish for Palmdale in Golden League, 73-49

There haven’t been too many nights this season when the Palmdale High girls’ basketball team has stunk.

But Thursday night the Falcons came out smelling like, well, a Rose.

Senior center Kristi Rose, who has a scholarship to Utah, scored 24 points and had 18 rebounds in Palmdale’s 73-49 rout of Quartz Hill that clinched the Falcons’ second consecutive Golden League championship.

Palmdale (23-3, 9-1 in league play), ranked No. 2 in The Times’ area poll, took control at the start when No. 9 Quartz Hill (15-6, 8-2) missed its first 18 shots and fell behind, 16-0, after one quarter.

With both teams playing an up-tempo style, Palmdale raced to an 18-0 lead before Quartz Hill could score its first basket 30 seconds into the second quarter.

Quartz Hill had 18 turnovers.

“We were ready for the game,” said Rebecca Welch, who had 14 points for the Rebels. “We were running our offense, but they were stopping every phase of our game.”

Palmdale, which won its ninth league title since 1982, beat the Rebels, 48-46, the first time around. The Falcons won eight more league games by an average of 35 points.

Edniesha Curry scored 18 points and Monique Nolan added 12 for Palmdale.

But the story was Rose, who led Palmdale on a 20-7 third-quarter spree after Quartz Hill cut a 14-point halftime lead to 11.

Rose, who admitted she wasn’t playing well until late in the season, had 13 points and six rebounds in the third quarter.

“I came out thinking I better do good, because it was my last league game,” she said. “I was pretty pumped.”

Said Palmdale Coach George Corisis: “Kristi stepped up and played like the player who was Golden League most valuable player last year and all the Division I coaches wanted over the summer.”