Bradley Airmails Oxnard Victory

Jaline Bradley wears jersey No. 23, shoots the ball from anywhere on the court and is so calm, she talks to friends in the crowd before she inbounds the basketball.

Bradley doesn’t dangle her tongue while she plays, but her performance in Oxnard High’s 72-42 victory over Channel Islands in first-round action of the Southern Section Division I-AA girls’ basketball playoffs Saturday night had a definite Air about it.

Bradley, a sophomore guard, had 28 points, five steals and five assists. She even brushed off the media at the end of the game.

“We’d rather have reporters talk to our coaches,” Bradley said.

Oxnard (14-11) harassed Channel Islands (19-8) with a full-court press and forced the Raiders into two of 17 shooting in the first quarter and three of 18 shooting in the third quarter.

When Oxnard had the ball, Bradley would pull up for a comfortable jumper or feed the ball down low to Danielle Curtis, who scored 12 points, or Nicole Black, who had 13, for layups.

The Yellowjackets, who finished third in the Channel League, led after the first quarter, 18-4, and never came close to trailing. The lead ballooned to 28 points several times in the second half.

The return of Oxnard Coach Ryle Lynch-Cole to Channel Islands was about the only drama left. Lynch-Cole graduated from Channel Islands in 1978 and coached the Raiders for 13 years, including their last playoff appearance in 1994.

“It’s a bittersweet situation,” Lynch-Cole said. “It’s friends against friends. I won, but I lost.”

Eleanor Ecoffey had 11 points for Channel Islands.

Bradley made the score 62-34 midway through the fourth quarter on a pull-up jumper, left the game to an ovation from Oxnard fans, and eventually talked to reporters after receiving clearance from Lynch-Cole.

Bradley revealed the only three things that could have stopped her.

“Throat, stomach, headache,” said Bradley, referring to her bout with influenza.

“You’re not going to shut her down,” Channel Islands Coach Patrick Bell said. “I wasn’t going to go to a zone and let her pop out around screens. You keep Bradley to under 20 points, you have a different ballgame.”

Curtis, who transferred from Channel Islands two season ago, had 10 points and 10 rebounds.