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Quality Control for North Hollywood

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The knock against the North Hollywood High girls’ basketball team has almost always been the same.

“People always say we pile up a lot of wins against less-than-quality teams,” Coach Rich Allen said. “They can’t say that anymore.”

The Huskies’ 60-55 overtime victory over Harvard-Westlake on Thursday night came against a highly regarded intersectional opponent six days after they won the Beverly Hills tournament.

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Last week, North Hollywood defeated City Section powers Dorsey and Washington to win the Washington tournament.

The Wolverines (4-1), ranked third in the region by The Times and favored to win the Mission League, certainly were no patsies.

In a game that featured 17 lead changes and five ties, fifth-ranked North Hollywood (6-0) found itself down by four points with less than a minute left in regulation.

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Lindsay Sotero-Higa sank two free throws with 52 seconds left, and Markia Derby took an off-balance, one-handed shot in the lane that bounced off the backboard and rim before falling in to tie it, 50-50, with six seconds left.

Freshman center Richelle Sherman scored five of her 12 points in overtime for the Huskies.

“These kids just refuse to lose,” Allen said.

All-City guard Tashean Thomas had 15 points and six steals for the Huskies, Claudia Villa added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Derby had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Sotero-Higa, who made a clinching basket with 35 seconds left in overtime, scored 11 points.

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Omelogo Udeze had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Harvard-Westlake. Sophomore guard Brooke Porter added 13 points and five assists and L’Tanya Robnett scored 10 points.

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