North Hollywood Pulls Even With Grant, 59-40

Vengeance is sweet.

Nine days after the North Hollywood High girls’ basketball team took a 20-point beating at the hands of Grant, the pendulum swung all the way back and the Huskies defeated the Lancers nearly as soundly, 59-40, in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game Friday at North Hollywood.

The win meant the Huskies pulled even not only in the season series between the teams, but also in the Mid-Valley League standings. Defending champion North Hollywood (21-2, 7-1) and Grant (18-4, 7-1) are tied for first place in the league with two games remaining.

“We came out ready and pumped up,” North Hollywood guard Tashean Thomas said. “We had to win this. We lost a very important game to them the first time we played.”

Much of the trouble for Grant, which had an eight-game winning streak snapped, began with Nakeisha Perkins’ foul trouble.

The Lancers’ senior center, who scored 20 points and pulled down 23 rebounds in the teams’ first meeting, grabbed 15 rebounds but was limited to eight points and was in constant foul trouble.

Perkins picked up two fouls early, had three by halftime, and picked up her fourth with 3:33 to play in the third quarter. Perkins did not play the rest of the period, but re-entered and fouled out 1:15 into the fourth quarter.

“It was intense and I got some bad fouls,” Perkins said. “I could have played smarter.”

The first quarter was close, but the Huskies took a 12-8 edge into the second quarter. With Perkins hampered by fouls and the Lancers’ other main offensive threat, Angela Terry (seven points), having an off night, Grant was unable to rebound after falling behind by as many as 11 late in the half.

“Once they got started, it seemed like we got scared,” Perkins said.

With Perkins out most of the second half, North Hollywood center Claudia Villa and forward Markia Derby had their way inside. The Huskies’ advantage grew to 24 points in the fourth quarter, when Derby scored 10 of her 14. She also had nine rebounds. Villa finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Thomas had 13 points, and Angelle Hill, had seven rebounds, five steals and six points.