Marina Uses Its Balance to Advance

Stockdale High School did what no other team in the playoffs has done so far, slow down Marina guard Natalie Nakase.

But the Mustangs paid the price.

Junior forward Chanda McLeod scored a career-high 27 points, junior guard Karyn Fierst had 14 and sophomore forward Nikki Lee scored 13 to help Marina take a 72-58 victory in the opening round of the Southern California Division I girls’ basketball regionals Tuesday night.

Nakase, in foul trouble most of the second half, was hounded by the Mustangs’ 5-9 guards, Jill Hodges and Erin Tomlinson.

Marina (28-4) will play Harbor City Narbonne on Thursday.

Marina jumped to a 9-2 lead, but then struggled to keep the Mustangs at bay.

Marina picked up the pace against the Mustangs (25-6) in the second quarter and three times built an 11-point lead. But each time Stockdale clawed back and trailed by only four points at the half.

A basket by Lee with 6 minutes 55 seconds left in the third quarter gave Marina a 47-41 lead, but the Mustangs converted several Marina turnovers and led, 50-47, two minutes later.

A basket by McLeod off a pass from Nakase with 2:32 left in the quarter turned out to be the go-ahead basket, part of an 11-0 Marina run that ended with the Vikings up 61-50.

Stockdale, the Central Section Champion, never got closer than four after that and went scoreless in the final 3:27.