The Narbonne Juggernaut Cruises to Title

It was supposed to be one of the toughest games of the year for the Narbonne High girls’ basketball team.

Instead, it was another rout.

Narbonne blew out defending champion Berkeley, 67-46, Saturday at Arco Arena for the first of what could become a string of Division I state championships.

The Gauchos--with only one senior on their roster--outshot, outrebounded and outplayed the Yellowjackets in every other phase of the game to take a 47-18 halftime lead that was never challenged. “We did what we had to do to win by 21 points,” said Narbonne forward Ebony Hoffman, who scored 15 points and set the tone early with several outstanding moves and shots near the basket.

Narbonne was just too big, too strong, too fast and too deep for the Yellowjackets. The Gauchos executed the basics and the spectacular to finish the season 29-4.

Sophomore guard LaTasha O’Keith scored 15 points for Narbonne and had two of the Gauchos’ 17 steals. Freshman guard Loree Moore had 11 points and junior center Portia Mitchell added 10.

“They are a physically overpowering team,” Berkeley Coach Gene Nakamura said. “They beat us to the punch in the first half. They beat us at our own game.”

Berkeley sophomore Aisha Hollans scored a game-high 20 points and had 14 rebounds, but she struggled with her shot in the first half as Narbonne blitzed to a 20-11 first quarter lead that grew to a 29-point advantage by halftime.

“That [lead] shocked me,” Narbonne Coach James Anderson said. “I’m pretty sure it shocked all of us. I thought we did a great job of smashing them back down [in the third quarter].”

The Gauchos’ only loss on the court came against Rancho Buena Vista in December. They also forfeited three games for using an ineligible player.

“We’re trying to prove something back down South--that there’s good girls’ basketball in the City,” Anderson said. “Everybody wants to talk about the [Southern Section], about [Division II state champion] Brea Olinda. Right now, I believe the best team in the state is Narbonne.”

Narbonne will get a chance to prove its case next January when the Gauchos travel to Orange County for the first game of a home-and-home series with Brea Olinda.

Until then, they will have to be satisfied with being only the second City Section school to win a state title. Locke won the inaugural girls’ championship in 1981.

“I want to play them again,” Nakamura said. “With the youth we have and the youth they have, maybe we can get a rematch next year.”

Narbonne figures to be there.