Mann, Foothill Survive a Second-Half Swoon

Foothill forward Kristen Mann said her team doesn’t compare itself to its competition, but to its potential.

For a half Thursday night, the third-seeded Knights nearly reached that potential. Then they fell woefully short.

Still, Foothill got 22 points and 13 rebounds from Mann, enough to go more than nine minutes without a field goal and still hold off Newport Harbor, 49-30, in the first round of the Southern Section Division II-AA girls’ basketball playoffs.

Foothill made its first five shots and forced 16 first-half turnovers in taking a 25-point halftime lead, 37-12.

“I think they’ll be the No. 2 team in the county [next season],” Sailor Coach Gregg Savage said. “With their two post players back, I’d be hard-pressed to believe there are many teams that can come back with as much.”

Those post players are Mann, a 6-2 sophomore, and Chavaughn Brown, a 6-2 junior who had six points, six rebounds and six steals.

Foothill led, 11-7, when it scored 22 of the next 24 points, including 14 in a row. The Knights went 9 minutes 46 seconds without a field goal in the second half and still had plenty to spare.

Newport Harbor’s shooting guard, Kalena Jackson, didn’t play because of surgery Monday on her mouth. Her backup, Evita Castillo, hurt her knee in practice Wednesday and didn’t play either. Their absence was evident against Foothill’s full-court assault.

Foothill’s lackadaisical attitude in the second half gave the Sailors a chance to make it respectable. Foothill, which made 13 of 24 shots from the field in the first half, was three of 25 in the second half and outscored, 18-12.

Foothill Coach Ty Watkins said his team will hear about it in today’s practice.

“Once you get into the playoffs,” Watkins said, “you win more games in the second half than you do the first.”

Thursday was the exception.

Foothill will play Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, a 68-48 winner over Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World.