Wolverines Get Early Jump on Alemany, 59-46

It’s becoming the Mission League’s version of the movie “Groundhog Day.”

Each season Harvard-Westlake and Alemany high schools, the league’s two girls’ basketball titans, hammer each other on their home courts, split the season series and share the championship.

They did it in 1996-97, and again last season.

And they were at it again Tuesday night at Harvard-Westlake, where the Wolverines beat Alemany, 59-46, to claim sole possession of first place. At least for now. They meet again Feb. 4 at L.A. Baptist High.

Last season, Harvard-Westlake defeated the Indians in similar fashion before losing twice later to Alemany, the final time in the Southern Region Division III championship game.

“We don’t want any more repeats of last year,” Harvard-Westlake guard L’Tanya Robnett said. “That was last year. We’ve let that go.”

But the Wolverines (17-3, 3-0 in league play) would not relinquish the lead Tuesday, one that grew to 18 points, 36-18, in the third quarter.

Robnett, who scored 16 points, hit three three-point baskets in the fourth quarter to help hold off an Indian rally.

Omelogo Udeze scored 22 points and Rolake Bamgbose had 10 points for Harvard-Westlake, ranked No. 4 in the region by The Times. Guard Brooke Porter added eight points.

But it was the defensive contribution of senior guard Michelle Ghodsian that most Wolverines cited as the difference.

She was assigned to cover Alemany shooting guard Kate Beckler and limited the All-Southern Section player to 17 points on six-for-20 shooting. Beckler entered averaging 22 points, second-best among Southern Section players in the region.

“That’s my unsung hero,” Coach Brian Taylor said of Ghodsian. “It’s not often at the high-school level that you can get someone happy about playing a role like that.”

Ghodsian, who scored only three points, was just glad to get the call.

“Offense is not my strong point,” she said. “[My role] just makes me happy to be able to help the team like that.”

Alemany (10-5, 2-1), ranked No. 10, may have found an heir to the point guard position vacated by three-time All-Southern Section player Kelli Kobayashi, who is starting at Cal State L.A.

With Kobayashi sitting in the stands, Kelly Beckler, Kate’s freshman sister, came off the bench to score 10 points in the second half and rally the Indians to within eight points in the fourth quarter.

“She certainly stepped in and did some very good things,” Coach Melissa Hearlihy said of Kelly Beckler, who was playing in only her second varsity game after averaging 22 points on the junior varsity.

Harvard-Westlake and Alemany have shared the last two league championships, and both teams went on to capture section titles last year, the Wolverines in Division III-A, the Indians in III-AA.

Alemany defeated Harvard-Westlake, 50-45, in the regional final to advance to their first state final.