North Holds Off Hinojosa, South, 67-55

Damaris Hinojosa couldn’t do it alone. Jaline Bradley didn’t have to.

Hinojosa, The Times’ All-Ventura County player of the year from Moorpark High, had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the South, but the North prevailed, 67-55, in the Ventura County Coaches’ Assn. girls’ all-star basketball game Saturday night at Ventura High.

The South couldn’t rebound from a 16-point first-half deficit.

The North, led by the UCLA-bound Bradley from Channel Islands, held a 34-22 halftime lead. Hinojosa scored all six of the South’s first-quarter points, but the North used five players to take an 18-6 lead.

The South closed to 40-36 on an inside basket by Hinojosa with three minutes to go in the third quarter but never got closer.

“It wasn’t just messing around,” Hinojosa said. “We tried to come back.”

The Pepperdine-bound Hinojosa, who led the region with a scoring average of 26.2 points per game last season, won a three-point shooting contest at halftime. She made 15 three-pointers in a one-minute span, compared to 10 by Bradley.

However, Hinojosa failed to make a three-pointer in nine shots during the game.

“I couldn’t make an outside shot if my life depended on it,” Hinojosa said. “I don’t understand it.”

Bradley, who averaged 20.7 points, 5.2 assists and three steals last season, did not lead the North in any category, finishing with eight points, three rebounds and two steals.

But then, she didn’t have to.

“I had a lot of fun,” Bradley said. “This is an all-star game, so we knew we had more than just me.”

Kelly Murray of Buena scored 13 points and Tina Samaniego had 12 points for the North.

Hawaii-bound Christen Roper of Nordhoff had nine points and 10 rebounds, and Aliza Richman of Ventura came off the bench to collect nine points and four rebounds.

In the boys’ game:

South 104, North 99--Michael Goldman of Calabasas scored 19 points, and Garrett Lepisto of Agoura and Brian Polen of Newbury Park each had 17 for the South.

Jeff Staniland of Ventura, the region’s second-leading scorer last season, scored 22 points for the North. Peter Brown of Buena had 20 points and Nick Jones of Santa Clara added 18 points.

The game was tied, 86-86, with 3:46 to play, but the South scored the next seven points.