Chatsworth’s Glass Half Empty

Chatsworth High took a 16-point lead over Newbury Park, but the Chancellors’ work was only half done.

So Newbury Park finished the job.

The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in the region by The Times, rallied from a 30-14 halftime deficit to edge the 10th-ranked Chancellors, 40-37, in a nonleague girls’ basketball game Tuesday night at Chatsworth.

Cassandra Harris, a 5-10 junior center, had 20 points and 11 rebounds--including 11 points and five rebounds in the second half.

“We were missing way too many shots the first half,” Harris said. “In the second half, we started hitting our shots and we knew we could win.”

Newbury Park tied the score, 37-37, on a three-point play by Ashley Adams with 3:02 to play. With 36.4 seconds left, a free throw by Harris gave the Panthers a 38-37 lead, their first since being ahead, 6-4, in the first two minutes.

While Newbury Park (2-0) struggled in the first half, the situation was reversed for Chatsworth. The Chancellors (4-2) collapsed from the outside in the second half, making three of 19 shots (15.8%), including one of seven in the fourth quarter.

After hitting five of seven three-point shots in the first half, Chatsworth was one of eight from long range in the second half and did not even get a shot off on its final possession.

The Chancellors committed 17 turnovers in the game, including 11 in the second half.

Britney Hamilton, a junior point guard who transferred to Chatsworth after spending her sophomore season at Buena, had 10 points.

“I was just getting a little impatient with the offense when nothing was happening,” Hamilton said. “It’s a tough loss, but Newbury Park is a great team.”

The Panthers, who play in the Buena tournament today, have yet to play at full strength.

Bridget Harris, who had nine points against Chatsworth, missed a victory over Hueneme while on a recruiting trip last week. Against Chatsworth, three players sat out because of illness, including starting forward Nancy Pabon.