Dizzy Heights for Antelopes

Crystal McCutcheon of Antelope Valley High was dizzied by this strange, befuddling defense.

Another of the Antelopes, Juanita Newsome, was also dizzy. She missed three days of school because of the flu and started to feel woozy in the second half.

But the strangest part of this game between the Antelopes and Littlerock was the outcome.

Antelope Valley steadied itself and defeated Littlerock, 55-41, in a Golden League girls’ basketball game Thursday night at Littlerock that broke a three-way tie for first.

Antelope Valley (17-4, 6-2 in league play) took sole possession of first place with two games left.

Littlerock (16-8, 5-3) fell into a tie for second place with Quartz Hill (15-7, 5-3), which lost to Palmdale in overtime, 60-55.

McCutcheon, who scored 21 points in the Antelopes’ earlier victory over Littlerock, had trouble with the Lobos’ aggressive halfcourt-trap.

She was held to four points in the first three quarters, but rallied in the fourth and finished with 11.

Newsome, who said she felt weakened at the start of the second half, made three three-pointers in a 33-10 run that began late in the third quarter.

“I had a few cramps and I started getting dizzy,” Newsome said. “But I wanted first place.”

Antelope Valley received six points from freshman Shaquina Mosley, who was promoted from the junior varsity in case Newsome couldn’t play.

Littlerock led, 31-22, with 2:18 left in the third quarter, but Antelope Valley scored 11 of the next 13 points to tie the game, 33-33, a minute into the fourth. A 12-2 Antelopes run put the game away.

“When we realized we wouldn’t be No. 1 [in the league standings] anymore, everybody picked it up,” McCutcheon said.

Littlerock was without starter Lizette Rams, who has strep throat and mononucleosis.

“We had kids playing more minutes than they’re used to,” said Coach Tom Hegre of Littlerock. “[We] just ran out of steam.”