Alemany Picks Wrong Time to Fall Apart

Golf isn’t the only sport that offers Mulligans, and the Alemany High girls’ basketball team should be grateful.

The top-seeded Indians played their worst game of the season, losing to Fullerton Rosary, 61-49, in a Southern Section Division III-AA semifinal game on Saturday at Harvard-Westlake, but it didn’t end their season.

They get a do-over.

As a final four team in the division, Alemany (23-6) advances to the state playoffs beginning March 7.

“We still have an opportunity,” said Coach Melissa Hearlihy, whose team was making its ninth semifinal appearance in 11 seasons.

“It’s just going to hurt for a while.”

Alemany shot poorly (19 of 60), was outrebounded, 33-24, and its defense forced only 11 turnovers after averaging more than 25 this season.

Of course, the Indians were playing the defending Division III-AA champions, who were seeded No. 4, so this was no picnic.

No. 4-seeded Rosary (22-9) will face No. 2 Torrance Bishop Montgomery or No. 3 Harvard-Westlake for the title next week at the Pyramid.

“We’ve had something to prove,’ said guard Maggie Barnett of Rosary, who had 20 points and five assists.

“I think a lot of people have underestimated us.”

Were the Indians among them?

“Yep,” Barnett said.

Kate Beckler of Alemany agreed.

“Their intensity was 100% and ours was about 50%,” said the Rice-bound guard, who scored 15 points but didn’t make her first outside shot until a three-point basket with 21 seconds to play.

Rosary finished behind large-schools powers Santa Ana Mater Dei and Santa Margarita in the four-team Sierra League, and entered the playoffs as an at-large team.

In the second round, the Royals struggled to outlast Chaminade, 62-53, a team that tied for fourth place in a Mission League dominated by Alemany.

“We just came out big-headed and we shouldn’t have,” Beckler said.

Still, Alemany took an 8-2 lead before the Royals took control.

“Even when we were ahead, 8-2, we looked panicked out there,” Hearlihy said.

“They were poised and we didn’t run an offense.”

Barnett, the division’s player of the year last season as a junior, scored only two points in the first half, but Jenise Karcher scored 12 of her 18 before intermission to help Rosary to a 30-23 lead.

The advantage increased to 46-28 early in the fourth quarter, and Barnett made 10 of 12 free throws in the final five minutes to hold off the Indians.

Bridget O’Connell added 11 points for Rosary.

Nyasha Bralock scored seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Alemany climb within 47-38.

Beckler played only eight of the final 13 minutes after picking up her fourth foul, and forward Karina Siam missed the final seven minutes with a knee injury.

Now, The Indians have 10 days to regroup and recover.

“We just may see them again,” Coach Richard Yoon of Rosary said. “But I hope not. They’re a good team.”

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HIGH SCHOOL GIRL’S PLAYOFF SCORES

City Championship

Semifinals

Narbonne 69, Chatsworth 44

Southern Section

Quarterfinals

Division I-AA

Lynwood 46, Camarillo 34

Semifinals

Division II-A

Laguna Hills 54, Newbury Park 43

Division III-AA

Rosary 61, Alemany 49

B. Montgomery 85, Harvard-Westlake 56

Division IV-AA

Cerritos Valley Christian 55, Oak Park 52