Knights Find Two Titles Twice as Nice

It was a doubly good Saturday afternoon for Torrance Bishop Montgomery in the state basketball championships at Arco Arena.

The Bishop Montgomery girls’ team defeated Petaluma, 57-45, and the school’s boys’ team beat Pleasanton Foothill, 73-56, in back-to-back Division III finals.

Bishop Montgomery became the fourth school to win boys’ and girls’ state basketball championships in the same year. San Anselmo Drake won both Division II titles in 1982, Ripon Christian did it in Division V in 1988 and 1994, and Atherton Menlo achieved the feat in Division V in 1989.

“There’s been a lot of excitement on campus [about the possibility of dual titles],” senior forward Tamara Quinn said after the girls’ victory. “There hasn’t been a lot of talk, but there has been a lot of pride.”

State titles are nothing new for Bishop Montgomery’s girls, who won their third championship in five years.

This, however, is the first state title for the boys’ team, which also won its first Southern Section title a few weeks ago.

Bishop Montgomery’s girls rolled through playoff opponents before meeting Petaluma, which made it close for most of the game. Bishop Montgomery led, 26-24, at halftime and, 45-40, with 5:50 left.

The Knights extinguished the threat with a basket by Melinda Loeru and two by Lauren Ervin to put Bishop Montgomery ahead, 51-40, with 3:22 remaining.

Ervin, a freshman center, scored 18 points and had 15 rebounds to lead Bishop Montgomery (29-3).

“I was expecting them to be awesome, and they were,” said center Kristina Blair, who scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds for Petaluma (30-7).

Bishop Montgomery’s boys were not similarly tested.

The Knights (28-5) took a 10-0 lead and never looked back, forcing 23 turnovers en route to the victory.

Junior guard Derrick Craven scored 16 points and twin Errick Craven 15.

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In the Division I boys’ final:

Concord De La Salle 47, Fresno Clovis West 46--Joe See made two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to lift De La Salle (31-1).

Clovis West (39-3), which trailed from late in the first quarter, went ahead, 46-45, on two free throws by Chris Hernandez with 22.4 seconds left. But Tyrone Jackson fouled See on a shot from the baseline.

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In the Division V boys’ final:

Los Angeles Price 71, Hoopa Valley 66--Jermaine Jamison scored 17 points to lead four players in double figures, and Price (33-1) overcame a 15-point deficit in the second quarter to win its first state title.

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In the Division V girls’ final:

San Lorenzo Redwood Christian 34, Solana Beach Santa Fe Christian 33--Angela Thompson scored 13 points to lead Redwood Christian (25-5) to its first title. Brandi Collato scored 17 points for Santa Fe Christian (30-6).