Sun Also Shines for Chatsworth

The little battles have been the biggest for Chatsworth High’s Liz Sun this season.

Sun, a senior guard, has struggled with her free-throw shooting. She shot only 36% in West Valley League play this season.

But Sun converted both ends of a one-and-one situation with 2:03 to play, putting the Chancellors ahead for good en route to a 52-43 victory over Hamilton in a City Championship first-round girls’ basketball game Friday night at Chatsworth.

Sun’s free throws moved Chatsworth ahead, 44-43, and the Chancellors made eight more free throws to seal the victory.

On the next possession, Sun scored on a layup that gave Chatsworth a 46-43 lead.

Ashley Shelton, who led Chatsworth with 21 points, made four free throws and Britney Hamilton made two in the waning moments.

Chatsworth (19-7) survived a 14-4 run by Hamilton (19-5) that tied the score, 42-42, with 2:44 to play.

Sophomore guard Ashley Harrison scored 12 points for the Yankees during the run.

“I’ve been working really hard to get better at the [free-throw] line,” said Sun, who finished with six points. “We saw we were down, but we had 2:40 to come back.”

Chatsworth pulled ahead, 38-28, when Shelton made her fourth three-point basket.

“We came out early this afternoon and each kid shot about 30 free throws,” Chatsworth Coach Raquel Alotis said. “Liz picked us up, and that’s typically her. When she has to step up, she does.”

Chatsworth pulled ahead with the scoring of Shelton, who found open shots with the Yankees concentrating on Hamilton, who scored five points and didn’t have a field goal until midway through the third quarter.

After the Yankees tied the score, 42-42, Harrison missed several high-percentage shots.

Despite a height advantage that included 6-foot-1 center Chari Smith, Hamilton’s only senior, the Yankees couldn’t play consistently in the final minutes.

“Our youth and the lack of experience really hurt,” Coach Mark Mizuno said. “We missed too many easy shots inside. [Chatsworth] is a good shooting team. We stopped Hamilton, but Shelton hurt us. Those two Liz Sun shots really made it hard for us to come back.”<

Chatsworth led, 15-12, after the first quarter and used a 12-4 run in the second quarter to build a 25-19 halftime lead. The Chancellors opened a 35-28 lead after the third quarter.

Alotis was pleased with Chatsworth’s defense, which pressed the Yankees into eight turnovers.

“We lost some of the [defensive] intensity in the fourth quarter,” Shelton said. “[Alotis] called a timeout and told us to pick it up a notch. We can’t have those lapses in the playoffs.”