Loera Carries Bishop Montgomery

La Puente Bishop Amat High didn’t want Noelle Quinn or Nykia Peace of Torrance Bishop Montgomery to beat them, and they didn’t.

Melinda Loera did.

The senior forward scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter as No. 6-ranked Bishop Montgomery rallied and defeated the host Lancers, 52-47, on Thursday night to clinch a share of its third consecutive Del Rey League girls’ basketball title.

“The shots just started falling and everything clicked,” said Loera, who made only one of her first eight shots before making three long jump shots and a running hook shot in the fourth quarter.

Quinn, rated as one of the nation’s top junior players, had 20 points, five rebounds and five steals. Peace added 11 points for the Knights (19-4, 7-0 in league), who have won 22 consecutive league games. The two-time defending state Division III champions can clinch the league title outright with a victory next week against second-place Playa del Rey St. Bernard.

Few third-place teams can match Bishop Amat (19-7, 3-3), which led by as many as nine points. But few leagues are as tough as the Del Rey, which has four teams on pace to win 20 games.

Sophomore forward Erin Myrick scored 13 points and junior guard Charleen Teodoro had 10 points for Bishop Amat, ranked second in Southern Section Division III-AA.

Loera, averaging five points a game, made a 16-foot shot midway through the fourth quarter to put Bishop Montgomery ahead, 41-39.

Dave Desmond

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Ventura 69, Santa Barbara San Marcos 35--Jenni Dooley scored 17 points and set a Ventura County record for career three-point baskets in the host Cougars’ Channel League victory.

Dooley made five three-point shots to raise her total to 205 to break the record of 203 set by Michelle Palmisano of Thousand Oaks from 1989-1992. Dooley’s total ranks seventh on the all-time Southern Section list.

The victory clinched a share of the league title for No. 10 Ventura (21-2, 6-0).

In boys’ basketball:

Loyola 70, West Hills Chaminade 57--Josh Flynn-Brown scored 21 points and Omar Wilkes had 16 for No. 18 Loyola (19-3, 8-1) in a Mission League victory at home.

The Cubs outscored Chaminade, 26-14, in the second quarter to take a 39-24 halftime lead. Chaminade is 18-6, 6-3.