Long Beach Poly Girls Take Care of Business

For the second night in a row, fifth-ranked Long Beach Poly (14-0) took down another undefeated team, this time limiting 6-foot-4 Tennesee-bound center Tye’sha Fluker to 16 points and running away from No. 23 Muir (11-1) in a semifinal of the Ayala Best of the West tournament Friday.

Poly opened a 20-6 lead before Muir rallied against the Jackrabbits’ reserves in the second quarter. While Poly made only two of 11 field goal attempts during one stretch, Muir pulled within 28-25 but never got closer than seven points in the second half after Poly opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run.

Poly plays Moore League rival Wilson tonight in the title game at 8.

Long Beach Wilson 78, East Anchorage (Alaska) 60--Brandi Knight scored 27 points, and Neka Mixon scored 18 for No. 20 Wilson (12-2) in another semifinal game that featured 64 free throws. East Anchorage (3-1), two-time defending large-school state champion in Alaska, made 14 of 23 free throws in the second quarter, 22 of 39 in the game. Wilson made 18 of 25.

Chino Hills Ayala 69, Westchester 63--Ayala scored the first 11 points and never trailed against No. 15 Westchester (8-6) in a fifth-place game. Kia Riley scored a game-high 26 for Ayala (10-4).

La Puente Bishop Amat 42, Rialto Eisenhower 41--Chasmine Jones scored from eight feet with 1:19 left to give No. 22 Bishop Amat a 40-39 lead, and one of her steal nine seconds later set up Tiffany Greenwood’s basket for a 42-39 advantage in the other fifth-place semifinal. Jones and Greenwood finished with eight points, and Erin Myrick scored a team-high 12 for Bishop Amat (14-3).