Lynwood Defeats Cold-Shooting Narbonne, 52-33

Maybe it’s a credit to Lynwood that a game so hyped could be so dull, that two teams so good could look as if they were in a junior varsity time warp, that the game of the year could be so decidedly one-sided.

With a relentless commitment to its defense and transition game, Lynwood won the Southern California Division I Regional girls’ basketball final Saturday at Long Beach Arena, beating Harbor City Narbonne, 52-33.

Lynwood (32-0), ranked No. 1 in the state and nation, hardly looked the part.

Maybe it was because Narbonne (27-4), ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 6 in the nation, looked even less so.

Nevertheless, Lynwood will try to win its first state title since 1993 when it plays Sacramento Kennedy, a 59-57 winner over San Jose Archbishop Mitty, at 6 p.m. Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Narbonne won the last two Division I state titles and had reached the final three of the last four years--vacating the title in 1998.

Narbonne made only eight of 48 shots from the field (16.7%) and 14 of 27 free throws.

By comparison, Lynwood looked efficient. The Knights made 15 of 47 shots from the field (32.9%) and 21 of 34 free throws in a game that never developed any rhythm because of 48 fouls, 28 against Narbonne.

Narbonne got a three-point basket from Lisa Willis 69 seconds into the game, and didn’t make another field goal until 54 seconds into in the third quarter. Narbonne finished with 20 turnovers, Lynwood 17.

“We wanted to play our style and not let what happened last year happen again,” said Lynwood Coach Ellis Barfield, whose team lost to Narbonne, 64-39, in the regional final last season.

“Our game is to manufacture points, drive to the basket. We didn’t want anything to stop us--stay relentless regardless of what happened.”

Janice Bright scored five of her game-high 18 points in the first quarter as Lynwood opened a 14-5 lead. The margin stretched to 25-14 by halftime as Narbonne’s “offense” consisted of making 11 of 21 free throws. The Gauchos were one of 18 from the field in the first half.