Melissa Tchias scored 22 points and Leslie Ortiz posted a double-double to lead host #7 Canyons (19-9, 11-0) to a 79-75 win over Bakersfield (15-14, 7-4) that clinched the WSC-South division championship for the Cougars.
Tchias scored to break a 71-71 tie with just under 3 minutes left to give COC a lead it held the rest of the game. Facion Edwards fed Hina Kimitete for a basket and made a free throw to help the Cougars keep the lead, and Ortiz made three free throws in the final 38 seconds, the last one coming after a Tchias steal, to clinch the win.
It was a close game throughout, and it began as if both teams would challenge the 100-point mark. COC jumped out to an 18-9 lead only to see Bakersfield rally, but COC led 22-17 less than 8 minutes into the game.
From there, it became a defensive battle. Bakersfield eventually tied the game at 27 after a driving lay-up by Taylor Abercrombie. More remarkable was that just 5:20 remained in the half and both team were still under 30 points. Bakersfield took a 29-27 lead when Abercrombie fed Sarah Ortiz for a basket, but COC went back ahead on a jumper by Edwards and a basket by Janette Galindo. At the half, Canyons held a 36-33 lead after a pair of free throws by Tchias with 16 seconds left before intermission.
In the second half, COC pushed out to a 41-33 lead, and things got worse for Bakersfield a few minutes later when Sarah Ortiz went to the bench with her 3rd foul. COC then pushed its lead to 12 at 61-49 with just under 10 minutes left.
But Ortiz came back the game, and Bakersfield chipped away at the lead. The final push came from Stephanie Roberts, who drained a pair of threes, sandwiched around a pair of free throws, to cut the lead to 65-64. Then she passed to Ortiz for a basket that put Bakersfield ahead, 66-65, with just under 6 minutes left.
Canyons reclaimed the lead on a putback basket by Ortiz after a steal by Kimitete less than a minute later, and pushed their lead to 69-66 when Ortiz stole the ball and went in for the lay-up. Then Edwards intercepted a pass and drew a foul; her two free throws put COC ahead, 71-66, with 4 minutes left.
But Bakersfield rallied to tie the game at 71. First, Sharrel Washington made a pair of free throws. Then Roberts was fouled and made the first free throw. She missed the second, but Bakersfield's Ortiz got the rebound and scored on the putback to tie the game with just over 3 minutes left.
From there, however, COC outscored Bakersfield, 8-4, and got the win. Bakersfield still trailed by just 3 in the final minute, but Roberts missed a pair of free throws and a field goal before fouling out with 23 seconds left.
In addition to Tchias and Ortiz, who had 12 points and a game-high 11 assists, Edwards had a strong game for COC with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Kimitete added 10 points and 4 assists. And the team's only sophomore, Galindo, had 8 points and a team-high 8 rebounds on "Janette Galindo Night" (ordinarily known as Sophomore Night but since she's the only sophomore...).
For Bakersfield, Sarah Ortiz had a huge game with game-highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds. Roberts added 23 points while Washington had 8 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
box score
Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 5:30 pm
at College of the Canyons - Valencia
WSC-South
Bakersfield 75:
20-Sharrel Washington, SF - 3/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 5 pf, 8 pts
25-Maddi Padgett, SG - 1/7 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
32-Stephanie Roberts, PG - 6/18 fg, 9/14 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 5 pf, 23 pts
33-Sarah Ortiz, C - 12/19 fg, 2/2 ft, 16 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 26 pts
44-Neha Joshi, PF - 2/5 fg, 8 reb, 1 ast, 3 pf, 4 pts
12-Valerie Salinas, G - 1/1 fg, 4 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 2 pts
24-Taylor Abercrombie, F - 2/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
11-Maricel Navarro, G - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
52-Evelia Benitez, C - 2/2 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 4 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 29/65 fg (.446), 15/20 ft (.750), 43 reb, 17 ast, 3 blk, 9 stl, 26 pf, 75 pts
3-pt fg (2): Roberts 2
Fouled Out: Washington 1:17 left, Roberts 0:23 left
Turnovers (24): Roberts 6, Ortiz 6, Washington 3, Padgett 3, Joshi 3, Salinas 2, Abercrombie
Canyons 79:
12-Janette Galindo, SF - 4/11 fg, 8 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 8 pts
13-Leslie Ortiz, PG - 4/10 fg, 4/7 ft, 2 reb, 11 ast, 2 stl, 12 pts
14-Hina Kimitete, SG - 4/8 fg, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 10 pts
22-Facion Edwards, PF - 7/10 fg, 5/8 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 3 pf, 20 pts
35-Melissa Tchias, C - 7/14 fg, 8/13 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 22 pts
23-Kelly O'Linn, F - 1/4 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
24-Enchantee Merriman, G - 0/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
44-Samantha Gossard, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
4-Brittany Benavidez, G - 1/2 fg, 1 pf, 3 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 28/63 fg (.444), 19/30 ft (.633), 38 reb, 22 ast, 6 blk, 13 stl, 14 pf, 79 pts
3-pt fg (4): Kimitete 2, Edwards, Benavidez
Turnovers (18): Ortiz 5, Tchias 5, Kimitete 2, Edwards 2, Galindo, O'Linn, Benavidez, Gossard
Halftime Score: Canyons 36, Bakersfield 33
Updated Records: Canyons 19-9, 11-0 in WSC-South (clinches division title with this win); Bakersfield 15-14, 7-4 in WSC-South
