East LA's splendid backcourt of Olivia Ochoa and Kyla Martin-Burnley combined for 42 points and helped the #2-ranked Huskies overcome a slow start and win their 20th game of the year, 72-60, at Long Beach on Friday.
Host Long Beach started an imposing lineup with three players listed at least 6 feet tall on the front line. And early on, East LA (20-2) seemed to struggle with that size, as Long Beach (12-8) jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead.
But then the East LA speed took over. East LA took a 19-18 lead with 9:34 left in the first half, and never trailed again. The lead reached 10 points after a steal & basket by Martin-Burley that made it 34-24 late in the first half.
Long Beach got within six points at the half when Armani Wiley made a 50-foot shot from right behind the center court logo as the horn sounded to end the first half. And Imani Johnson scored off a pass from Kayla Sii to bring Long Beach within four points at 34-30 in the opening seconds of the second half.
But that would be as close as Long Beach would get. East LA still held a modest 4-point lead when Ochoa and Kristina Tatikian made back-to-back 3-pointers and Martin-Burnley scored on a putback for a quick 8-0 spurt that made it 51-39.
LBCC scored the game's next five points to get within seven at 51-44, but then East LA pulled away. A basket by Martin-Burnley made it 55-44. A 3-pointer by Ochoa pushed East LA's lead to 13 points at 59-46. Then Martin-Burnley scored on a putback to make it 61-46 with about 6 minutes left. Despite getting a rare 4-point play from Janissa Zagal with just over a minute left, Long Beach never got the deficit back into single digits again.
Ochoa finished with game-highs of 23 pts, 4 asts and 5 steals, making 4 three-pointers. Martin-Burnley had 19 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts and 4 steals. Jocelyn Diaz had a double-double with 13 pts, 10 rebs and a game-high 5 blocked shots. Overall East LA forced 34 Long Beach turnovers.
For Long Beach, Darshana Taafua scored a team-high 22 pts and grabbed 7 rebs. But she was the only scorer to reach double digits for the Vikings. Wiley and Jessica Njoku each scored 8 pts; Njoku - one of the three-six footers along with Taafua and Lupe Cruz - had 8 pts and 8 rebs. Cruz grabbed a game-high 12 rebs.
box score
Friday, January 23, 2015 - 5 pm
at the LBCC Hall of Champions, Long Beach
SCC crossover game - women
East LA 72:
4-Olivia Ochoa, PG - 6/16 fg, 7/8 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl, 3 pf, 23 pts
12-Kyla Martin-Burnley, SG - 8/21 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 2 pf, 19 pts
14-Jocelyn Diaz, C - 2/7 fg, 9/10 ft, 10 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 2 pf, 13 pts
32-Saray Rivera, PF - 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
42-Kimberly Perez, SF - 0/3 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 0 pts
24-Guadelupe Perez, F - 1/4 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 2 pts
20-Destiny Lea, F - 1/1 fg, 1 pf, 2 pts
5-Dynasti Shelby, F - 1/2 fg, 1 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
22-Vianey Chavez, G - 1/1 fg, 0/1 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 5 pf, 2 pts
30-Abigail Vasquez, F - 3/5 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 6 pts
1-Kristina Tatikian, G - 1/8 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
10-Justice Gordon, G - 0/1 fg, 1 blk, 2 pf, 0 pts
2-Jacqueline Macias, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 8
Totals: 24/69 fg (.348), 19/24 ft (.792), 41 reb, 18 ast, 7 blk, 18 stl, 28 pf, 72 pts
3-pt fg (5): Ochoa 4, Tatikian
Fouled Out: Chavez, N.Perez
Turnovers (23): Ochoa 5, Martin-Burnley 5, G.Perez 3, K.Perez 2, Chavez 2, Diaz, Rivera, Shelby, Vasquez, Tatikian, Macias
Long Beach 72:
4-Jessica Njoku, PF - 1/3 fg, 6/8 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
5-Lupe Cruz, SF - 1/6 fg, 0/2 ft, 12 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pts
22-Armani Wiley, SG - 3/7 fg, 1/2 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
24-Kayla Sii, PG - 3/8 fg, 1/3 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 7 pts
44-Darshana Taafua, C - 6/10 fg, 10/12 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 3 pf, 22 pts
2-Jakarra Waddell, F - 0/4 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 0 pts
11-Jasmine Avalos, G - 1/4 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
15-Antoinette Davis, F - 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
3-Imani Johnson, G - 2/7 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 4 pts
1-Destynee Jones, G - 0/2 fg, 3/4 ft, 4 stl, 1 pf, 3 pts
20-Janissa Zagal, G - 1/2 fg, 1/1 ft, 4 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 18/53 fg (.340), 22/35 ft (.629), 51 reb, 11 ast, 4 blk, 11 stl, 20 pf, 60 pts
3-pt fg (2): Wiley, Zagal
Fouled Out: Waddell
Turnovers (34): Wiley 7, Sii 7, Taafua 7, Njoku 2, Cruz 2, Avalos 2, Johnson 2, Jones 2, Waddell, Davis, team
Halftime Score: East LA 34, Long Beach 28
Updated Records: East LA (t-#2-South, #4 Calif) 20-2, Long Beach 12-8
LBCC led 9-2 early but ELAC took a 19-18 lead with 9:34 left in the 1st half.
Wiley made a 50-foot shot at the end of the 1st half for LBCC.
ELAC led by just 4 until an 8-0 run midway through the 2nd half.
Zagal had a 4-pt play (3-pointer + FT) for LBCC with 1:09 left.
