Maybe it was better that season ended lopsidedly two nights ago for the Culver City High School girls basketball team.
No tightness or heartbreak as the game wound down.
They turned out the lights on the Lady Centaurs’ magnificent 31-5 season, their first CIF title in 35 years, on Tuesday evening far away in West Hills.
No. 4-seeded Culver City was not a match for the much taller No.1-seeded Chaminade, 74-46, in the State Regional semifinals.
“No miracle this time,” one fan said after Chaminade blew apart the game after halftime.
Culver City played well enough, but Chaminade capitalized on its wide advantage in height, strongly outrebounding the Lady Centaurs to gain second and third shots. Just as commonly, Culver City only would get one shot and leave without the rebound.
Culver’s most loyal fans were left wondering why the West Hills private school was placed in Culver City’s 2AA Division.
“Chaminade is able to seek out tall, athletic players,” one fan said. “They can offer them scholarships.
“The only team to beat Chaminade all season was Etiwanda, another private school.
Chaminade recruited four girls ranging over 6 feet. Etiwanda has six such players.
Some coaches have said that because the CIF Southern Section was tired of losing to the North, regional brackets were set up to gain the best chance of bringing the state title back to Southern California.
