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Lindsey Tanita drives the Lady Centaurs upcourt.
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Kailey Tooke scored 11 critical points for champions.
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Celebrating like it was 1982 again. Photos, George Laase.
Many years have passed since Culver City High School has celebrated a CIF championship.
Several teams, both boys and girls, have won multiple league titles and competed well in the playoffs. However, the Centaur squads came up just short of a CIF championship.
That all changed last Friday night on a neutral court in Santa Ana when the Culver girls basketball team captured the CIF Division 2AA finals with a hard-fought 55-49 win over Mira Costa.
The victory gives the girls’ team their first title in 35 years (1979). They will begin competition in the state playoffs this week.
Culver City and Mira Costa came out strong defensively in the first half on Friday.
The Lady Centaurs swarmed their opponents’ ball handlers, forcing poor shot selection while the Mustangs implemented a tough press that created
several turnovers.
Mira Costa gained the early advantage, but Culver finished the quarter on a 9-2 run that gave them a 12-9 lead.
The Lady Centaurs extended their lead in the second and third quarters as they forced the Mustangs to shoot less than 30 percent from the field.
Culver was able to break Costa’s press. They built a 26-17 halftime advantage and then dashed to a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Lady Centaurs Coach Julian Anderson shortened his bench for this final match. He had his starters play the bulk of the time. Senior Michelle Curry led Culver City with a game-high 22 points along with 12 rebounds.
Senior Kelsey Ueda contributed 12 points while juniors Lindsey Tanita and Megan Yoon combined for eight points, six assists and eight rebounds.
Despite an injury, sophomore Kailey Tooke provided 11 points and five rebounds. Juniors Gwendolyn Machado and Katie Lin, along with sophomore Kate Suyetsugu, came off the bench and assisted with valuable minutes.
Senior Kelli Tademaru and sophomores Alexis Arancibia and Alexis Aquino shouted encouragement to their teammates.
Despite being down 10 points to start the fourth quarter, Mira Costa continued to battle. They controlled the offensive backboard, and that led to multiple opportunities. Led by junior Keilani Ikehara (10 points, five assists, four rebounds) and senior Camille Mills (10 points, six rebounds), the Mustangs went on a 13-2 run that erased their deficit and gave them their first lead since the first quarter.
Freshman Halle Maeda provided eight points and four rebounds while freshman Allie Navarette contributed six points with one rebound.
However, Culver City fought through the momentum shift and quickly regained the lead. The Lady Centaurs hit a couple of key baskets, tightened defensively, and converted late free throws to seal the victory.
The CIF title is the first for Culver High since 1982 when the boys’ soccer team won the championship.
The Lady Centaurs have had a successful program the last few years. They carry an undefeated record in the Ocean League the last three seasons (30-0. They are 40-10 in the last five.
Overall, they are an outstanding 106-47 the last five years, which includes a 75-20 record since 2012.
Culver reached the final four in 2012, the finals in 2013, and can now add a CIF SS Division 2AA championship banner.
Statistics
Culver City:
Team FG: 19 of 39 48.7% (3 pts: 2 of 6)
Team FT: 15 of 27 55.6%
Team Reb: 7 off; 28 def//Team TO: 22//Team Stl: 8/Team Blks: 2
Mira Costa:
Team FG: 17 of 57 29.8% (3 pts: 4 of 12)
Team FT: 11 of 15 73.3%
Team Reb: 15 off; 20 def//Team TO: 18//Team Stl: 13/Team Blk:1
CIF Girls/3.10
