CYPRESS, CA – The East LA Huskies (7-3) took first place at the 32nd Annual Lady Chargers Classic, defeating the Palomar Comets (7-2) 83-73 on Sunday evening. East LA's Tiffani Martinez won tournament MVP, while her teammates Allissa Gomez and Jessica Sanchez were named to the All-Tournament Team.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
EAST LA 83 – PALOMAR 73
The East LA Huskies emerged victorious 83-73 in a gutsy battle against the Palomar Comets. Neither team could take control as the lead changed hands 15 times. Each team made 28 field goals, but East LA earned 24 points from the foul line while Palomar scored only 12 points from the charity stripe. The Palomar Comets held a tight 39-38 lead at the half, but the Huskies went on an 11-3 run at the start of the third quarter to take a 49-43 lead. The Huskies trailed 65-64 halfway through the fourth quarter before going on an 11-4 run to take a six-point lead with less than three minutes remaining. Yasmine Tweedy led the team with 16 points coupled with five rebounds and three assists, while Jessica Sanchez scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Lynnzy Troxell led Palomar with 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Roshell Lamug chipped in 17 points and four assists.
THIRD PLACE GAME
Cypress 66 – Santa Monica 46
The Cypress Chargers (6-2) took third place after winning 66-46 over the Santa Monica Corsairs (2-7). The Chargers controlled the first quarter thanks to a strong showing by Bianca Silva, who scored eight points to give the hosts a 20-9 lead. The Corsairs struggled to finish up their defensive possessions in the second quarter, surrendering nine offensive rebounds to the Chargers. The hosts took advantage of the second chance opportunities and scored 18 second chance points. The Chargers opened up the fourth with a 14-6 run, including 11 points from Alyssa Movchan to seal the game. Movchan led the team with 21 points and three steals, while Bianca Silva scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Katlyn Flores led the Corsairs with 19 points and seven rebounds, including an incredibly efficient 8-of-9 shooting. Mammusu Secka added seven points and 10 rebounds.
CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP
Orange Coast 85 – West LA 80
The Orange Coast Pirates (4-4) took the consolation championship after beating the West LA Wildcats (3-5) 85-80 in an overtime thriller. The two teams were seemingly even after the first quarter, but the Pirates managed to take a 32-26 lead into halftime. Down 61-56 with 6:14 remaining, the Wildcats went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 63 apiece. The Pirates quickly retook the lead when Chyann Pendergrass put in a layup with 23 seconds remaining. West LA's Tatiana Maimot responded with a game-tying layup as time expired to send the game to overtime. The Wildcats' impressive comeback was quickly silenced as the Pirates opened up the overtime period with a 10-1 run, including three-pointers from Michelle Wu and Megan Lewis to keep the game out of reach. Jenna Rodriguez had an incredible performance for Orange Coast. Rodriguez poured in 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Pendergrass added 13 points and eight assists. West LA had four starters scoring in double-digits, led by Angelique McDaniel with 24 points, two assists, and three steals.
TOURNAMENT MVP
TIFFANI MARTINEZ (EAST LOS ANGELES)
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
JESSICA SANCHEZ (EAST LOS ANGELES)
ALLISSA GOMEZ (EAST LOS ANGELES)
ROSHELL LAMUG (PALOMAR)
REGINA SHEFFIELD (PALOMAR)
ERIKA NILSEN (CYPRESS)
OSHAELA GRAY (SANTA MONICA)
JENNA RODRIGUEZ (ORANGE COAST)
ZHANE CARTER (WEST LA)
