For the past two seasons the Palisades High girls basketball team has been the gold standard in the City Section — the program all others are aspiring to become.
After all, the Dolphins won the City’s first Open Division title in March and entered this season as the favorites to repeat. Friday night in South Gate, however, Legacy showed it has both the talent and toughness to threaten Palisades’ reign of supremacy.
Trailing most of the game, the host Tigers rallied in the final minutes to stun the Dolphins 65-62 in the Platinum Division championship game of the Legacy Tournament, snapping Palisades’ 21-game winning streak against City opponents.
Chelsey Gipson scored 20 points in the first half for the Dolphins but was held scoreless in the second and her game-tying three-point attempt with two seconds left bounced off the rim.
“We should’ve won but we let it get away,” said point guard Kayla Merrill-Gillett, who had 12 points and five assists.
Chaniya Pickett scored 13 points, including a steal and a layup that put the Dolphins back in front, 55-53, with five minutes to go. Kayla Williams had nine points and Leily Martin added four for the Dolphins, who hadn’t suffered defeat to a City team since their 52-37 setback to Narbonne in the Division I semifinals on March 1, 2014.
Palisades scored 45 points in the first half to take a seven- point lead, but Legacy clamped down on defense after that, holding the Dolphins to 17 points over the final two quarters.
“We didn’t take care of the ball,” Pali High head coach Torino Johnson said. “We practice these situations and Chelsey got a good look [at the end]. It didn’t go in but I’m glad she took it. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Sammy Spanier’s floater in the lane gave Palisades its last lead, 60-59, with 4:25 left, but Leslie Aguayo made a free throw to tie it and Natalie Roque hit a three-pointer to put Legacy ahead by three with just under two minutes left.
Williams stole an inbounds pass and made a layup to cut Legacy’s lead to 65-62. Merrill-Gillett missed a three-pointer and Pickett got the rebound, but she was called for traveling with 14.5 seconds remaining.
“We didn’t do anything different — my girls just hate to lose,” said Legacy Coach Ronald Estrada, whose team moved up to Division II after winning the City Division III title last winter. “Palisades is the best team we’ve played and I have a ton of respect for them. They don’t give up.”
The teams could meet again in the Open Division playoffs, provided both are deemed to be among the top eight in the City.
Palisades earned its spot in the final with a hardfought 65-58 pool play victory over Carson, sparked by Gipson’s 28 points.
The Dolphins opened the tournament with a 53-10 rout of South East at Lynwood High, then defeated Lawndale 58-21 at Marquez High.
— Steve Galluzzo
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