Bell-Jeff 61, View Park Prep 49
CIF Southern Regional Coverage
Jack Pollon
March 14, 2009
Usually freshman guards don’t score 19 points in a CIF state Southern Regional championship game.
Usually freshman guards don’t make seven consecutive baskets to start the game.
Usually freshman guards aren’t the stabilizing force on the court when the opposing team makes a run to get back into the game.
Don’t tell that to Bell-Jeff of Burbank’s Rishonda Napier.
Napier was all of those things and more as Bell-Jeff of Burbank outlasted View Park Prep of Los Angeles, 61-49, at Cal St. Fullerton in the Division V Southern Regional championship of the state playoffs.
Bell-Jeff, who was making its first appearance in a regional championship, will now make its first appearance in a state
championship game next week at Arco Arena in Sacramento against The Branson School of Ross.
“It wasn’t just me,” Napier said of her second consecutive key performance for Bell-Jeff. “I was getting great passes and I have to thank my teammates for my success.”
Napier might want to take a little more credit as she finished 8 of 12 from the field, added four rebounds, two steals and made a driving lay-up midway through the fourth quarter when View Park Prep was in the midst of a game-changing run..
“When you talk about Rishonda Napier the only thing that comes to mind is flat-out winner,” Bell-Jeff coach Bryan Camacho said. “She embraced the situation today and she performs at such a high-level.”
The Guards (33-1) led by as many as 10 points in the second half but couldn’t put away the L.A. City Section small-schools champion until the last couple minutes.
Angel Smith and Kiara Cain scored all of the points during a 7-0 run at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth quarter to pull within three points.
Napier then made a lay-up and Bell –Jeff went on a 7-0 run two minutes later to restore order.
Shelley Gupilan and Elizabeth Hawthorne each made lay-ups and Gupilan buried a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner in front her own bench and the Guards were on their way.
Bell-Jeff ended the game on a 14-2 run holding the Knights (28-9) to only two free throws and no field goals the last 5:39 of the game.
“We just tried not to crack,” Napier said. “We didn’t want to fold. We knew we would be alright. We had been in situations like that before. We weren’t worried. This team has great heart and our coach builds us up.”
Added Camacho, “They had momentum but we made plays when we needed to. Rishonda and Shelley in particular had a couple good ones.”
Gupilan had 23 points including nine in the first quarter and Napier had nine of her 19 in the first quarter as Bell-Jeff opened up a six-point lead that increased to nine by halftime.
Margeaux Gupilan added 14 points and seven rebounds for Bell-Jeff. Gupilan made a lay-up with 1:20 remaining giving the Guards a 58-49 lead and putting the game out of reach.
Shanevea Hayward and Danielle Pruitt had 14 and 11 to lead View Park Prep. Hayward had nine rebounds and Pruitt had eight.
The Knights hurt themselves going 14 of 27 at the free throw line and shot only 29% from the field.
“We went to a zone to stay out of foul trouble and make them shoot from outside,” Camacho said. “We wanted them to earn every shot.”