Girls’ basketball: Long Beach Poly four-peats

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SACRAMENTO--What do you call the newest four-time defending state champion in girls’ basketball?

Long Beach Poly.

The Jackrabbits won their fourth consecutive state Division I title this evening at Arco Arena by pulling away from Monte Vista in the second half of a 57-33 victory. Poly had led by only two points at halftime.

Poly is the fourth girls’ team to win four consecutive state titles and the first to do it since Bishop Montgomery from 2000-03. Senior guard Kelli Thompson was a member of all four Jackrabbits teams.

Junior forward Ta’Nitra Byrd scored 12 points off the bench and senior forward Monique Oliver had 10 points and seven rebounds for Poly, which used a balanced approach in which nine players scored. The Jacrabbits also forced 24 turnovers and committed only 12.

Monte Vista guard Niveen Rasheed, who came into the game averaging 20 points, struggled to find her rhythm after getting into foul trouble early in the second quarter. She was shuttled in and out of the game after that in an attempt to avoid fouls in defensive situations, but she picked up her third foul on a charging violation late in the first half.

Rasheed finished with 16 points before fouling out with 3:04 left in the game.

--Ben Bolch