Michelle Palmisano, only a sophomore at Thousand...

Michelle Palmisano, only a sophomore at Thousand Oaks High, has displayed uncommon maturity by not dwelling on misfortune.

After scoring 38 points to bring her team to the brink of an upset over Channel Islands two weeks ago, she missed a potential game-tying free throw with three seconds to play and the Lancers fell, 58-56.

For Palmisano, however, problems are just something to cast away in the form of shots from all over the court.

She followed the Channel Islands game by scoring 36 points in a 63-58 loss to Westlake. Thousand Oaks turned its fortunes around last week, defeating Simi Valley, Newbury Park and Camarillo, but nothing changed for Palmisano.

The 5-foot-9 guard scored 31 points in the first two to stretch her run of thirtysomething performances to four games in a row. Then she turned it up a notch and scored a school-record 43 against Camarillo.

“I like to drive in,” Palmisano said. “It’s hard against a man-to-man defense, but my brothers and sisters taught me how to get out of that situation.

“They taught me to dribble between my legs.”

Being the youngest of eight children has its advantages. More important than flashy penetration is the ability to forget a missed crucial shot and remain confident the following game.

It is a lesson that has not been lost on Palmisano.