SOUTH COAST LEAGUE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : San Clemente Comes to Life, Beats Dana Hills

Faced with a six-point deficit after three quarters, the San Clemente High School girls’ basketball team rallied in the final eight minutes for a 52-45 victory in a South Coast League game Thursday night at Dana Hills.

The Tritons (14-5, 5-1 in league), which this week reached their highest ranking of the season by moving into the fourth spot among county teams, took advantage of defensive lapses by Dana Hills (13-7, 3-3) in the fourth quarter.

San Clemente got balanced scoring from its starters in the final quarter and outscored the Dolphins, 17-4. The scoring was a complete turnabout from the third quarter, when Dana Hills had an 18-7 edge.

“We didn’t play any defense and we missed some easy shots,” Dana Hills Coach Mike Chapman said. “We just couldn’t stop anyone on defense.”

The Tritons, who remained one game behind second-ranked Capistrano Valley in the league standings, benefited from 13 free throws in 17 attempts; Dana Hills converted five of 10.

Dana Hills, however, controlled the boards and caused problems for San Clemente. The Dolphins had 39 rebounds, including 13 by sophomore center Karun Grossman, and San Clemente finished with 27. Center Chasity Washington led the Tritons with 11 rebounds.

“They just killed us on the boards and handled our press real well,” San Clemente Coach Mary Mulligan said. “Our team started playing in the fourth quarter. We started setting more picks on the ball and got a few layups.”

Senior guard Maili Rohner and sophomore guard Michelle MacIntyre each scored 13 points for San Clemente. Dana Hills junior forward Adara Newidouski led all scorers with 14 points and Sacha Ross added 10 for the Dolphins.

In another South Coast League game:

Capistrano Valley 57, Mission Viejo 30--Alisa Farr and Angie White each scored 15 points as the visiting Cougars (20-1, 6-0) won their 17th in a row. Capistrano Valley is ranked second in the county.

Maggie Gorska had 15 points for Mission Viejo (9-10, 2-4).