City Girls Win Respect but Lose Game, 67-62

NORTHRIDGE —  The Southern Section girls’ basketball team won the Battle of the Valley All-Star game Friday night, but the City Section may have won much more.

Traditionally regarded as the weaker of the two sections, the City gave the Southern Section everything it could handle before succumbing, 67-62, before 1,100 at Cal State Northridge.

“I don’t think many people gave us a real chance,” said City Coach Steve Brumwell of Grant High. “On paper, we were overmatched.”

They weren’t on the court, where there were eight lead changes and five ties before the Southern Section went on a 13-3 run to turn a 51-50 lead into a 64-53 advantage with 3:14 left.

Melissa Harrison of Hart scored 12 points for the Southern Section and Kameelah Purdom of Highland added 10. Stacy Cobb of Bell-Jeff and Alicia Weber of Royal each had nine points.

Harrison, two-time Foothill League player of the year who will walk on at UC Santa Barbara, was named the Southern Section’s most valuable player.

The City answered with four players from Mid-Valley League rivals Grant and North Hollywood.

Angela Terry and Nakeisha Perkins of Grant each scored 14 points, while North Hollywood’s Lindsay Sotero-Higa had 10 points and teammate Claudia Villa scored seven.

“I certainly gained respect for them,” said Southern Section Coach Brian Taylor of Harvard-Westlake. “They have some very good athletes.”

The game marked the second year the Valley Sports Foundation and The Times’ Valley edition sponsored boys’ and girls’ all-star games, and the second time the City has all but matched the Southern Section.

Last season, the Southern Section needed a three-point shot with three seconds to win, 68-65.

“The City has a reputation as the wild types and the Southern Section is supposed to be so disciplined,” said Terry, the City’s MVP. “We wanted to show them.”

BOYS’ GAME

City Section 105, Southern Section 101--The City scored the last five points in the final 56 seconds.

Keron Wilkerson of North Hollywood hit two free throws with 38 seconds left to give the City a 102-101 lead.

Wilkerson, the City’s MVP, finished with 24 points.

Montae McFarland of Chatsworth had 16 points, Harold Shevlin of Taft scored 13 and Amir Bar-Netzer of Taft and Tyrone Purnell of San Fernando each added 10 points.

Shevlin, a 6-foot-4 guard, also outdueled Moorpark’s Kevin Lawrence in the halftime slam-dunk contest.

Scott Long of Chaminade scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half and earned most valuable player honors for the Southern Section.

Justin Beach scored 13 points and his Chaminade teammate Justin Stewart had 12.

Matt Moore of La Canada scored 11 points and Jerrohn Jordan of Valencia added 10.

The City, which avenged a 92-89 loss, led, 46-43, at halftime before the teams scored 117 points after intermission.

“What did you expect?” said Chaminade Coach Jeff Young of the Southern Section. “There were all kinds of guys who could score out there.”