Narbonne’s Physical Play Is End of Line for Marina

HARBOR CITY —  The only thing similar Thursday night between Marina and Harbor City Narbonne were the records, and even that was a mirage.

Narbonne was taller, bigger and quicker, and used all those traits to dominate Marina, 67-40, in the Southern California regional Division I semifinals.

The top-seeded Gauchos improved to 27-4, with three losses by forfeit. Marina finished 28-5.

Narbonne plays Palos Verdes Peninsula, a 56-52 winner in overtime over San Clemente, at 6 p.m. Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

Narbonne, the Los Angeles City Section 4-A champion, scored the first 14 points of the third quarter as part of a longer 27-3 run extending into the fourth. The Gauchos outscored Marina in the third quarter, 21-2, to win its 21st consecutive game.

But it was competitive at halftime, with Marina--the Southern Section I-A champion--trailing, 33-26. The Vikings had trailed by only three, 29-26, on Natalie Nakase’s three-pointer with 1:14 left in the half. They would have only one field goal over the next 14:24.

“We were in good shape at halftime,” Marina Coach Pete Bonny said. “We ran a trick play, a backdoor lob and that would get us to five and it’s a game. Instead, it went the other way.”

Loree Moore (12 points) wrestled a rebound from Chanda McLeod and put the ball up for a nine-point lead, then Jessica Cheeks (10 points) hit a three-point basket, Ebony Hoffman (20 points, 14 rebounds) scored on a rebound, Moore scored from 18 feet.

Suddenly, everyone knew the game had been decided. McLeod said she realized Marina’s ride was over “when they were up by 17.”

The lead eventually reached 31 points, 61-29.

“They were physically stronger, more athletic--we tried to box out,” said Nakase, who scored 13 in her final high school game. “But their arms, their ability to jump, it was just too much.”

McLeod, Marina’s 5-foot-11 center, had 10 points and 12 rebounds, but she was fighting a losing battle.

Narbonne outrebounded Marina, 55-32, with 6-2 Hoffman getting 14 rebounds, 6-4 sophomore Portia Mitchell getting 10, and 5-11 junior Amber White getting nine.

Narbonne played eight players--none of them seniors.

“They were just too physical,” Bonny said. “Once in a while you can pull an upset, but we played, man, zone, trap, everything we knew. We forced them to take bad shots; they got putback after putback.”