Losing Late Lead Unhealthy Habit for Chatsworth

The Chatsworth High girls’ team squandered a 16-point lead to Newbury Park in a case of deja vu last week.

Chatsworth lost, 40-37, after missing several shots and turned the ball over frequently in the second half.

The defeat came on the heels of a bitter loss to Washington in the championship game of the Washington tournament. The Chancellors came from behind to take a six-point lead with two minutes to go, and lost, 44-42.

“It’s very disappointing,” Coach Raquel Alotis said after the Newbury Park game. “They’ve been there. They’ve done that.”

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Chatsworth, which will compete in the upcoming Burroughs and Santa Barbara tournaments, has gotten key contributions from a pair of transfers.

Starting point guard Britney Hamilton, a transfer from Moraga Campolinda and Buena, is an adept ball-handler who has freed up shooting guard Ashley Shelton and swing player Liz Sun. By her own admission, Hamilton’s greatest fault is impatience. She showed a tendency in the Newbury Park game to play out of control and make poor shot selections.

“We talk about that all the time,” Alotis said. “She hasn’t gotten much playing time before, so she’s still learning. It’s just unfortunate because she plays the point for us, and when she gets out of control, the whole team is out of control. Her learning curve is very high, and she’s always worked hard. I expect great things from Britney.”

Junior forward Linnae Barber, a transfer from Kennedy who averaged 12 points last season, has found a niche as the Chancellors’ sixth man, taking over for injured sophomore Summer Johnson.

“She’s a hustler,” Alotis said of Barber. “She gets on the floor and she’s worked hard. She’s done some good things for us.”

Johnson is out at least until next month as her broken left arm heals.