Girls’ basketball: Laguna Hills prevails in overtime

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After thinking they had won in regulation, Laguna Hills players then had to endure two frenzied four-minute overtime periods before finally being able to celebrate their hardfought 59-55 victory over Mission Hills Alemany in the Southern Section Division 3AA final at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The fourth-seeded Lady Hawks broke a 55-55 tie in the second overtime on Maddy Ziering-Smith’s corner three-pointer with 37 seconds left. Alemany’s Leslie Lopez missed a jumper in the lane and Ziering-Smith was fouled with 5.3 seconds left. She made the second of two shots to seal the victory.

The game was deadlocked 53-53 after the first overtime. Celia Marfone had 22 points to lead fourth-seeded Laguna Hills. Lopez-Wood scored 23 for second-seeded Alemany.

-- Steve Galluzzo