Girls’ baskeball: Lynwood advances to Division II state final
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Defensive pressure helped produce 22 turnovers and propelled Lynwood to a 60-42 victory over Bakersfield Ridgeview in the CIF Southern California Division II girls’ championship game on Saturday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.
Alize Lofton led Lynwood (29-5) to its 24th consecutive victory, contributing 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Amber Blockmon and Priscilla Lopez added 15 points apiece. Lynwood led by as many as 26 points and avenged a two-point loss to Ridgeview early in the season.
Erica McCall, the Gatorade state player of the year, had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Ridgeview. She made just eight of 25 shots.
‘Our program is built on defense,’ Coach Ellis Barfield said. ‘They’re buying into the system, working tremendously hard and it’s paying off.’
Lynwood, a three-time state champion, advances to play Mountain View St. Francis in next Saturday’s 2 p.m. final at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. St. Francis defeated Lynbrook, 44-19.
-- Eric Sondheimer