Girls’ Basketball Playoffs : Reseda Hands Kennedy Rare Defeat, 79-72

Reseda High forward Jennifer Marzahl had two things on her mind when teammate Aggie Garcia picked up her fourth foul midway through the third quarter of Wednesday night’s game at Kennedy--make baskets and avoid fouls.

Marzahl succeeded in doing both--and just about everything else. Marzahl scored 18 points, including half of her team’s 24 fourth-quarter points, to lead Reseda to a 79-72 victory over the Golden Cougars in a City Section 4-A Division quarterfinal playoff.

Reseda (16-4), the two-time defending 3-A Division champion, will play Washington in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at the Sports Arena. It was Kennedy’s first playoff loss to a City team from the Valley this decade.

Reseda outscored Kennedy, 24-17, in the fourth quarter after tying the score, 55-55, with 23 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Marzahl scored six of the Regents’ first 11 points in the fourth quarter as Reseda took a 66-59 lead. All 12 of Marzahl’s fourth-quarter points came on turnaround jump shots under the basket.

“Jennifer has hit for us most of the season,” Reseda Coach Andrea Francola said. “She works hard at that. Fortunately the defense was unable to stop her.”

Kennedy pulled to within four points with two minutes remaining, but Garcia and Marzahl scored back-to-back baskets and Garcia added two free throws in a 6-0 run.

Garcia scored a team-high 23 points, including 16 in the second and third quarters combined. Guard Denisha Jordan added 17 points for the Regents and Cheryl Hightower chipped in 13 points and nine assists.

Guard Felicia Stanley scored a game-high 26 points for Kennedy, including four three-point shots. Center Dawn Coleman added 21 points.