Palisades Moves Past San Clemente, 53-40

Facing the top-seeded team didn’t seem to faze San Clemente, but losing its top player early in the second quarter eventually took its toll.

With the Tritons’ Colleen Turnbull sidelined because of a sprained ankle, San Clemente went scoreless for a 10-minute stretch in the second half and Palisades rallied for a 53-40 victory in the first-round of the Division I Southern California girls’ basketball playoffs Tuesday night at Palisades.

Junior guard April Freeney scored 16 points, Nicole Funn added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Leilani Estavan had 15 points for top-seeded Palisades, which advanced to host Oceanside El Camino, a 54-51 winner Tuesday night over El Toro, in a semifinal Thursday.

Palisades (27-4) trailed, 30-18, with six minutes remaining in the third quarter before it made its big push. The Dolphins scored 25 consecutive points in 10 minutes to move ahead, 43-30, midway through the fourth quarter before coasting to the victory.

It was an unfortunate ending for San Clemente (23-10), which started the game strong.

The Tritons raced to an early 10-point lead, then even after Turnbull left the game with the injury two minutes into the second quarter, San Clemente responded with a 13-0 run to take a 26-13 lead.

“We’re used to playing the top teams,” San Clemente Coach Mary Mulligan said. “We’re used to playing on the road. My girls came in here knowing they could win.”

San Clemente held Estavan and Funn, who both signed with Oregon State, to four points combined in the first half. Then the roof caved in.

San Clemente’s second-half frustration finally boiled over when Mulligan received a technical foul with 30 seconds remaining and Palisades comfortably ahead, 52-40.

Junior Whitney Jones scored 10 points to lead the Tritons.