Pali High Girls Basketball Takes Lion’s Share

Point Guard Chelsey Gipson Is Selected Most Valuable Player after the Dolphins Win the Fairfax Tournament

As the first half ended in the championship game of the Fairfax Tournament last Saturday, the school’s security system went off,  causing lights to flash and alarms to sound repeatedly − much like the chaos the Palisades High girls basketball team was causing on the court. After scoring the first five points the host Lions were tamed by a well-oiled machine finally starting to click on all cylinders.

Point guard Chelsey Gipson poured in 32 points − including six three-point baskets − and was named Most Valuable Player after leading the Dolphins to a 75-51 blowout.

“I had that feeling today − I got the shots when I was open and  they went in,” said Gipson, who showed why she earned All-State freshman honors last year at Windward School. “We got a lot of fast breaks, we pushed the tempo and we never let up.”

Transfer rules forced Gipson to sit out the first month and a half  of the season, but she dazzled in her Dolphins debut last Tuesday, scoring 20 points in a first-round victory over Poly. She added 19 points in the quarterfinals against Cleveland and scored 26 in the semifinals against Granada Hills, including a 17-foot jumper with 16 seconds left to ice a 63-59 win.

Saturday’s victory snapped a five-game losing streak to Fairfax, which defeated the Dolphins three times last season on its way to the City Section Division I championship, including a blowout at Palisades that clinched the Western League title.

Gipson got plenty of help from her friends − namely backcourt mate Kayla Merrill-Gillett (16 points) and post player Bianca King, who added 15 points to offset a 39-point effort by the Lions’ USC-bound senior forward Marguerite Effa, the reigning City Player of the Year.

King and Chaniya Pickett also made the All-Tournament team for the Dolphins, who used a 17-2 run midway through the first quarter to take command and led 41-26 at halftime.

“Everybody was judging us by our record but it’s about what you show on the court,” Merrill-Gillett said. “When I have a bad game, Chelsey picks me up. We go at it in practice. She’ll show me a few moves and I’ll show her a few.”

On Monday, Palisades routed visiting Hamilton 75-11 in its Western League opener. It was the fifth win in a row for the Dolphins (8-10), who outscored their opponents 33-2 in the second quarter.

King led all scorers with 22 points, Gipson added 20 and Merill-Gillett had 15. A running clock was used in the second half. Palisades traveled to Westchester yesterday and travels to University for a 7 o’clock tip tomorrow.