Wary Wolverines Win It All

Twins Shoot Harvard-Westlake to Championship over Fairmont Prep

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Moments after being handed the championship trophy, Studio City Harvard-Westlake High girls basketball coach Melissa Hearlihy huddled her players together to remind them that five days earlier the only ones who believed they would win the Palisades Beach Invitational were the Wolverines themselves.

In the end they used stifling defense and a one-two punch to hold off Farimont Prep from Anaheim, 48-45, in an exciting final of yet another outstanding tournament organized by Palisades head coach Torino Johnson and his staff.

Palisades has hosted the event the last 13 years and for the third time in a row the title game went right down to the wire. Harvard-Westlake’s one-two punch was provided by identical twins Jayla and Jayda Ruffus-Milner, junior forwards who combined to score 34 points, and guard Justine Barraza made a clutch free throw with eight seconds left for the final crucial point.

Jayla Ruffus-Milner was fouled in the act of shooting and made both free throws to give Harvard-Westlake a four-point lead with 17 seconds left. She finished with 21 points and was named Most Valuable Player. Her sister added 13 points and five assists and also made the All-Tournament team.

“When it comes down to it, we try to play it smart at the end but we want to get it to people who can take it to the rim or penetrate and kick to the open shooters,” Jayla Ruffus-Milner said. “Jayda and I are pretty good at that and our teammates put their faith and trust in us to come through.”

Barraza scored 10 points for the Wolverines (4-0), who led 26-18 at halftime and 37-29 through three quarters.

The Huskies (3-1) had a chance to force overtime but missed a last-second three-pointer. They reached the final by stunning back-to-back tournament champion and reigning CIF Open Division state champion West Hills Chaminade, 67-59, in the quarterfinals and host Palisades, 65-34, in the semifinals.

Forward Cierra Hall scored 15 points and fellow All-Tournament choice Tristen Rollon added 11 for Fairmont Prep, which opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run to close within 28-27.

Jayla Ruffus-Milner stole the ball and dribbled the length of the court for a layup to cap a 7-0 run that put the Wolverines back up by eight.

Hall was fouled on a corner three-point attempt with 10 seconds left and made two of three free throws to pull Fairmont Prep within 47-45. Barraza was fouled on the inbounds play and made the first of two foul shots to make it a three-point game.

Harvard-Westlake showed it meant business in its first-round game last Tuesday, racing to a 39-0 halftime lead against Woodland Hills Taft on its way to a 54-8 rout. The Wolverines followed with a 52-45 victory over Gardena Serra, avenging a defeat to the Cavaliers in the Southern Section playoffs last winter, then beat  Valencia, 46-37, in the semifinals.

Valencia edged Palisades 61-59 to take fifth place last year and the teams faced each other again Saturday evening in the third-place game.

The Vikings prevailed, 60-44, thanks to 12 points from All-Tournament forward Kayla Konrad, whose buzzer-beater off the glass gave Valencia (3-1) a 49-47 overtime triumph over Mission Hills Alemany in the quarterfinals.   

“We had a play set up, my teammates got me open in the post, I shot it confidently and luckily it went in,” Konrad said. “Our expectations are high this season, we never give up and this just shows how hard we’re willing to work.”

Valencia led Palisades 26-19 at halftime.

Kayla Williams had 14 points,  Leily Martin had 11 and Chaniya Pickett had seven for the Dolphins (2-2), whose fourth-place finish was their highest since 2011 when they won the second of back-to-back Palisades Beach Invitational titles.    

Williams and fellow guard Chelsey Gipson made the All-Tournament team. Gipson had 20 points and five rebounds and forward Julia Ide added seven points and five rebounds in the loss to Fairmont Prep.

Gipson, who has signed with Loyola Marymount, sank six-three pointers and finished with 25 points in Palisades’ 64-56 quarterfinal win over Valencia’s Foothill League rival Canyon from Canyon Country last Wednesday. Williams added 19 points and Ide had eight for the Dolphins, who overcame a 35-26 halftime deficit.

The Dolphins tipped off their annual tournament against Hueneme last Monday and cruised to a 71-23 victory. Williams led the way with 18 points and 10 steals, freshman Jane Nwaba shined in her prep debut with 16 points and nine rebounds and Gipson, last year’s City Section Player of the Year, added 11 points. Martin had nin points, Caytlnn Gorden had six points and seven rebounds and Pickett had six points and six steals.

“Right now, it’s about improving every game,” Gorden said.

A testament to how tough the 16-team bracket was lies in the fact that Chaminade, which beat San Bernardino Cajon, to win the tournament last year and beat Santa Ana Mater Dei to win it in 2014, finished sixth after falling to Serra 58-52.

Camille Hailey scored 14 points and All-Tournament choice Alexis Tucker added eight for Serra (2-2), which trailed 30-29 at halftime.

All-Tournament selection Melissa Wright had 18 points and Izzy Newman added 12 for Chaminade  (2-2), which eliminated Palisades in the opening round of the state playoffs last season.

Alemany (3-1) beat Canyon 62-46 in the seventh-place game led by All-Tournament picks Jasmin Hardy (12 points) and Jillian Archer (10 points), who was a freshman on Palisades’ roster two years ago but didn’t play because of injury.

Ventura, a semifinalist last year, lost its first-round matchup with Serra, 70-47, but rebounded to beat Taft, Agoura and Marlborough on its way to the consolation title.

Palisades, which is seeking its third consecutive City Open Division crown this season, is back in action Monday night against Troy in the first round of the Troy Classic in Fullerton.

The Dolphins will wrap up pool play against Alemany next Wednesday and Etiwanda next Friday. The final round is next Saturday.