Palisades High girls basketball coach Torino Johnson said he’d be happy no matter where his team was seeded in the City Section’s first-ever Open Division tournament. Not only did the Dolphins make it, they were seeded No. 2 in the eight-team bracket and will host No. 7 El Camino Real in the first round tomorrow night at 7.
“We’ve made history by being selected as a participant in the inaugural Open Division and hopefully we can make more history before it’s over.”
Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
The Dolphins clinched the Western League title last Friday when Kayla Merrill-Gillett hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left and the Dolphins held on to beat defending City Division I champion Fairfax 70-69. She finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five steals, Bianca King had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Chelsey Gipson had 13 points and Chaniya Pickett added nine points and seven steals.
No team enters the playoffs hotter than Palisades, which has reeled off 17 straight victories. The Dolphins (20-10 overall, 12-0 in league) haven’t tasted defeat since Jan. 3. Marine League champion Narbonne (21-5) was awarded the No. 1 seed and hosts University in the first round.
Should Palisades beat ECR it will meet either No. 3 Fairfax or No. 6 Carson in the semifinals Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. at Roybal Learning Center. The final is March 7 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Boys Basketball
When Palisades players found out a couple hours before practice Saturday that the Dolphins were the No. 1 seed in the City Section Division I playoffs, their reactions ranged from utter shock to anger. They fully expected to be one of the eight teams in the Open Division, especially after finishing third in the Western League, widely regarded as the toughest in the City.
Despite 19 points from Joseph Robinson, Palisades (15-12, 6-6) lost its regular season finale 60-38 to Fairfax. The Dolphins get a first-round bye and host either No. 9 Fremont or No. 8 Sylmar tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals.
The semifinals are at 8 p.m. on Feb. 27 and the Division I final is March 7 at 3 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
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