As impressive as his team is playing right now, Palisades High girls basketball coach Torino Johnson believes it will be even better by the time the playoffs start. That is a scary thought for future opponents, especially when one considers the Dolphins are still missing three starters due to injury.
Palisades defeated host Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies 87-54 Monday to extend its winning streak to 10 games and improve to 5-0 in the Western League. The Dolphins haven’t lost since a 62-46 setback against La Jolla Bishop’s at the Santa Ana Shootout on Jan. 3.
Bianca King led the way with a season-high 29 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and three blocks against the Unicorns. Guards Kayla Merrill-Gillett and Chelsey Gipson each added 18 points. The Unicorns hung close for one quarter, trailing only 20-13 after eight minutes, but Palisades took charge with a 31-point second-quarter.
Gipson also had seven assists, fellow guard Chaniyah Pickett had four points and six assists, Sammy Spanier had eight points and six rebounds, Ariana Haghani and Hannah Akahoshi each scored three points and Julia Ide and Rita Herbstman each had two points. The Dolphins’ point total was their highest of the season — six more than they scored in a 19-point win against Sun Valley Poly.
Last Wednesday the Dolphins opened a 46-9 halftime lead on their way to a 69-26 rout of visiting Venice. King had 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, Merrill-Gillett had 16 points, seven steals, five assists and four blocks and Gipson added 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Herbstman had six points, Spanier had five, Pickett had four and Haghani added a basket for the Dolphins, who have won their league games by an average of 34.6 points. Zamiah Phillips scored 12 points for Venice.
On Wednesday the Dolphins host reigning City Section Division I champion Fairfax in a battle for first place in league. The Lions defeated Palisades three times last season but lost to the Dolphins by 24 points in the championship game of the Fairfax Tournament on Jan. 10.
— Steve Galluzzo
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