Lady Ranger cagers clinch CIF playoff berth
By Jesse Phelps

Nordhoff High girls' varsity basketball team clinched a playoff invitation and essentially ended the defending league champion's season Friday night in Santa Paula, defeating the Cardinals 52-47.
The Rangers relied on tough man-to-man defense most of the night, limiting the Cardinals to just 14 points on four of 34 shooting in the first half, while opening a six-point lead. Junior Alison Bennett and sophomore Tahnie Benitez led the team on both ends of the floor.
Benitez held the county's all-time leading three point shooter to just eight points for the second time this season, and Bennett held Cardinal center Rebecca Kolbeck (the leading scorer last time the teams met) scoreless on the night. The NHS pair also shared the scoring load, each scoring 14 to lead the Rangers.
"Once again," said Nordhoff coach Ted Cotti, "We didn't have a particularly good shooting night. And very few of the calls seemed to go our way in the second half, but Tahnie and Alison went to battle and refused to lose. Their untiring tenacity on defense and on the boards (nine and 14 boards, respectively) was inspiring."
Santa Paula went on scoring the first seven points of the second half, taking the lead on three occasions in the third quarter. But after back-to-back three-pointers by Sarah Nylander (five points, four steals) and Sarah Lagos and steals by Johanna Rothermel and Becky Kennedy, the Rangers regained control and never trailed again.
Rothermel sank a trey, Bennett scored on a key put-back and Ariane Roach (five assists, five points) made a trio of free throws down the stretch to seal the victory in the final minutes.
With the loss, Santa Paula dropped to 5-16, 1-3. Nordhoff is now 13-10, 3-1.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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