Redondo Plus Refs Too Much to Overcome

The officials had a hand in the outcome of the girls basketball contest Friday between Beverly Hills High and Redondo Union, and that didn't sit well with Normans' coach John Braddell.

With the Sea Hawks clinging to a one-point lead and possession with 14 seconds remaining, Beverly Hills got nailed with a technical foul for an illegal substitution. But the fouls didn't stop there.

After the Sea Hawks' Rachel Scarlett hit one of two free throws, Redondo inbounded the ball and the Normans were hit with a double foul after intentionally fouling Scarlett with 12 seconds to play. The Sea Hawks were awarded two free throws—Scarlett made one of them—before emerging with a 36-32 victory in a consolation game at the Battle at the Beach Tournament at Redondo.

Braddell was still fuming after the contest ended.

"Mistakes are made. They're young kids," Braddell said of the illegal substitution technical. "But the second call was ridiculous. [The officials] knew we were [intentionally] fouling. A good official doesn't make that call. We end up finishing this game on the free throw line, when both teams were working their butts off, and we have to sit there and watch them go to the line.

"Even if it's a two-point game after the technical, we still have a chance. But with the double, we're done."

Beverly Hills (3-5) also was hurt by a struggling offense in the second half.

The Normans, who led 17-16 at the half, managed just one point in the third quarter and failed to score a basket—it scored just two in the second half—until there was 5:32 remaining in the game when Mason Morgan scored. By then, Redondo had taken advantage of the scoring drought.

The Sea Hawks (5-3) outscored Beverly Hills 10-1 in the third quarter to take a 26-18 lead heading into the fourth. Still, despite the Normans' troubles on offense, they managed to hang around. They used free throws to rally them from the eight-point deficit and they almost mustered enough offense to win.

Morgan, who led Beverly Hills with 15 points, hit three of four from the charity stripe in the opening minute of the final period. Austin, who finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, added two more to pull the Normans to within 26-23 with 6:33 remaining.

But a three-point play by Michelle Lowery and a free throw by Scarlett increased Redondo's lead to 30-23.

Morgan scored the next five points to cut the deficit to 30-28. But a free throw by Lowery, who led the Sea Hawks with 10 points, and a basket by Scarlett pushed the lead back to five (33-28) with 1:40 to play. But Redondo still couldn't shake the Normans.

A pair of free throws by Natalie Moy and a bucket by Morgan cut the margin to 33-32 with 14.7 seconds left before the technical difficulties resulted in the Normans demise.

As much as Braddell was disgusted with the officiating, he also said the team's offensive struggles contributed to its undoing.

"We struggled offensively because they packed it in the paint," Braddell said. "Good teams do that. They were trying to take away (the offense of) Chelsea [Austin] and Morgan and taking their bets on the others beating them. Until we get our shooter [Lisa Kliman] back, we're going to have to deal with that."

Kliman, a senior shooting guard, has been out since tearing an ACL in her right knee during a summer league contest. She might return later this month, Braddell said.

Beverly Hills will meet Palos Verdes Peninsula in a consolation contest at 3 p.m. Saturday at Redondo.