Norco neutralizes Agoura

Charger girls’ hoops team falls in section title game




HARD TO STOMACH—Agoura’s Mia Moore, left, and Julia Barsocchini react after losing to Norco.

HARD TO STOMACH—Agoura’s Mia Moore, left, and Julia Barsocchini react after losing to Norco.

The Chargers reached the big stage.

They promptly got stuck in a muddy quagmire for four excruciating quarters.

Agoura High’s girls’ basketball team picked an inopportune time to play one of its worst games of the season. The Chargers’ memorable jaunt through the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A playoffs ended with a 62-31 thrashing in the championship game to Norco on March 5 at Azusa Pacific University.

“They were the better team,” Agoura first-year head coach Jason Ancrum said. “It just wasn’t there for us today.”

Norco flummoxed Agoura with a tenacious and opportunistic zone defense. The Cougars packed the paint and dared the Chargers to fire away from the outside. Agoura struggled to adapt to shooting in the cavernous arena, sinking only 28.3 percent of its field goals, including 20.8 percent in the opening half. The squad made only 3-of-18 3-point shots. Agoura, which attempted only five free throws, settled for jump shots instead of attacking the paint.

Dalis Jones, the shortest player for either team at 5-foot-2, was the head of the dragon for Norco. She completely dominated the perimeter on defense and dazzled as conductor of the efficient Cougar offense. Jones finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and zero turnovers. Of her 10 boards, four were on the offensive glass.

“We worked so hard,” Jones said. “We really earned this win.”

Norco head coach Rick Thompson sympathized with Ancrum and his charges.

“One of us is going to be elated,” Thompson said. “One of us will feel not so good. For every great victory there is an agonizing defeat.”

Agoura was playing in its third section championship game since 2010.

The Chargers won a Division 3AAA crown in 2013 by defeating Gahr 60-39 in Anaheim under the guidance of head coach Conley Oliver, who now leads the Agoura boys’ team. Steve Scifres led Agoura to the 2010 title game, a 64-49 setback to Inglewood at the Pyramid of Long Beach. Oliver and Scifres, whose squad went 30-2 in 2010, both attended Saturday’s game in Azusa.

Norco of Riverside County captured its first section title in school history. Norco, with Thompson at the helm, dropped CIF title games in 2004, 2007 and 2012.

Emily Cangelosi, a junior guard, paced the Chargers with 10 points and nine rebounds. Jazz Benn, a junior forward, finished with six points, five rebounds and two assists. Julia Barsocchini had five points and two assists.

“They just made their shots,” Cangelosi said of Norco. “They were just an overall better team than we were in that game.”

Benn tried to stay positive after the setback.

“Even if we lose,” she said, “we keep our heads up.”

Cangelosi said the Chargers have improved during Ancrum’s first season running the show.

“In beginning of the summer, we weren’t at all where we are now,” the junior said. “That progression is something to admire about our team. We work hard every single day. . . . We’re a strong, hardworking team that’s going to play our way, one way, and that is tough.”

Naomi Yim scored 15 points for Norco. She dazzled the crowd with a behind-the-back pass to Shyla Jones for a layup before pulling up for a 3-pointer in transition to give the Cougars a 25-9 lead with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter.

“We just didn’t have enough firepower today to really stay in it,” Ancrum said. “We didn’t have it. We just didn’t have it.”

In a classy move, Ancrum pulled his starters and inserted reserves Jaime Woodruff, Emily Schramm, Lina Thompson, Kira Matsuo and Hailey Costas for the final three minutes of action. Alcatraz Perez is sidelined with an injury. Mia Moore, Sophia McGowan and Megan Lee contributed for the Chargers.

Agoura played Madera in the first round of the Division III state tournament on Wednesday, but a final score was not available at press time.

“I’m very proud of all these girls,” Ancrum said. “They’ve come a long way as people, basketball players, friends, family. We’ve gotten closer. We’ve gotten better, and we’re just a tight group. Obviously, we’re all really down right now, but everyone in that locker room has each other’s backs at all times.”


ELEVATION—Agoura High girls’ basketball junior forward Jazz Benn, center, passes the ball during the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A title game on March 5 against Norco at Azusa Pacific University.

ELEVATION—Agoura High girls’ basketball junior forward Jazz Benn, center, passes the ball during the CIF-Southern Section Division 2A title game on March 5 against Norco at Azusa Pacific University.

HEADS UP—Agoura head coach Jason Ancrum high-fives players after the Chargers’ loss in the CIF-Southern Section title game.

HEADS UP—Agoura head coach Jason Ancrum high-fives players after the Chargers’ loss in the CIF-Southern Section title game.

DEFLATED—Agoura junior guard Emily Cangelosi, center, finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Norco.

DEFLATED—Agoura junior guard Emily Cangelosi, center, finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Norco.

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