GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SOUTHERN SECTION IV-A FINAL : Bell-Jeff Falters in 4th Quarter

Cerritos Valley Christian High erupted for 31 fourth-quarter points and ended Bell-Jeff’s 23-game winning streak in the Southern Section Division IV-A championship game with a 66-52 victory at Biola College on Friday night.

The Guards started on a sluggish note, going nearly three minutes before scoring their first points, and they trailed, 25-17, at halftime.

Bell-Jeff Coach Jim Couch said, “We were nervous and the heat in the gym caused us to get off to a bad start.”

However, senior Lori Talley paced a Bell-Jeff rally that gave the Guards a 36-35 lead at the end of the third quarter.

But Bell-Jeff was not prepared for the fourth-quarter onslaught of Cerritos Valley Christian (26-2).

The Crusaders, the defending IV-A champions, went on a 15-5 run to start the quarter and outscored Bell-Jeff, 31-16, in the period.

“Cerritos Valley hit all their shots in the fourth quarter, including their free throws, and we didn’t,” Couch said. “But we would like to get another shot at them in the state playoffs.”

Talley scored 20 points for Bell-Jeff (27-3) and Aisha Veasley scored a game-high 22 points for Cerritos Valley Christian.

Both teams will enter play in the Southern California Division IV regional tournament next week.