SUNSET GIRLS: Centennial edges Gorman, keeps Sunset ownership

Centennial’s girls basketball team had a handful of chances to put away arch-rival Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Region championship Friday.

But time after time, the Gaels battled back from near the brink of disaster.

That is, until overtime.

Centennial used a 6-2 game-closing run — all from the free-throw line — to defeat the Gaels 69-65 in front of a raucous crowd at Arbor View. The Bulldogs (29-2) won their fifth straight region crown and advance to the Division I state tournament, which begins Thursday at Orleans Arena.

“To win five in a row is something else,” said Centennial coach Karen Weitz, whose team met Gorman for the 13th straight time in the region final. “For a long time, it just seemed like we went back and forth with them. They came ready, and they elevated their game.”

Centennial had chances to take a double-figure lead in the first and second quarters, but Gorman battled back both times and led 32-30 at halftime.

The Bulldogs appeared to be firmly in control, leading 52-44 with less than five minutes remaining, but the Gaels used an 8-0 run to tie the score.

Still, Centennial, which has one senior and two juniors, had a chance to win in regulation. After forcing a five-second call with 11.9 seconds to go and having the Gaels give three fouls in the next nine seconds, Centennial set up Tanjanae Wells for a 16-footer that hit the rim as the buzzer sounded.

“A lot of our kids had never played in this game and some of them have never played against Gorman,” Weitz said. “Some of these kids have been hearing about it since middle school.”

The Bulldogs never trailed during overtime, going ahead for good at 64-63 when Pam Wilmore made 1 of 2 free throws with 1:56 to play.

“We just had to keep playing,” said Centennial sophomore Jayden Eggleston, who came off the bench to lead all scorers with 16 points, including 10 after the third quarter. “We had to show what we had worked this whole year for.”

Justice Ethridge hit two free throws with 32.8 to play before Gorman’s Megan Jacobs drove the lane to pull the Gaels within 66-65 with 27.9 to go.

Wilmore missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 24.3 to go, and the Gaels rebounded but were called for a charging foul six seconds later. Wells made two free throws with 16.5 to go, and after a miss in the paint by Gorman, Wilmore hit 1 of 2 free throws with 3.3 seconds to go to seal the victory.

Ethridge added 13 points for Centennial, and Wells had 12, Karina Brandon 11 and Wilmore 10.

“We didn’t play well, but you have to give the kids credit. They won,” Weitz said.

Madison Washington had 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead Gorman (22-5), which will face Foothill (21-8) in a state play-in game at 5 p.m. Monday at Chaparral. Raychel Stanley also had 14 points, Jacobs scored 13 and Alaysia Robinson 12.

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-5230.