Rival high schools Crenshaw and Dorsey battled as the boys and girls basketball teams clashed at Dorsey high school on Wednesday. The Dons girls team defeated Crenshaw 55-35 as the Crenshaw boys survived Dorsey’s late offensive surge 59-58.
Tyanna Haslem scored 11 points and Arianna Bowden earned eight rebounds for the Cougars. Crenshaw guard Chris Kendrick scored 12 points and six assists, forward Lamar Harris earned nine points and 11 rebounds.
Dorsey girls have improved to a 13-10 overall record and a 7-3 record in the Coliseum league. The Crenshaw girls are 7-12 overall and 6-2 in the league.
Despite being the first to score, Crenshaw trailed throughout the first quarter. After the game was tied at 11, a bucket from Dorsey guard Princess Sparks notched their score up to 13 with seconds left in the first quarter.
Dorsey led by as much as 10 points in the second quarter, ushering in halftime with a 30-21 advantage.
“It was a tough game, we fought through, we tried,” said Crenshaw forward Malaysia Flowers. “I feel like every lose that we got is only gonna make us stronger.”
Forward Miashillene Thompson kept the Dons lead out of the Cougars grasp during the third quarter. Crenshaw was in a 29-43 deficit coming into the final period. Dorsey’s defense pressured the Cougars throughout the match, there was no stop to the Don’s offensive run.
After the girls played, the boys teams took the court for a fast-tempo game full of short possessions and exciting blocks. The match reminded Dorsey boys head coach Arthur Gibson of their last meeting in December. The Dons won the double-overtime bout 75-73.
“They went up and when we were over there (Crenshaw), we went up,” Gibson said. “They cut it to one point like we did.”
The reigning L.A. City Section Champion Cougars started strong, ending the first quarter with a 10-point lead.
Crenshaw’s offensive slowed down in the second quarter, only scoring seven points during the period. A three-point shot from forward Chris Bradford and lay ups from forward Tynell Powell pushed Dorsey within two points of Crenshaw. Kendrick responded with a three-pointer to edge up the Cougars score. Dorsey trailed 27-34 by the halftime buzzer.
Both teams traded shots, making every possession count. Dorsey could not outscore Crenshaw, only able to stunt their deficit to six points during the third quarter.
Dorsey’s defense revved up in the final minutes of the game, converting steals into baskets was closing the point gap. A nine-point lead diminished to a three-point difference within a minute of regulation.
“We said they were gonna do that and that’s what they’re about,” said Crenshaw boys basketball coach, Ed Waters. “In the end, we held our poise.”
Crenshaw could not score as Dorsey executed free throws in the final seconds. The score was 59-58 in favor of Crenshaw with 22.3 seconds left. After a failed free throw, the Cougars forced a turnover to regain possession for the rest of the game.
