Rush’s 25-Footer With 2 Seconds Left Gives Kennedy 46-45 Win

Of all the candidates for a game-winning shot, Kennedy High’s Tisha Rush would have been ranked about No. 36, just behind the scoreboard operator and snack bar attendant.

The 5-8 junior forward had a miserable shooting performance Friday night against Simi Valley. Her awkward jump shots were sometimes so wild that the referee under the basket kept his hands ready for an airball.

By the third quarter, she was near tears after missing four straight shots.

But Rush was celebrating with two seconds left in game after hurling a 25-foot jumper into the bottom of the basket to give Kennedy a 46-45 victory over Simi Valley in the semifinals of the Simi Valley girls basketball tournament.

The win gave Kennedy (8-2) a spot in the tournament final against Buena, which beat Alemany, 70-43, in the other semifinal.

“I thought I was going to miss the shot,” said Rush, who briefly fainted after the basket. “I was off the whole game, but I looked up at scoreboard and decided to take a chance,” said Rush, who finished with 12 points.

Simi Valley (8-3) had never trailed until that point.

Simi Valley opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run that put Kennedy behind, 39-29, with 5:33 left.

Enter Diane DeCree.

The 6-1 All-City senior forward scored a layup on an inbound pass that set the tone for the last four minutes. DeCree would later add two more layups inside to bring Kennedy to within three points, but a 20-footer by Simi Valley’s Kristie Sterbens made the score, 45-40, with 1:35 remaining.

Rush hit a short jumper and DeCree added a layup with 35 seconds remaining to cut the margain to 45-44.

Simi Valley’s Keira Irwin missed a short jump shot with no time remaining on the 30-second clock (six seconds on the game clock). Rush then got the ball near midcourt and chest-passed the ball toward the basket.

“Tisha should have been shooting better,” said DeCree. “But if she was shooting like that in the first half, we’d be fine.”

In the first quarter, Kennedy made just 3 of 10 shots in the first quarter and 4 of 15 in the second.

But poor shooting wasn’t the only thing that plagued Kennedy in the first half. In fact, Kennedy almost buried itself in the first minute of the game. Kennedy was whistled for five personal fouls early and Simi Valley was in the bonus with 6:56 left in the first quarter.

Then Coach Craig Raub watched his offense sputter the entire first half. DeCree, who ended up with 24 points, never got into the flow of the offense because her guards couldn’t get her the ball.

DeCree missed her only shot of the first quarter. DeCree finally scored on a layup midway in the second quarter and later added a 20-footer for a 2-for-4 first half.

Despite Kennedy’s problems, Simi Valley couldn’t pull away and managed a 20-16 halftime lead.

In today’s consolation final, Fairfax will play Canoga Park at 1:30. That will be followed by Ventura-Newbury Park (seventh-place game) at 3; Dos Pueblos-Santa Clara (fifth place) at 4:30; and Simi Valley-Alemany (third place) at 6.

Canoga Park 49, Crescenta Valley 24--Julie Burnester scored 14 of her game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead Canoga Park (2-4) to a consolation semifinal victory at the Simi Valley Tournament. Teammate Steph DeLange added 14 points for Canoga Park which took a 22-11 halftime lead. Crescenta Valley is 1-5.

Fairfax 61, Saugus 51--Jessicca Fairbanks of Fairfax (2-4) scored a game-high 36 points in the consolation semifinal of the Simi Valley Tournament. Fairbanks dominated play in the first quarter, leading Fairfax to a 22-7 advantage by scoring 16 points.

Saugus (5-5) narrowed the gap to 32-23 at halftime but never drew closer than five points in the second half. Joanne Farkas and Ellen Dinsenbacher scored 14 and 11 for Saugus.

Fairfax will play Canoga Park in the consolation finals at three this afternoon.

Dos Pueblos 59, Ventura 45--Kim Bluitt and Ruth Parsons scored 15 points each for Dos Pueblos (4-5) in a fifth place semifinal game at the Simi Valley Tournament. Dos Pueblos will play for fifth place at 4:30 p.m. today against Santa Clara, which beat Newbury Park 62-45.