PREP BASKETBALL: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL TOURNAMENT : DIVISION I GIRLS : Morningside Beats Buena, 56-49; Leslie Leads Way With 30

Surviving an upset bid for the second consecutive game, Inglewood Morningside High beat Ventura Buena Tuesday night in the first round of the girls’ Southern California Regional basketball playoffs, 56-49.

Center Lisa Leslie, who left the game with her fourth foul 3:10 into the third quarter and the top-seeded Monarchs (29-3) leading, 39-28, finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and 12 blocked shots in 29 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs (26-2), who were led by forward Mia Palkie’s 15 points, went on a 7-0 run immediately after Leslie’s exit. Palkie’s basket off an offensive rebound brought Buena within four points at 45-41 going into the fourth quarter.

But when Leslie returned to the game with 5:05 to play, the Bulldogs hadn’t scored in the quarter and trailed 47-41.

Leslie made a 15-foot jump shot despite being triple-teamed to give the Monarchs a 53-45 lead with 2:33 to play. A three-point basket by guard Princess Murray gave Morningside a 56-47 lead with 53 seconds remaining.

Forward Jennifer Wells had 14 points for the Bulldogs, including five in the third quarter.

With a 35-22 halftime lead, it looked like Morningside might coast the rest of the way--but Monarch Coach Frank Scott knew better.

“Hey, when you get this far, none of them are easy,” Scott said. “They scared us half to death.”

Scott said that he didn’t seriously consider putting Leslie back in the game while Buena was making a run. “We’re just fortunate we were able to maintain a lead while she was out of there,” he said.

And Leslie said she didn’t ask to return to the game. “No, definitely not,” she said. “That’s what got me in trouble last time out against Lynwood (in the Southern Section 5-AA title game victory Friday).”

Morningside needs to win Thursday and Saturday to go to Oakland for the State Division I championship game for the third consecutive year.