Thousand Oaks Has the Reserve to Beat Pioneers

SIMI VALLEY —  Jenn Detmer got Thousand Oaks High most of the way there, but she had plenty of help finishing off Simi Valley Tuesday night.

Detmer scored only two of her 23 points in the fourth quarter, but the Lancers were still able to withstand a Simi Valley rally for a 61-56 victory in a Marmonte League game at the Simi Valley gym.

Thousand Oaks (13-5, 7-2), opening a three-game stretch against the league’s best teams, knocked Simi Valley (15-7, 7-2) out of a first-place tie with Channel Islands.

Junior Melissa Simonetti made two free throws with 45 seconds left to give Thousand Oaks the lead for good, 56-55.

Simi Valley had its chances. But Summer Page was called for traveling, and the Pioneers were forced to foul.

Andi Terada and Lani Harimoto each made a free throw for Thousand Oaks, leaving Simi Valley one last realistic chance.

But little-used reserve Jenna Baum picked up a loose ball, Simonetti converted a layup and Thousand Oaks sealed the victory.

“It’s great to have people come off the bench cold and contribute like that,” Detmer said, referring to Baum. “They made big plays.”

Simi Valley concentrated on stopping Detmer but was often called for fouls, much to the chagrin of Pioneer Coach Dave Murphy.

After a call against the Pioneers in the third quarter, Murphy was assessed a technical foul--his first, he said, in five seasons.

“I felt like we were playing seven on five,” Murphy said.

Four Simi Valley starters had at least three fouls by the end of the third quarter. Shannon Malia, who led the Pioneers with 18 points, played eight minutes with four fouls before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Simi Valley was called for 25 fouls, compared to 21 for Thousand Oaks.

The game developed slowly. Detmer missed her first five shots and Thousand Oaks was four of 13 in the period.

Simi Valley was even worse, making four of 16.

However, the inside opened up early in the second quarter, when Harimoto, who scored 18 points, made two three-pointers.

That opened the inside for Detmer. After scoring one point in the first quarter, she had 12 in the second and eight in the third.