Comets blow out Orange Coast, G-House, reach title game

SAN MARCOS (11-17-2018) – The Palomar women's basketball team, a 79-23 winner over Grossmont College in the feature championship semifinal game of the Comet Classic Tournament Presented by the Fegan Family, will play East Los Angeles, a 79-71 winner over Riverside City College in the other semifinal, for the tourney championship on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The Comets came out of the gate fast, leading 15-0 to begin the game and 53-10 at halftime, then cooled off but continued on to the victory over the G-House.

Once again, Palomar spread out the scoring, led by Imari Cooley, their 5-foot-8 freshman guard out of Vista Murrieta High School, with 12 points, 13 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot, and Julie Saelee, a 5-foot-4 freshman guard from Monterey Trails High in Elk Grove, with 12 points, 4 rebounds (all on the offensive board), 3 assists and a steal.

Other big contributors for the Comets statistically were Mackenna Gentry, a freshman from Mt. Carmel High (9 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals); Dee Dee Valenzuela, a freshman from San Marcos High (with 9 points); Morgan Heise, a sophomore from San Marcos High (8 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block); Keiara Barton, a freshman from Vista Murrieta High (5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist); Sarah Ahmadpour, a freshman from Mission Hills High (7 points); and Lauren Hecker, a freshman from Mission Hills (5 rebounds).

In the consolation semifinals, West Los Angeles defeated West Hills-Lemoore 50-40and Santa Monica turned back Orange Coast 59-52.

Palomar 86, Orange Coast 33

In Friday's first round, the Comets jumped out to a 17-0 lead, extended it to 30-5 after one quarter, stretched their advantage to 55-9 at the half and coasted home as they cruised past the Piratesby 53 points.

Valenzuela, led Palomar with 19 points, 4 rebounds and a steal and was joined in double figures by Imari Cooley (15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals), and Gentry (10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists).

In other first-round games, Riverside City College defeated West Hills-Lemoore 72-61 and East Los Angeles downed West Los Angeles 76-67.

Other major contributors for the Comets were Lilly Crabtree, a freshman from Westview High (13 rebounds, 7 on the offensive board, 4 steals, 2 blocks); Clarissa Tate, a sophomore out of Mira Mesa High (9 points, 4 assists); and Julie Saelee, a freshman from Monterey Trails High School in Elk Grove, just outside of Sacramento (9 points).

Marshall ran all 13 players on her roster in and out of the game, usually five at a time, and 11 players scored for the Comets.