From LBPOSTSports.com: While most of us are winding down in December, doing some shopping, getting caught up on sleep, and spending time with family, the Long Beach Poly girls’ basketball team is flying all over the place, tearing through national competition. The latest to fall is nationally-ranked number two Sacred Heart Cathedral, who lost to the Jackrabbits (then ranked no. three) in the final game of the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, by a score of 51-36 last weekend. Some attendees say it didn’t look that close.
Poly star Monique Oliver, recently a USC commit, led all scorers with 16, and was a crucial part of a defense that completely shut down SHC, who were averaging over sixty points a game in their first five wins of the season. Poly led 25-21 at halftime, and then, like the Jackrabbit football team, exploded in the second half, outscoring SHC 15-8 in the third and 11-7 in the fourth. The win breaks SHC’s sixty game-plus winning streak (their last loss was in January of 2007), and improves Poly’s record to 8-0.
It also should move the ‘Rabbits into second place nationally, as they travel home to catch a few days of rest. Then in a span of just a few days they’ll be in Phoenix, AZ to play more of the nation’s top teams in the Nike Tournament of Champions, beginning on December 18th—of course, we’ll keep you updated on how they do.
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