PREP BASKETBALL : City Girls 3-A : Braggs and Kelley Lead Crenshaw Past Fairfax, 65-54

Crenshaw High defeated Fairfax, 65-54, Friday night at the Sports Arena to win the Girls City 3-A championship but not without some help from the boys’ team.

The girls ran a full-court press much like the one the boys’ team uses. In fact, assistant boys coach Joe Weakly even sat alongside girls assistant coach Major Dennis to offer advice during the game.

“We knew they wanted to fast break, and we knew we could kill it,” Dennis said. “The press killed them. It shut them down and made them play our game.”

Playing Crenshaw’s game meant Fairfaix had to chase forwards Tanya Braggs and Yolanda Kelley down the court while also contending with the Cougars’ version of the fast break. Braggs had 20 points and handed out six assists on the break, mostly to Kelley.

“Yolanda Kelley is a fine, complete player,” Fairfax Coach Joanne Heller said. “She played great inside and did real well with the offensive rebounds.” Kelley finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Despite controlling most of the game, Crenshaw was unable to control Fairfax’s Shameil Coleman, the City’s scoring leader. Coleman, who was voted the tournament’s most valuable player along with Denise Beck of Locke, had 29 points and 20 rebounds. “We were really getting off slowly,” Coleman said. “We just couldn’t get it (the fast break) off. There was that press after every basket.”

Fairfax, which lost twice to the Cougars in league play, was able to control the tempo in the first quarter. Fairfax was much more deliberate, sinking four of seven from outside. But Crenshaw got off more shots and led, 11-10, at the end of the first quarter.

Then Braggs and Kelley took control. Braggs opened the second quarter with a 10-foot jump shot, and before four minutes had run off the clock, she and Kelley had combined for 12 points as Crenshaw went in front, 29-18.

Fairfax closed to within four points in the third quarter, but Crenshaw led, 45-36, by the end of the quarter.

Fairfax, the defending champion, finishes the season at 15-9 and can look forward to the return next year of guard Demetrice Davis, who scored 12 points against the Cougars. Crenshaw (15-3) advances to the state regional championships next Wednesday against Point Loma of San Diego at Point Loma.