It wasn’t the play coach Dyan Miller designed, but it worked anyway.
It started with the score tied at 69-69. Glendale took the ball out at half court after they were awarded possession on the jump ball with 12.1 seconds left in the game. Glendale inbounded the ball to Marilyn Dubon and she dribbled off some time before driving to the hoop between two Santa Monica defenders, finally passing the ball to Sirushi Demirchyan for the game-winning three-pointer in the corner. The final score was 72-69.
“They did their own thing, and it worked,” coach Miller said. “Sometimes it’s best not to coach, and just let them play it out.”
The play pushed Glendale’s record to 17-12, and 7-4 in WSC play. Santa Monica College fell to 10-18, and 2-9 in WSC play.
At half time, Glendale took a 40-31 half time lead. Glendale forced Santa Monica into 17 first half turnovers. Glendale ended the half on a 9-0 run, sparked by steals by Leslie Lara, two baskets by Arpineh Ararat, and a three-pointer by Dubon.
After trailing 51-41 early in the second half, Santa Monica went on a 19-2 run. During that three-minute stretch, Crystal Conley scored 10 points, including two of her six three-pointers. Conley led all scorers with 30 points. Glendale matched Santa Monica’s run with a 7-0 run of its own.
Dubon made three free throws, a spinning jump shot, and a three-pointer, to take a 61-60 lead. On its next possession, Conley came back with another three-pointer. That basket was Conley’s last basket of the game. Dubon then came right back with a jumper in the lane to tie it up at 63.
Santa Monica then took a 69-63 lead with baskets by Josefa Laguna, and Shevonda Redden.
With her team down by six points, coach Miller urged the team to press Santa Monica back. The Corsairs weren’t able to handle the press, and Glendale grabbed quick baskets by Dubon and Lara, closing in on Santa Monica’s 69-67 lead. Glendale tied the game at 69-69 on Dubon’s backdoor lay-up of an inbound play.
Arpineh Ararat scored 18 points with 16 rebounds, and Sirushi Demirchyan earned 13 points for Glendale. Josefa Laguna and Shevonda Redden made 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Santa Monica.