Ventura Girls Blow 13-Point Lead in 50-45 Semifinal Loss to Tustin

Second-seeded Ventura High saw red Wednesday during a Southern Section Division II-AA semifinal basketball game at Costa Mesa.

But the red the Cougars saw was atop the head of Tustin’s 6-foot forward, Shari Needham.

Needham scored 13 fourth-quarter points to help erase a 13-point deficit, and the Tillers (21-7) advanced to Saturday’s girls’ final at the Bren Center against top-seeded Gahr with a 50-45 upset.

Needham finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and three three-point baskets, augmenting center Christine Garner, who sprained an ankle in the first quarter but still finished with 10 points and 17 rebounds.

Needham also made two three-point baskets in the final 2 minutes 40 seconds.

Tustin took the lead, 45-43, on Needham’s 24-footer with 2:40 to play, and Needham’s three-point shot from the right corner made it 48-43 with a minute remaining.

Meanwhile, the Cougars, who converted just three of 15 three-point attempts, stayed cold in the final minute, managing only Wendy Ward’s layup.

Ventura (21-4) led, 39-28, after three quarters but made only two of 12 shots from the field in the fourth quarter when the Cougars were outscored, 22-6.

Said Ventura Coach Glenn Gray: “We didn’t shoot the ball well, and they did.”

Becky Hantgin led Ventura with 13 points and 11 rebounds.