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After winning its first four games with relative ease, the unbeaten Lynbrook girls basketball team needed plenty of poise and grit to earn victories in the next two. The result: a 6-0 season start and a championship--finally--in its own tournament.
The Vikings, who had lost semi-final games during the last two Sandi Stober Classics, overcame the absence of two injured players and captured the fourth annual event, 53-46 over Evergreen Valley on Dec. 3.
"Outstanding team defense and phenomenal free-throw shooting" were big reasons the Vikings were able to win without their "anchor (senior co-captain Nikki Chang) and defensive stud (junior Courtney Itow)," Lynbrook coach Darrin Garcia proudly explained. "This was a very special night for us."
Although Chang missed all three Classic games, the Vikings still had the services of senior co-captains Vickie Chien and Tiffany Pan. Both were selected to the all-tournament team, with Chien named Most Valuable Player.
Pan scored all nine of her points, a trio of three-point shots, to fuel a 16-11 first-quarter lead. Then the Vikings used 19-of-24 foul shooting, including 8 of 9 by forward Emily Shen, and Chien's solid all-around play to maintain the upper hand. The Vikes led 24-19 at halftime and 39-33 after three quarters.
Shen finished with 10 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. The 5-foot-9 sophomore leads the Vikings with 54 rebounds in six games.
Chien was the high scorer with 11, and junior Laura Crisler added eight rebounds and eight points. Senior Gloria Sue (five points), sophomore Katie Yamauchi (six) and junior Karishma Patel (four) all chipped in with timely buckets.
Itow, who had worked her way back from the knee injury that ended her sophomore season, re-injured the same knee during the Vikings' 42-39 semi-final win over Oceana.
Playing all but one of the game's 32 minutes, Chien was sensational. The 5-foot-7 guard made five steals and five assists to go with nine points and six rebounds. Pan delivered 14 points and eight rebounds. Shen (10 rebounds) and Crisler (seven) took care of the backboards.
Chien led the way in the 55-31 tourney opener against James Lick. She tallied 13 points, dished out six assists and collected four steals and four rebounds. Sue, Pan and Crisler scored seven points each, and Itow added six.
Lynbrook's next game is against Los Altos on Dec. 9, in the first round of the Monta Vista Tournament.
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