All season long Kinidi Curl and Jade Fort have been a dynamic duo for the Hamilton High girls basketball team. They were again Tuesday night at Venice, combining to score 41 points in the top-seeded Yankees’ 67-47 victory over Palisades in the semifinals of the City Section Open Division playoffs.
Hamilton will meet Western League rival Westchester for the championship Saturday night at L.A. Southwest College at a time to be determined.
The Yankees’ 1-2 punch has been too much for every City opponent this winter and this time it was Fort doing more of the facilitating with Curl driving to the basket.
Hamilton held Palisades to two points in the first quarter but its offense stalled in the second quarter and the Yankees led by only six at halftime.
“We take pride in our defense,” Curl said. “We don’t want to go home. We don’t want this to end.”
“We focused our attention on their best players,” Fort added.
Hamilton’s Jade Fort is guarded by Palisades’ Olivia Lewis in the second half.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Defense led to transition baskets in the third quarter as the Yankees (25-2) gradually pulled away. Micah Lemons contributed 11 points and Saniah Epps added six for the senior-laden squad that has rattled off 18 straight wins since a 16-point intersectional loss to Westlake.
Fort is usually the Yankees’ high scorer, but she recognized Curl had the hot hand on this night and that was perfectly fine with her. Now, they have their sights set on third-seeded Westchester— a team they beat by 11 and six points in league play.
“It doesn’t matter who we play [in the finals],” Fort added. “I don’t feel the nerves. I’m going to treat it like any other game.”
The Dolphins did not go quietly. Riley Oku had 12 points, Elly Tierney had 10 and Ayla Teegardin had nine for fifth-seeded Palisades (15-15), which upset No. 4 El Camino Real 58-47 in the quarterfinals. Hamilton beat Palisades twice in league play, by eight and 28 points.
Westchester knocked off No. 2-seeded Birmingham 57-44 in Tuesday’s first semifinal. The Comets (22-6) led by 10 at halftime and the Patriots (22-7) never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
Senior Reigne Waugh scored 22 points for Westchester. Freshman Kayla Tanijiri had 20 for Birmingham.