By Bill Paterson
bpaterson@sacbee.com
The Laguna Hills girls basketball team has lived and died by the three-point shot this season.
The Hawks made seven in beating favored Mission Bay of San Diego 75-69 in the CIF Southern California Division III regional championship game last Saturday.
But this afternoon against an incomparably big and athletic Bishop O'Dowd of Oakland, the shooting well was dry for Laguna Hills.
The Hawks missed all 11 of their three-point attempts and were blown off the floor by the Dragons, 62-24. It was O'Dowd's first state title after losing 53-42 to St. Joseph-Santa Maria in last season's state final.
Laguna Hills made only 18 percent of their shots (7 of 39), with a 10-for-10 effort from the foul line being little consolation.
And the Dragons' big front line of 6-4 Oderah Chidom, 6-4 Breanna Brown and 6-2 Kendall Waters dominated the boards. O'Dowd finished with a 42 to 21 advantage.
Waters, a junior and Cal-Hi Sports' State Freshman of the Year in 2010, led the way with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Chidom and Brown combined for 10 points and 11 rebounds.
O'Dowd freshman guard Aisia Robertson also had 13 points as coach Malik McCord made liberal use of his bench against the overmatched Hawks.
Celia Marfone led Laguna Hills (26-9) with 12 points and 11 rebounds as only three Hawks scored.
It was Laguna Hill's first state title appearance since it won in 1997 in D-II.
DIVISION III (GIRLS)
BISHOP O'DOWD-OAKLAND 62, LAGUNA HILLS 24
Laguna Hills 6 8 8 2 - 24
Bishop O'Dowd 18 16 11 17 - 62
LH - Ziering-Smith 10, Shimazaki 2, Marfone 12.
BO - Bostick 4, Robertson 13, Jackson 4, Chidom 8, Waters 14, Thomas 5, Kalmbach 2, Huntington 2, Branscum 5, White 3, Brown 2.


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