Culver City Observer -

Last Second Winning Shot Ends Playoff Thriller

Taylor Tanita has made many important shots for the Culver City High girl’s basketball team during her career, but none bigger than Tuesday night.

Tanita’s 16-foot shot at the final buzzer gave the Ocean League champions a 42-40 victory over Orange Lutheran in the CIF Division 2A playoffs.

Culver City will play for the championship Friday at 3 pm, opposing Murrieta Valley in the Anaheim Convention Center.

This will be the Culver girls’ first appearance in a CIF championship game since 1990.

Culver has a 24-5 overall record. Murrieta Valley is 25-5. Culver lost in the playoff semi-finals last year and the first round the previous year.

Both Centaur teams were coached by Julian Anderson, who is in his third year with the job after previously serving as an assistant coach.

In the quarter-finals Saturday night Culver City overcame a 10-point first half deficit to eliminate Moorpark, 47-39.

Tanita scored 10 straight points in the third quarter as the Centaurs, playing at home, took charge.

Tanita was the leading scorer with 24 points.

Prior to the playoffs, Culver’s greatest accomplishment was going unbeaten in league games for the second straight year – 20 in a row.