O’Brien’s 33 Help Ventura Conquer Troy

Katy O’Brien has rarely enjoyed the spotlight. She normally yields to others, content to bask in the glow of being the point guard of a winning team.

She got both Saturday night in Ventura High’s surprisingly easy 61-43 rout of top-seeded Fullerton Troy in the Southern Section Division II-AA girls’ basketball championship game at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

With top scorer Jenni Dooley in foul trouble, O’Brien took it upon herself to score. Once she found a groove, she didn’t let up and finished with a career-high 33 points.

“This is definitely a high point in my career,” said the 5-foot-6 O’Brien, who made four three-point baskets and had five assists and three steals.

With no starter taller than 5-9 and making its first final appearance since 1993, second-seeded Ventura (28-2) was an unlikely conqueror of Troy (27-3), the defending Division I-A champion.

But the Cougars did what they do best--shoot long-range jumpers and wreak havoc on defense. They forced 19 turnovers, including three during a quick spurt in the third quarter when they turned a 29-29 tie into a 39-29 lead.

O’Brien played a key role there, too, scoring eight during the 10-0 run. The Cougars, who won their first title since 1976, made six three-pointers to give them a section-record 264.

Dooley finished with 10 points and Meggie Wagner added nine for Ventura, which took 51 shots to Troy’s 44.

Amanda Livingston, on crutches Friday because of a sprained ankle, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Troy. Pepperdine-bound guard Alicia Komaki added 13 points. But the Warriors had no answer for O’Brien, who in four seasons has guided her team to a 97-15 record.

“She’s tough and so underappreciated for what she does,” Coach An Larson said of O’Brien. “She wins games--just look at tonight.”