BAKERSFIELD — Locke High School ran into a fourth-quarter slump, and Delano took advantage to pull out a 45-44 win in the semifinals of the Southern California Regional Girls Championship at Bakersfield College.
Delano, 26-1 and the Central Section champion, advances to Saturday night's regional championship game against Point Loma at 7:15 in the Sports Arena.
Junior guard Susan Lowry did the damage for Delano. With Locke leading, 40-32, with 5:57 left, Lowry scored 11 straight points while Locke was held scoreless, lifting Delano to a 43-40 lead with 2:55 left.
Locke fought back to tie it on a free throw by Toni Brown and Dorothy Hardaway's 15-foot set shot with 1:40 remaining. But Delano center Shelly Wallace countered with a 10-foot jumper to account for what proved to be the winning basket.