GIRLS' BASLLETBALL: SIMI'S COOPER THWARTS AGOURA SIMI VALLEY 59, AGOURA 53.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - It's no secret that Simi Valley's Teresa Cooper is dangerous on the run, as her game features perhaps the best dribble-penetration in the Marmonte League. But Cooper was even more lethal just standing still Monday night.

Cooper made 18 of 19 free-throw attempts and totaled a game-high 28 points as the Simi Valley girls' basketball team earned a 59-53 victory over visiting Agoura.

The victory allowed Simi Valley (13-4) to take a 2-1 league record into Wednesday's showdown against Newbury Park and erase some of the sting of last week's upset loss to Moorpark.

``We talked about what a crucial stretch this is,'' said Simi Valley coach Dave Murphy, whose team will have to play Agoura again next week because of a scheduling fluke. ``We could either go 1-4 or 4-1, be battling for a playoff spot or be in the driver's seat.''

To no surprise, Cooper drove the Pioneers to success against the Chargers, only in an unusual capacity. The referees weren't shy about blowing the whistle on Cooper's drives to the basket and she was near-flawless at the free-throw line.

Cooper's only miss came midway through the second quarter and she made all 12 in the second half, when the Chargers threatened to erase a deficit that had reached 10 points late in the second quarter.

``If we get the lead in a game, we are going to get the ball to Teresa,'' Murphy said. ``Last year, we were a lot more one-dimensional with Teresa and Elise Metcalf, but this year we're getting more people involved.''

One of those people is Sarah Ripley, who scored 15 points and played well in the first half as the Pioneers opened up their lead, which they never lost.

Simi Valley played tight defense and limited the opportunities for Jennifer Lacy, who came on strong in the second half and finished with 18 points. The Chargers forced too many shots from the perimeter and made just two baskets in the second quarter as they went into halftime trailing 24-16.

``That was excellent defense by us in the first half,'' Murphy said. ``We knew we had to stop the 3-pointers and we knew we had to slow down Lacy. You can't stop her, you just try to slow her down.''

The Chargers got back in the game in the third quarter with an improved offensive effort. Two early 3-pointers cut the Pioneers' lead to three points, and Agoura got to within 32-31 with two minutes left in the period on a layup by Nicole Cardona, which was set up by a Lacy steal.

Simi Valley took a 38-35 lead into the fourth quarter, then scored five of the next six points to regain some breathing room. Agoura kept the deficit at three points for much of the quarter, but the Pioneers always found a way to get the ball to Cooper, who was nearly unstopable.

Cooper all but clinched the game with 45 seconds left, when her two free throws gave Simi Valley a 58-52 lead.

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Photo: Jennifer Lacy of Agoura, left, shown battling with Mikali Bender of Simi Valley, scored 18 points in a losing effort Monday night.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News