Girls’ basketball: Division III Regional final

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Muir (28-2) vs. Magnolia (26-6), at L.A. Sports Arena, 10 a.m., Saturday

Top-seeded Muir plays No. 7 Magnolia, but the Sentinels aren’t your normal bottom-feeder in the regional seedings. They had been No. 1 in the Southern Section Division III-AA tournament but were upset in the semifinals by Summit, 49-46. Magnolia avenged that defeat on Thursday with a 45-41 victory. Coincidentally, both these schools were given the Southern Section’s two at-large berths into the playoffs.

There is history here, and it hints at this being the best game of the weekend. These teams played double-overtime in the quarterfinals of the Ayala Best of the West tournament on Dec. 28. The Mustangs won that game, 54-51. It was tied at 42-42 at the end of regulation.

Muir has terrific guards in Cherrish Wallace (12.6 points), Eliza Pierre (10.8) and Chrishawn Frierson (8.4), but not much depth in the post; that doesn’t mean 6-0 Brittany Henderson (10.7) isn’t a potent threat. She is. She had 12 points and 17 rebounds in the first game.

Jhakia McDonald (12.6 points) is the only Magnolia player who averages double figures, but defense is the Sentinels’ calling card; they allow only 36.3 points a game, and have held some pretty good teams to some of their lowest point totals of the season.

-- Martin Henderson