Southern Section Girls Basketball : Muir Reaches 4-A Final, 68-35; Buena Upset by Lynwood, 48-46

The Pasadena Muir High School girls advanced to the final of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs for the third year in a row, thanks to a 68-35 victory over Cerritos Gahr Tuesday night at Blair High.

Muir, the top-ranked team in the country by USA Today, faces Lynwood, which upset Ventura Buena, 48-46. Muir and Lynwood meet Friday night at Cal Poly Pomona.

Buena was USA Today’s third-ranked team had a 26-0 record.

Muir lost to Compton last season and to Buena in the 1984 championship game.

In the 3-A, East Tustin Foothill will face Brea-Olinda in a rematch of last season’s championship game. Last season, Foothill beat Brea, 63-34.

Tuesday night, Foothill (28-1) defeated Woodland Hills Louisville, 63-53, at Tustin High. Brea-Olinda (26-3) beat Walnut, 68-55, at Diamond Bar.

Foothill overcame a 27-point performance by Louisville’s Andrea Knapp to reach the final for the third straight season. Stephanie Fleischaker led the Knights with 19 points.

Foothill won the game at the free-throw line, sinking 25 of 37 attempts. Louisville made just 5 of 12.

Guard Carrie Egan scored a game-high 22 points to lead Brea-Olinda, which had all five starters score in double figures.

Undefeated Chino beat La Mirada, 51-35, at Biola College, in one 2-A semifinal game. The Cowboys, the top-seeded team in the 2-A, face Lompoc. The Braves defeated Artesia, 61-55, at Gahr High School.