High School Regional Basketball Preview : Point Loma Girls May Get Worthy Opponent, Finally

The Point Loma High School girls’ basketball team is finally going to get some competition. But it’s too much, too soon according to Pointer Coach Lee Trepanier.

He is unhappy because his team, ranked No. 2 in the state, must play No. 3 Brea-Olinda at 6 tonight in the first round of the Southern California Regionals at San Diego State’s Peterson Gym.

Trepanier thought his team deserved a first-round bye since the Pointers are the highest-ranked team in the state tournament. No. 1 Pasadena Muir, the only team to beat Point Loma this season, did not qualify because it was upset by Lynwood, 54-52, in last Friday’s Southern Section 4-A championship game.

“We’re the highest-ranked team in the tournament and we’ve got to play a team like Brea-Olinda right off the bat,” Trepanier said. “It doesn’t make any sense. If we didn’t get a bye, which I thought we deserved, we should at least have gotten an easier draw.

“It’s not right for Brea, either. They shouldn’t have to play a team like us in the first round.”

Point Loma (27-1), which won its third straight San Diego Section championship last Saturday, will be going after its third straight state title.

The biggest drawback for the Pointers may be their lack of competition during the regular season. With the exception of two Christmas tournaments, Point Loma, with an average victory margin of 56 1/2 points, hasn’t been challenged often.

Monte Vista played the Pointers close for a half in the section championship game, trailing only 28-20, before the Pointers pulled away for a 65-42 win.

Brea-Olinda (27-3) won the Southern Section 3-A championship last Friday with a 54-50 win over Foothill.

Pt. Loma and Brea-Olinda are not strangers. The Pointers beat the Wildcats, 68-50, in December’s Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

But Trepanier doesn’t think that win gives his team an advantage tonight.

“None at all,” he said. “We played them in a tournament. We both had games the day before so we didn’t have any chance to prepare for each other.

“And December was a long time ago. They’ve gotten a lot better and they’ve played a tougher schedule than us since then. That’s got to help them.”

The Wildcats are led by Carrie Egan, a 5-foot 8-inch junior forward who is a fine perimeter shooter. She averages 16 points per game.

Brea-Olinda also could give Point Loma’s front line of Jessica Benton (6-4), Terri Mann (6-2) and Michelle Collum (6-0) some problems. Susan Tousey (6-2) and Kristen McPhee (6-1) join Egan up front. McPhee scored 12 points in the section championship game. Tousey did not play in the first game against Point Loma.

Brea-Olinda’s main concern will be stopping Mann. The San Diego Section player of the year last season as a sophomore, Mann averages 27 points, 18 rebounds, 8 steals and 6 blocks per game.