Girls’ Playoffs : Woodbridge Beats the Odds to Reach Semifinal

Eric Bangs, Woodbridge High School girls’ basketball coach, puts the Warriors’ unexpected presence in the semifinal round of the playoffs best:

“I don’t think anybody else figured us to get this far,” Bangs said. “Not without a player taller than 5-feet 9-inches tall.”

Nevertheless, Woodbridge will play Ontario (24-3) in a Southern Section 2-A semifinal game at Irvine High.

All games tonight are at 7:30.

A touch of experience (Woodbridge advanced to the semifinals last season) and a group of “hang-loose” sophomores have propelled the Warriors (24-5) this far.

“We don’t have any super, All-Southern Section players,” Bangs said.

Kathy Millat, a senior guard, leads the team in scoring with a 16.7-point average. Millat, the Pacific Coast League’s most valuable player, also averages nine rebounds and five steals a game.

“We’re playing our best ball of the season right now,” Bangs said. “We have four definite candidates to lead us in scoring.”

Randee Mahony, who averages 11.5 points, had 21 points in the Warriors’ 64-61 victory over St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Mahony became the third player to lead Woodbridge in scoring in the playoffs.

In the opening round, Millat had 14 points in the 65-46 victory over Montebello. Leslie Rathbun had 23 points to lead the Warriors past La Habra, 51-48.

The Warriors’ tallest player is Angie Hubner, a 5-9 junior center who missed much of the season with a damaged knee ligament.

“She hurt it the day before a (season-opening) scrimmage against La Quinta,” Bangs said. “She didn’t come back until the first round of league play. We started her back really slowly.

“We didn’t have any strength inside, now we have some,” Bangs said.

Of Ontario, a taller team than Woodbridge, Bangs said: “If we can get them in an open court, we’ll have a shot at them. In a half-court game, we’re dead.”

In 3-A semifinal games:

Los Altos (19-3) vs. Capistrano Valley (21-6) at El Toro High: Capistrano Valley has worked overtime to win its last two games. Los Altos pulled off the upset of the playoffs by beating top-seeded Brea-Olinda, 52-45, in the quarterfinals. Susan Peters, who had 18 points in Los Altos’ upset of Brea, averages 25 points a game. Capistrano Valley is led by Heather Schoeny and Holly Anderson. But in the Cougars’ 71-69 overtime victory over Schurr in the quarterfinals, Peggy Rivas, a sophomore reserve guard, scored with 26 seconds left in overtime to clinch the victory.

El Toro (24-5) vs. Palos Verdes (22-8) at Rolling Hills High: In only two games back from a serious ankle injury, Elaine Youngs has led El Toro in scoring. Youngs, a senior center, had 35 points and 11 rebounds in the Chargers’ 66-54 victory over Alemany in the second round last Wednesday. In a 47-32 victory over Valencia in Saturday’s quarterfinals, Youngs had 15 points and 10 rebounds. El Toro also was helped Saturday by the return of forward Andrea Young, who had played only three games this season until the Valencia game. Young, who also suffered from an ankle injury, played about 15 minutes but did not score. Palos Verdes had its easiest victory of the playoffs, 59-47, over Rowland in Saturday’s quarterfinals.