Division I Girls’ Basketball Playoffs : Point Loma’s Dominance Ends

In the realm of girls’ high school basketball in San Diego County, there is only one thing as gratifying as playing for a section championship in the Sports Arena.

That’s beating Point Loma.

Mt. Carmel, behind a succession of fast breaks and back-door break-ins, beat four-time defending state champion Point Loma, 55-38, Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Division I playoffs at Serra High School.

Mt. Carmel (23-4) advances to the Division I championship Friday at the Sports Arena against Santana, which beat Vista, 50-40, in the other semifinal Tuesday. Point Loma ends its season at 27-3. Its only other losses were to Patrick Henry and Fallbrook.

“I don’t know if I am more happy about going to the Sports Arena or beating Point Loma,” said Mt. Carmel center Lynda Jones, who led the Sundevils with 21 points.

Mt. Carmel Coach Peggy Brose was more precise with her feelings.

“This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” Brose said. “I’ve taken it on the cuff from them (the Pointers) several times in the past. This feels really good.”

Point Loma dominated the county the past four years behind the play of All-American forward Terri Mann. The feeling around the county this season, however, was that the Pointers would struggle.

But Point Loma picked up where it left off last season, dominating the City Eastern League with its seventh straight league title.

“I think we got by on our name early this season,” Pointer Coach Lee Trepanier said. “I have no feelings at all (on ending its streak of state championships). I looked at our team at the beginning of the season, we were not a great team. You have to be a great team to do something like (winning another state title).”

During Point Loma’s dominance, other teams in its division had to sit back and wait for the time when Mann, now at Western Kentucky, would graduate.

Aside from its solid play, Point Loma was also famous for running up the score over the years, something that left Trepanier at odds with several area coaches.

Mt. Carmel unleashed a hard-driving fast-break offense that left Point Loma in a catch-up role through most of the game.

“Our fast break is our best offense,” Brose said. “It really proved to the kids that we could get the ball inside against them.”

Four straight baskets off the fast break and through the back door by Jones in the final minutes of the first quarter gave Mt. Carmel a 12-5 lead.

“That is when we got into our rhythm, right there,” Jones said. “When we can break like that, it always gets us flowing.”

Meanwhile, Point Loma shot a dismal 2 of 16 (12.5%) from the field in the first quarter. The Pointers finished the first half 6 of 34 (18%) from the field.

“They (Mt. Carmel) played like they wanted to win,” Trepanier said. “We played like we didn’t want to lose, instead of playing to win.”

“Our guards are very aware and they kept their eyes open all of the time,” Jones said. “All I had to do was get my hands up and catch the ball. It was as if the guards were saying, ‘This is where we want you to go, Linda.’ I just followed the ball.”