Girls’ Basketball Roundup : Brea-Olinda Holds Off Valencia to Win, 60-50

The Brea-Olinda High School girls’ basketball team finally put away Valencia, its troublesome Orange League rival, in the final moments Thursday for a 60-50 victory at Valencia.

Few teams give Brea as much trouble as Valencia and Brea Coach Mark Trakh was relieved the Wildcats were able to hang on for the victory.

“They just pose a lot of problems for us,” Trakh said. “We spent hours preparing for this game watching videotapes. I’m glad we don’t have to see them again until next season.”

Trakh thinks Valencia will be tough to beat in the Southern Section playoffs.

“(Coach) Debi Woekle has turned their whole program around,” Trakh said. “You watch, with all the young kids they have, they’re going to be on top of the county ranking for the next 3 years.”

With the victory, Brea (18-2 overall, 6-0 in Orange League play) swept the two games with Valencia and is almost certain to win the league title and advance to the 3-A playoffs. Valencia (12-8, 4-2) likely will finish second and go to the 4-AA playoffs.

Valencia forward Kristen McDonald, one of only four seniors on the roster, was the main reason the Tigers gave the Wildcats so much trouble.

McDonald had a game-high 27 points, the only Valencia player to score in double figures.

Her basket with a less than 3 minutes to go in the third quarter cut an 11-point Brea lead to just 3, 36-33.

But that was as close as Valencia, which led only briefly in the game’s first few minutes, would get.

Brea guard Tammy Blackburn got hot at that point to turn back the Valencia rally. Blackburn had 8 of her 10 points after McDonald’s basket.

Guard Aimee McDaniel led Brea with 17 points. McDaniel, playing with painful shin splints, went scoreless in the second half, however.

Trakh said McDaniel, a junior, had X-rays taken of her legs by a specialist this week and is awaiting the results.

“If she’s got a stress fracture she’s done for the season,” Trakh said.

McDaniel, The Times’ Orange County player of the year last season, is the team’s top outside shooter and playmaker.

Jinelle Williams, a sophomore center, had 14 points and Jody Anton, a freshman forward, added 12 for Brea.