GIRLS’ PREP BASKETBALL : No. 1 Brea-Olinda Starts Slowly, Then Roars Past No. 2 El Toro

For a little more than one quarter, Brea-Olinda High School looked vulnerable in the championship game of the Irvine Girls’ Basketball Tournament at Woodbridge High School.

Second-ranked El Toro led the county’s top-ranked team by four points a minute into the second half. Then reality set in. El Toro went cold from the perimeter and Brea scored 13 consecutive points to take a 30-21 lead two minutes before the half. El Toro never recovered and wound up losing, 75-55.

Most of the Wildcats’ points in the decisive run came on the inside from Jinelle Williams, a 5-foot-8 center. Williams led all scorers with 24 points and was the tournament’s most valuable player. Brea-Olinda is unbeaten in four games.

The early season matchup of the county’s top two teams left unanswered one question: Can a county team beat Brea-Olinda?

El Toro (3-1) gave a good account of itself, staying closer than Brea’s previous three tournament opponents, who lost by margins of 28, 32 and 28.