SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Fountain Valley Will Look Up Again Against Lakewood in 5-AA

The field of 48 Orange County teams that started the girls’ Southern Section basketball playoffs Tuesday has been trimmed to 26 for tonight’s second round.

Fountain Valley is the sole county entrant remaining in the 5-AA division. But the Barons (19-7) will have a tough time when they play host to tall and talented Lakewood, the co-champion from the Moore League in Long Beach.

Lakewood (20-4) features a trio of mobile six-foot post players, each of whom averages in double figures in scoring and rebounding. Melissa Gower (6-2 1/2) leads the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Fountain Valley has only one six-footer, freshman reserve center Julie Murdent, who had a team-high 11 points in a first-round victory over Santa Ana Valley.

Senior 5-10 center Jennifer Barbaro (12 points) and guard Julie Workman (11 points), an outstanding perimeter shooter, lead the team in scoring. Fountain Valley lost to Lakewood, 60-42, five games into its season.

In the 5-A playoffs, six of nine county teams have advanced to the second round. Fourth-seeded Ocean View (24-2), the first-place team from the tough Sunset League, received a first-round bye. Tonight the Seahawks play host to West Covina (20-4), the top team from the Sierra League.

Both teams have talented centers. Ocean View has three starters who score in double figures: Jenny Sullivan (17.4 points), Tracy Wolfe (13.3) points and Fabiola Nunez (10.6 points). Sullivan (6-2, 185) is the Seahawks’ center and last year’s Sunset League most valuable player. She will be matched against West Covina’s Ingrid Dixon (6-3, 180), who leads her team with 25.5 points and 19.3 rebounds a game. Point guard Lisa Sloan follows with 16.7 points and 5.6 assists. Ocean View counters with Alli Takido (6.5 points, 7 assists).

Wolfe, a smooth 5-11 forward, just might spell the difference. Ocean View’s maturity will help, too. The Seahawks start five seniors; West Covina starts two.

Marina might have the toughest assignment in 5-A. The Vikings (19-7) travel to second-seeded Ontario (26-0), which has won 30 consecutive games at home. Ontario is led by 6-2 senior Dawn Baker (19 points) and 6-2 post Missy Hover (10 rebounds). Marina’s tallest player is 5-10 Paula Meyers.

The Vikings are led by 5-7 guard Melisa Sortino (20.2 points) and 5-6 guard Christa Yorke (10 points). An up-tempo team, the Vikings average 62 points a game, highest in school history.

Capistrano Valley (17-9), whose tallest player is 5-10 Erin Grondzik, will have to find a way to contain Santa Barbara (23-5) and its preseason All-American, 6-3 Kristin Knapp (21.9 points, 13.8 rebounds). She and guard Tania Haladner (10.1 points) lead the Dons. Capistrano Valley gets balanced scoring from Alisa Farr (18 points), Teresa Doesburg (16), Bridget Baker (14) and Peggy Rivas (12.3).

El Toro (23-5), led by 6-0 center Sara Bone (19 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Karie Yoshioka (17 points) travels to Cerritos (18-6). Yoshioka led the county in assists with an 8.6 per game average.

Esperanza (21-4), the top team from the Empire League, travels to Orange (17-6). Jennifer Harney, a solid senior guard, leads the Aztecs with 16.4 points per game, followed by 5-11 forward Kim Kordik (12.2). Nicole Champion, a 5-10 center, leads Orange with 19 points a game.

In 4-AA, second-seeded Woodbridge (21-4), which received a first-round bye, opens at home against California (16-6), the third-place team from the Whitmont League.

Mission Viejo (19-8) travels to Torrance (16-10); Edison (17-8) plays host to Walnut (22-4); Valencia (15-10) travels to Moore League co-champion Compton (15-8), and University (18-5) plays host to Gahr (19-7).

In 4-A, top-seeded La Habra (19-3) opens against defending 4-A champion Katella (10-15) at La Habra.

The Highlanders feature three talented players in 6-0 Leslie Ferguson (16.1 points, 11 rebounds), 6-5 Zrinka Kristich (13.1 points, 9.2 rebounds) and her 6-1 sister Ana (11.8 points, 9 rebounds).

Katella doesn’t have the height to match La Habra, but it does have strength in the post. The Knights are led by 5-10 post players Margaret Harker (12.9 points) and Karen Jensen (13.1).

Third-seeded La Quinta (23-3), paced by last year’s state scoring leader Amy Jalewalia (33.4 points), plays host to Pioneer (11-12). Cypress (16-9) travels to fourth-seeded West Torrance (19-5), and Kennedy (15-10) plays host to Los Altos (19-8).

Six of 10 county teams remain in the watered-down 3-AA playoffs that started with only 22 teams in the 32-team bracket.

Brea-Olinda (26-0), the defending state champion in the 3-A, puts its 48-game winning streak on the line against visiting El Dorado (8-13), an at-large entry.

Foothill (14-9) plays host to Rim of the World (16-7). Trabuco Hills (7-15) travels almost to the Mexican border to play Brawley (19-5). Estancia (12-12) is at Pomona (18-5), and Savanna (16-9) travels to Glenn (17-6).

In 3-A, top-seeded Rancho Alamitos (18-3), led by guard Jenny Newsome (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Anita Steck (10.2 points, 12.2 rebounds), plays host to St. Paul, an at-large team that has won only three of its 21 games this season.

Costa Mesa (13-11), led by freshman guard Olivia DiCamilli (14.8 points, 11.8 rebounds) travels to third-seeded Bellflower (16-6), and Rosary (12-9) travels to San Dimas (14-6).

In 2-AA, fourth-seeded Santa Margarita (18-6) and its standout sophomore guard Kristen Mulligan (22.1 points) play host to St. Mary’s (10-9).

In 1-A, Capistrano Valley Christian (8-14) travels to top-seeded Hesperia Christian (19-4).

In the Small Schools division, California Lutheran (13-0) plays host to Pioneer Baptist (12-5).