SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 4-A GIRLS : La Habra Turns to Its Power Play in Stretch to Defeat Katella

For three quarters defending 4-A champion Katella High School looked like giant-beaters. The shorter Knights actually led top-seeded La Habra and its trio of six-foot post players, 36-35, going into the final quarter in second-round playoff action.

And then came the lob.

La Habra switched to its power game, going inside to 6-5 Zrinka Kristich, and converted nine of 13 free throws down the stretch for a 54-44 victory at home.

The Highlanders (21-3) face Bishop Montgomery in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

La Habra outscored Katella, 19-6, in the fourth quarter after switching to a triangle offense that placed 6-1 shooting threat Ana Kristich at the free-throw line. There, Kristich attracted the attention of two Katella defenders, freeing Zrinka and 6-1 Leslie Ferguson underneath. La Habra lobbed it inside and the Highlanders’ height took care of the rest.

“Every chance we got, we wanted to get the ball to (Zrinka) and just go pressure, pressure, pressure inside,” La Habra Coach John Koehler said.

Said Katella Coach Barb Bausch: “I asked for pressure on the pass inside and we weren’t getting enough. They were passing it in and she (Zrinka) just turned and hit. We couldn’t stop the lob in.”

Zrinka had hit only two of 10 shots in the first half, but responded in the second by hitting five of seven. Her sister Ana sank all six of her free throws in the fourth quarter.

It didn’t matter that Zrinka was off her shooting game to start because Ferguson wasn’t. She made her first four shots and two free throws to put La Habra ahead, 16-10, after a quarter. She finished with 17 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field and six-of-seven from the line. The Kristich sisters scored 14 points each.

Ferguson picked up her third foul 12 minutes into the game and sat out the remainder of the first half. She missed her only shot in the third quarter, and that, coupled with foul trouble to Ana, slowed La Habra.

La Habra had to abandon its 1-2-2 zone with 6-foot Ana at the point, for a smaller 2-3 zone because of the foul trouble, and Katella took advantage, outscoring La Habra, 15-12, in the third quarter. Katella scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to take a three-point lead, but two lobs to Zrinka for an easy basket and a power layup and two free throws from Ferguson, who was fouled grabbing an offensive rebound, and La Habra opened a five-point lead.

Katella, the defending 4-A champion and state runner-up, finishes 10-16. Karen Jensen led the Knights with 14 points.

La Quinta 77, Pioneer 40--La Quinta’s Amy Jalewalia outscored the competition, totaling 41 points to go along with 11 steals, 10 rebounds and four assists. Heather Brannen added 14 points and 10 rebounds for host La Quinta (24-3). Pioneer ends 11-13.

In the 4-A:

Los Altos 43, Kennedy 41--Michelle Harris, who scored a team-high 19 points, missed an 18-footer at the buzzer and Kennedy (15-11) lost at home. The Fighting Irish led at halftime, 26-18, but Los Altos (20-8) outscored them, 16-10, in the third quarter behind the strong inside play of 5-10 center Jennifer Hovlsen, who finished with 23 points.

West Torrance 88, Cypress 58--Stacy Kosaka scored a career-high 33 points for Cypress (16-10) but it was not enough to counter the quicker Warriors at West Torrance. Rosa Olloque led West Torrance with 34 points.