SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Second-Guessing Will Be Over After El Toro, Ocean View Meet

The long-awaited game between Orange County’s second- and third-best girls’ basketball teams is finally here. The question is: Who’s No. 2 and who’s No. 3?

El Toro and Ocean View, which meet at 7:30 tonight in the 5-A quarterfinals, are a step behind Brea-Olinda for top-team honors in the county. Brea-Olinda, which defeated El Toro convincingly in the Irvine tournament final, didn’t play Ocean View this season.

El Toro was second in the county poll most of the season, except in the second week when the Chargers were upset by Capistrano Valley and Ocean View moved to No. 2. Fountain Valley upset the Seahawks in overtime the next week, however, and Ocean View dropped back to third.

Ocean View (25-2), which starts five seniors, has balanced scoring, height, outside shooting--and Jennifer Sullivan (6-2, 185), last year’s Sunset League most valuable player. She averages 17 points and 14.6 rebounds a game.

“I think we have a stronger inside game than El Toro does, but El Toro always plays tough,” Seahawk Coach Ollie Martin said.

Senior guard Karie Yoshioka (16 points) runs the point for El Toro (24-5). She was the county leader in assists with an average of eight a game. Yoshioka and teammate Tracy Heiser can shoot from three-point range.

In other 5-A games:

Orange (18-6) at Buena (24-0)--Buena, the top-seeded team advanced to the semifinals last season. Coach Joe Vaughan’s team has posted lopsided regular-season victories over such solid teams as Hart, third-seeded in the 5-A, Ventura, a 4-AA quarterfinalist, and Santa Barbara (22-5). The Bulldogs, led by Mia Palkie, a 5-8 guard/forward who averages 10.4 points, and 5-11 center Nicole Ellis (13.3 points), thumped second-round opponent, Pasadena, 72-37, after a first-round bye. The unranked Panthers are coming off their biggest victory of the season, a 59-56 overtime upset of Esperanza, which was ranked seventh in the final 5-A poll. Three scorers lead the Panthers: 5-10 center Nicole Champion (19 points), 5-8 forward Alin Perez (11.4) and Ginnie Hall (10.3).

Capistrano Valley (18-9) at Hart (22-4)--Even though third-seeded Hart did not defeat any of its tougher opponents--Buena, Ocean View and Lakewood--Coach Dave Munroe’s Indians are heavily favored, because they are the defending division champions and are tough to beat at home. Hart is led by 5-8 sophomore point guard Anjanette Dionne (20 points, 4.5 assists), who started on last year’s championship team. Sara Wilson, a 6-3 All-American senior, is quick in the post where she averages 17.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game. The key for Capistrano Valley will be perimeter shooting and the fast break. Sophomore Alisa Farr (18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds) runs the point. Teresa Doesburg, a 5-5 perimeter player, averages 16 points.

In the 4-AA:

Edison (18-8) at Ventura (17-9)--Edison starter Laura Vinch, a 5-7 forward who is tough on the boards, has seen limited action since she sliced a finger in a restaurant accident. She probably will return to the starting lineup for this game, giving the Chargers a boost. Eleven of Edison’s 17 victories have come on the road. Edison is led by point guard and three-point shooting standout Debbie Fischer, the team’s only senior. Fischer, the 5-6 captain, averages 21 points and 4.9 assists. She is reportedly the Southern Section’s record-holder for most three-point baskets in a game (10 twice), single season (100) and career (110). The team holds the section record for most three-point baskets in a season at 109.

Mission Viejo (20-8) at Loara (15-10)--Two of the county’s top centers--Mission Viejo senior Jennifer Rohrig (6-3), an all-Southern Section selection last year, and Loara junior Traci Titus (6-2)--meet in this game. Titus is quicker, but Rohrig is better-schooled in post moves. The teams have met twice this season. with Mission Viejo winning both games. Loara, in its 12th season under Coach Gary Blate, is coming off a 74-55 upset of second-seeded Woodbridge. The Saxons get the homecourt advantage which could swing things in their favor.

In the 4-A:

Bishop Montgomery (16-9) at La Habra (20-3)--La Habra will tower over Bishop Montgomery. La Habra starts the Kristich sisters, 6-5 sophomore Zrinka and 6-1 junior Ana, along with 6-0 junior Leslie Ferguson. Ferguson (16 points, 11 rebounds) is the leading scorer.

Junior guard Lily Cabaleiro, a threat from three-point range, leads Bishop Montgomery with an average of 16.4 points a game. At 6-0, Keisa Smith is the tallest player coming off the bench. The tallest starter is 5-10 Stacie Smith, who had a career-high 26 rebounds in a second-round victory over Artesia.

North Torrance (17-7) at La Quinta (24-3)--Two all-around players who line up at center but play all over the court--La Quinta’s Amy Jalewalia and North Torrance’s Laura Collins--meet in this game. Collins, 6-0, 170 pounds, is an agile athlete who, like Jalewalia, can dominate inside or outside the key. But Collins’ supporting cast is short. Carolyn Hiramoto (5-8), a senior guard/forward, is the only other North Torrance player averaging in double figures in scoring (10.8 points) and rebounding (6.1). UCLA-bound Jalewalia (33.4 points, 11.8 rebounds), last year’s state scoring leader (32 points) has the height (6-2) to contend with Collins but not the bulk. La Quinta starts five seniors, four of whom started last year.

In the 3-AA:

Estancia (13-12) at Lompoc (21-3)--Estancia has the burden of a lengthy bus ride to Lompoc in Santa Barbara County to face the division’s third-seeded team. The Eagles are led by guard Melody Earle (15.3 points)--who recovered from bone chips in her ankle in time for the playoffs. Not only will Estancia have to overcome the trip, the Eagles will have to contend with 6-4 junior center Nicki Manzo (23.6 points, 14.6 rebounds), an all-Southern Section selection last year. Manzo set a single-season school rebounding record with 308 before the playoffs.

In the 3-A:

La Canada (18-7) at Rancho Alamitos (19-3)--Senior Jenny Newsome, a 5-9 senior and all-Southern Section selection at guard last year, leads Rancho Alamitos with an average of 24 points and 12 rebounds a game. Center Anita Stecker (10 points, 12 rebounds), a 5-9 sophomore, and three-point threat Shellie Tsuji, a 5-3 guard who averages 12 points a game, are the Vaqueros’ other leading scorers.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (20-5) at Costa Mesa (14-11)--Costa Mesa is coming off its biggest victory of the season, a 47-45 triumph over Bellflower. The Mustangs are led by 5-10 guard/forward Olivia DeCamilli, perhaps the best freshman girl in Orange County. DeCamilli (5-10) averages 14.8 points and 11 rebounds a game. The Knights are led by senior point guard Luisa Parra, who holds the school records for steals and assists in a game, season and career. She averages 4.2 assists and 6.5 points. The Knights’ leading scorer is 5-9 senior guard Kim Fischer (12.4 points).

In the 2-AA:

Santa Margarita (19-6) at Beaumont (17-6)--Two outstanding shooting guards will meet in this game: Santa Margarita sophomore Kristen Mulligan (22.1 points) and Beaumont senior Angella Richardson (19.3 points). Richardson, at 5-3, is two inches shorter than Mulligan, but has made some big shots for the Cougars. She tied Edison’s Fischer for most three-point baskets in a game in the Southern Section with 10 against Serrano in late January.

Small Schools:

California Lutheran (14-0) at Ribet Academy (15-5)--California Lutheran won its first two playoff games by an average of almost 44 points. The undefeated C-Hawks’ only weakness is height. The tallest starter is 5-8 Sara Geiger. The C-Hawks take on the fourth-seeded Ribet Academy Fighting Frogs at Foothill Intermediate School in La Canada. The Frogs have some height in 5-10 Becky Clark and 5-9 Kim Floyd. Ribet is led by Kate Stoll, a 5-8 junior guard who averages 19 points a game, and Floyd (11.8 points, 11.9 rebounds).