SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 3-AA GIRLS : Brea Wins Big; Estancia Eliminated

At Brea-Olinda High School, where the girls’ basketball team counts its winning streak in the 50s these days, the question isn’t whether the Lady Cats will win, but by how much.

Brea, the top-seeded team in the Southern Section 3-AA division, has yet to face a tough challenge in the playoffs this season.

And Saturday night was no exception. Brea’s victim this time was Alemany, winner of its previous 12 games.

But it was the Lady Cats who extended their winning streak, now at 51 games and counting, with a 72-43 victory in the 3-AA semifinals at Esperanza High School.

The defending 3-A and state champions will meet Palos Verdes, a 62-48 victory over Estancia in Saturday’s other semifinal, in the championship game at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cal Poly Pomona.

“We’re happy to be going back to Pomona,” Brea Coach Mark Trakh said. “We’re real happy.”

You’d be happy, too, if your team was 29-0 this season. The Lady Cats won their last 22 games last season, giving them the 51-0 streak, the second longest by a girls’ team in Southern Section history to Riverside Poly’s 84.

And you’d be happy with players like Aimee McDaniel (22 points), Jody Anton (13 points) and Allison Bickel (13 points and eight rebounds).

But it was Bickel who had Trakh raving after the game.

“Allison had the game of her life,” Trakh said. “She did a super job. She hit the boards and had a great game defensively.”

Brea’s defense forced 18 turnovers and held Alemany to 12-of-44 shooting.

Meanwhile, the Lady Cats relied on McDaniel’s outside shoting (two three-pointers) and driving layups and the inside play of Bickel and Anton.

“We just kept pounding the ball inside,” Trakh said.

And in the first half, the Lady Cats were often pounded when they went inside.

The second quarter turned out to be a free-throw shooting contest. Brea-Olinda made 10 of 15 free throws in the quarter while Alemany made seven of 11.

In fact, the only basket scored in the final 3:27 of the second quarter was Bickel’s layup at the buzzer.

“Alemany went to the free throw line a heck of a lot, too,” Trakh said. “I guess it all evens out.”

But not on this night.

The Lady Cats led, 40-22, at halftime and led by as many as 32 in the second half.

Guard Rachel Coretti scored 22 points for Alemany (20-7).