SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Point Loma Girl’s Team Is Seeded No. 1

Point Loma’s girls basketball varsity received the only No. 1 seed given to a San Diego Section team in the Southern Regionals and the Sweetwater boys team advanced to the regionals for the first time since David Ybarra took over as coach in 1986.

The pairings were announced Sunday. All first-round games will be held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The Point Loma girls (27-3) will be hosts to No. 8 West Torrance (25-5) in Division II play and the Sweetwater boys (29-1), seeded fourth in Division I, will be hosts to Lynwood (30-2).

Ybarra was busy Sunday night trying to track down a scouting report on Lynwood, although he knew what he would find out.

“Los Angeles teams are extremely strong,” he said. “And I’m just assuming that Lynwood is one heck of a ball club.”

Other high seeds from San Diego were: the Lincoln boys (22-8), who gained the second seed in Division III and will be hosts to No. 7 Corona del Mar (19-11); the Christian boys (16-11), seeded No. 2 in Division V will be hosts No. 7 St. Margarete’s of Capistrano Valley (21-5) at Granite Hills; and the Our Lady of Peace girls (23-4), who got the No. 3 seed in Division III will be hosts to No. 6 Palos Verdes (27-5).

The Mt. Carmel girls are the only San Diego Section champions (Division I) who will not be hosts to their first-round game. Instead, Mt. Carmel (22-5), seeded fifth, will play at No. 4 Hart (25-4), which is located in the Valencia area.

“It’s a lot better than sitting at home,” said Peggy Brose, Mt. Carmel coach. “I’m kind of surprised that we were seeded No. 5, I thought we’d get maybe six or seven because of the strength of the L.A. teams.”

The teams considered to have the best chance of advancing are the Point Loma girls and Lincoln boys.

Point Loma won four consecutive state titles between 1984 and 1987 and is the defending section champion in Division I.

Coach Lee Trepanier expected the seed.

“I think we deserved to be No. 1,” he said.

Two of the Pointers’ top players are just getting back to top form after early season knee injuries. The two, Ericka Crittenden and Tyeast Brown, have been among the county’s leading scorers all season with averages of 13.9 and 20.5 points respectively. Brown, however, is averaging 27 points in the playoffs.

Like Loma Linda, the Lincoln boys have been picking up their game since the playoffs began, but if they hope to get by Corona del Mar, the Southern Section 3-A runnerup, they will need more input from guard Victor Dean, who has had a cold shooting hand of late, and from center Darryl McMillan, who has been getting beat on the boards recently.

The University City boys, who will play at No. 2 Glendora in Division II, will be going up against the Southern Section 4--AA champion. The Lincoln girls are matched against Brea Olinda, the Southern Section 3--AA champion. At 30-0, Brea Olinda is ranked No. 1 in Southern California. The Imperial boys (16-8) will play the No. 1 seeded team in Division IV, Santa Clara (24-0). The Coronado girls (14-11), too, will face a No. 1 seed in Division V, St. Joseph’s of Santa Maria (25-3).

Other first round pairings for San Diego schools:

BOYS

Division II--No. 4 El Camino (22-6) host to No. 5 Compton (22-7).

Division III--No. 5 USDHS (17-7) at No. 4 Dos Pueblos (16-13).

Division IV--No. 4 Coronado (19-8) host to No. 5 Laguna Beach (22-6).

Division V--No. 5 Calipatria (21-4) at No. 4 Faith Baptist of Canoga Park (19-10).

GIRLS

Division II--No. 6 San Pasqual at No. 3 Pasadena Muir (26-5).

Division IV--No. 4 Holtville (18-2) host to No. 5 Valley Christian of Artesia (21-5).

Division V--No. 4 La Jolla Country Day (18-2) host to No. 5 Lone Pine (22-6) at University City High; No. 7 Christian (12-11) at No. 2 Rosamond (18-7).