SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL BASKETBAL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION III GIRLS : McDaniel Sets Brea-Olinda Record

It was a game for Brea-Olinda High School’s Aimee McDaniel to remember. But it might better be described as a game San Diego Lincoln would like to forget.

McDaniel scored 19 points and broke the the Brea-Olinda career girls’ scoring mark, and the Lady Cats scored 35 consecutive points en route to a 66-32 victory in a first round Southern California Regional basketball playoffs Division III game.

Brea-Olinda (31-0), which won Southern Section 3A and state Division III championships last season, will play host to Lemoore (21-7) in Thursday’s semifinals.

McDaniel scored her record-breaking 1,779th point early in the first quarter Tuesday, breaking a mark set by Carrie Egan, who played at Brea-Olinda from 1984-87. The game was stopped briefly and McDaniel, a senior, was presented the game ball.

“It was a super moment,” said Brea-Olinda Coach Mark Trakh, whose team won its 53rd consecutive game. “This was her night.”

It certainly wasn’t Lincoln’s.

Lincoln (16-7), the San Diego Section Division III runner-up, scored late in the first quarter to cut Brea-Olinda’s lead to 14-6. But Lincoln suffered through a scoreless second quarter, missing nine field goals and four free throws, and did not score again until early in the third quarter.

Brea-Olinda’s press caused the most problems for Lincoln, which committed 31 turnovers.

While Lincoln was struggling, Brea-Olinda was scoring in bunches . . . and bunches.

McDaniel scored on a layup, which set the record, and added a three-point basket to start the Lady Cats’ run. By halftime, Brea-Olinda led, 47-6.

“This was our night,” McDaniel said. “We came in really psyched. We were at home, with our fans and we didn’t think anything could beat us. We came in and everything clicked.”

Meanwhile, Lincoln struggled with the fundamentals. Lincoln committed 31 turnovers, including 20 in the first half, and was two of 19 from the free-throw line.

“If you don’t make your free throws and have too many turnovers, you can’t play,” Lincoln Coach Dorothy Robinson said. “My girls have to stop letting the officials upset them.”

Brea-Olinda took its biggest lead at 58-10 with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Trakh pulled his starters soon after taking the 48-point lead.

Guard Tammy Blackburn, who had several steals to lead Brea-Olinda’s pressure defense, scored 15 points. Sheila Dixon, a 6-foot-3 junior, led Lincoln with 18 points and 16 rebounds.

“This is the way we’re going to have to play every night if we want to win state again,” McDaniel said.