SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Brea-Olinda Girls Would Seem to Have All the Advantages

Defending Division III state champion Brea-Olinda retained its home-court advantage, but Orange County’s other two first-round survivors--La Quinta and Costa Mesa--will be on the road when the Southern California Regional girls’ basketball playoffs continue tonight.

The winners of tonight’s 7:30 games advance to the regional championships on Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

In Division II:

La Quinta (28-2) at San Diego Point Loma (28-3): La Quinta is in for a tough game against top-seeded Point Loma, which has scoring balance, height, maturity, tradition and the home-court advantage.

Point Loma has won a San Diego Section championship five times since 1984, including 1989 and ’90.

The current Pointers are averaging 56 points a game and holding opponents to 27. They have won 14 consecutive games, including a 66-36 trouncing of West Torrance Tuesday night. La Quinta defeated West Torrance, 72-62, last Friday.

Point Loma has four starters averaging in double figures. Tyeast Brown, a 6-foot center averages 22.3 points and 10 rebounds a game. Forward Ericka Crittenden (5-8) averages 13.5 points a game. Six-foot Robin Rabello is the leading rebounder (12 per game). She and 5-8 junior guard Stacy Wainwright average 10 points each. Claudine Neves (5-6) averages 4.2 points.

In Division III:

Lemoore (21-7) at Brea-Olinda (31-0): Lemoore, the Central Section Division III champion, is led by forwards Rachel Rossiter (14 ppg), the school’s all-time leading scorer, and Amy Haire (13 ppg), who transferred to Lemoore this season.

Rossiter is 5-9, Haire is 5-8. Ginger Thayer (5-11) is the tallest Tiger. The Lemoore backcourt--Jennifer Cotta (5-6) and Dana Bezerra (5-2)-- must contend with the best backcourt in the state in Brea-Olinda’s Aimee McDaniel, the defending Division Player of the Year, and Tammy Blackburn.

The two, along with 6-foot post player Jody Anton and 5-9 center Jinelle Williams, average in double figures in scoring. Allison Bickell is the fifth starter.

With a 19-point performance in Brea’s first-round victory, McDaniel passed Carrie Eagan’s total of 1,779 points to become the Lady Cats’ all-time scoring leader.

Top-seeded Brea-Olinda has a 53-game winning streak, which should reach 54 tonight.

Costa Mesa (18-11) at Palos Verdes (27-5): Look for Costa Mesa’s Cinderella season to run into serious trouble on the road. Palos Verdes is definitely the Mustangs’ toughest, most talented opponent to date.

Palos Verdes came within 17 points of Brea-Olinda, 50-33, in the Southern Section 3-AA championship game. That doesn’t sound like much, but it is the closest any nationally unranked team has come to Brea-Olinda since Channel Islands got within three points at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions in December.

Palos Verdes has the height advantage with 6-3 Monique Morehouse (11 ppg), 6-0 Mary Maloney (9.9 ppg), 6-0 Kristen Jaconi and 5-10 Lisa Humphreys (15 ppg). At 5-6, guard Susan Wilhite (10 ppg) is the shortest starter. Costa Mesa starts a 5-10 forward, Rachel Ward (11 ppg), and four other players 5-9 or shorter.

Costa Mesa won its first Southern Section title (3-A) this season. The Mustangs are led by 5-9 freshman Olivia DiCamilli, who keeps coming through for them in the playoffs. Tuesday, she sank a turnaround jump shot at the buzzer to push Costa Mesa past its first-round opponent, Selma, 44-42.