PREP BASKETBALL: GIRLS PLAYOFFS : Morningside, Palos Verdes: Rivalry Ends, Playoffs Begin

The Morningside and Palos Verdes High girls’ basketball teams met three times this season for top ranking in the Southern Section, but the rivalry ends at the playoffs.

Top-ranked Morningside, 24-2, is the No. 1 seed in Division I-AA, and second-ranked Palos Verdes, 24-2, is top-seeded in Division III-AA.

Division placement is based on school enrollment, with I-AA for the largest schools and V-A for the smallest. There are 10 divisions.

Southern Section playoff pairings were announced Monday, and under a revised format in which all teams are eligible to participate, a record 332 were paired. Last year, 257 teams qualified for the playoffs.

Palos Verdes was No. 1 in the Times’ Southern Section rankings for most of the season, having defeated Morningside, the defending Division I state champion, twice. Then the Sea Kings lost to Morningside in their final Ocean League game two weeks ago, 56-50, and dropped to No. 2.

The opening round of the playoffs begins Saturday, but some teams that did not finish near the top in their leagues can advance to the first round by winning qualifying games Wednesday. Other top-seeded teams: Ventura Buena (Channel League, 21-2), I-A; Brea-Olinda (Orange, 24-1), II-AA; La Habra (Freeway, 21-5), II-A; Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos (Garden Grove, 24-0), III-A; Morro Bay (Los Padres, 19-3), IV-AA; Santa Maria St. Joseph (Los Padres, 19-5), IV-A; Pasadena Poly (Prep, 25-0), V-AA, and Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep (Prep, 18-3), V-A.

PREP PAIRINGS C9