GIRLS’ REGIONAL PAIRINGS : Brea-Olinda Shooting for Another Championship

Three Orange County girls’ basketball teams, including one with an at-large berth, were named Sunday to the Southern California playoffs that begin Tuesday.

In Division II, Brea-Olinda (29-1) received the top seeding and Woodbridge (25-5) is seeded third. The at-large entry, Costa Mesa (20-9), is unseeded in Division III.

Brea, which won the Southern Section Division II-AA title Saturday with a 50-42 victory over Ventura, plays host to Torrance Bishop Montgomery (24-5) Tuesday. Woodbridge is at home against Bakersfield North (23-5), and Costa Mesa travels to third-seeded Santee Santana (22-5).

All games start at 7:30 p.m.

Brea, the Division III state champion in 1989 and runner-up last season, is looking to reach the state final again this season but in a larger-school division. Judging by the pairings, the Lady Cats should have an easy time of it until the regional final Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The division’s other top teams--Woodbridge and unseeded Ventura--are in the other bracket.

Woodbridge made it to the regionals by defeating Bishop Montgomery, 47-37, in the Southern Section Division II-A final Saturday. The Sea View League’s second-place team will need to maintain its momentum if it hopes to advance past its first-round opponent, Bakersfield North.

After that, the Warriors would face either second-seeded El Cajon Valley (27-1) or Ventura (23-4), a tough team that played Brea close Saturday.

Costa Mesa, meanwhile, lost a 73-71 heartbreaker to fourth-seeded St. Bernard in the Southern Section Division III-A championship game Saturday on a last-second shot. And even though the Mustangs are unseeded in the regional, they should reach Thursday’s semifinals.

Waiting for them there could be Lompoc (22-3), which figures to beat second-seeded Lemoore (20-5). Lompoc defeated Pacific Coast League champion Estancia--which defeated Costa Mesa twice--in a section III-AA semifinal, 65-55.

Of course, a trip to the Division III final would be a disaster waiting to happen, since top-seeded Palos Verdes (28-2) appears a prohibitive favorite to win it all.