Brea-Olinda Girls Beat Ventura Again to Reach State Division II Title Game

The Brea-Olinda High girls’ basketball team defeated Ventura for the second time in a week, winning, 58-51, in the Southern California Regional Division II championship Saturday at the Sports Arena to qualify for its third consecutive state title game.

Top-seeded Brea-Olinda (32-1), which won the State Division III title in 1989 and beat Ventura, 50-42, last Saturday in the Southern Section Division II-AA title game, will play Hayward Moreau (29-2) at the Oakland Coliseum next Saturday. The Lady Cats have won 87 of their past 89 games.

Freshman guard Nicole Erickson scored 15 points, making four of six three-point shots, to lead Brea-Olinda, which had four players score in double figures.

Denise Rea led Ventura (25-5) with 16 points.

Brea-Olinda led, 43-38, after three quarters and scored the first five points of the fourth quarter on a three-point shot by Erickson and a short jump shot by Jody Anton to take a 48-38 advantage.

Brea-Olinda extended its lead to 57-42 with 1:55 to play before Ventura made a run in the final minute.