SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW : Woodbridge Looks to Take Down Gahr

Throughout most of the season, the Gahr girls’ basketball team held the top spot in the weekly Southern Section sportswriters’ poll among Division II schools.

But the Gladiators (21-4) recently fell to second in the poll behind undefeated Rubidoux (23-0), which is seeded first in the Division II-A tournament. All wasn’t lost for Gahr, however.

The San Gabriel Valley League runner-up, anchored by 5-foot-8 senior forward Allison Arredondo (15-point average, seven rebounds), is seeded first in Division II-AA and definitely looks like the team to beat.

And that’s what Woodbridge, which is seeded fourth and in the same bracket with the Gladiators, hopes to do.

The Warriors (19-7), the third-place representative from the Sea View League, surprisingly won the Division II-A title last season under Russ Davis, now coach at Estancia.

They are back in the playoffs, this time up a notch in divisions and under Coach Eric Bangs, and they have plenty of aspirations.

“We know Gahr. We went to camp with them in Las Vegas last summer,” said Bangs, who coached Woodbridge to seven consecutive league titles before taking a sabbatical last year. “They (Gahr) have the talent, but everybody is telling me there’s a chance they could lose a game.”

Woodbridge’s offense relies primarily on 5-11 senior forward Belinda Taub (12.3 points), who has made a good comeback after missing last season while recovering from knee surgery, and 5-10 senior forward Priya Vasudev (11.7 points). Point guard Florencia Luppani, who has 212 assists, directs the attack.

The Warriors open at home Saturday against La Serna or Highland, and they wouldn’t play Gahr until the semifinals March 3. With no other powerhouses in the upper bracket, that matchup appears likely.

“Moving up (in divisions) seems to be a blessing because there don’t seem to be as many good teams in double-A as in single-A,” Bangs said.

Of the other top squads in the division, second-seeded Ventura (19-3) and third-seeded Tustin (18-7) are clearly above the remaining teams talent-wise.

Tustin, the Sea View League champion for the fourth consecutive year, probably will face Ventura in the lower-bracket semifinals. The Tillers feature two solid players on the front line in 6-0 senior center Christine Garner (17.8 points, 13 rebounds) and 6-0 senior forward Shari Needham (18.7 points, 12.5 rebounds).

Division II-A--Twelve county teams will play in first-round games of this division Saturday, but only Freeway League champion La Habra (17-6) and Empire League winner Cypress (18-4) realistically stand a chance of challenging for the championship.

La Habra, winner of 127 of 130 league games the past seven seasons, has one of the dominating players in the tournament in 6-5 senior center Zrinka Kristich (12.8 points, 11 rebounds). Kristich is headed for UCLA on a basketball scholarship.

The Centurions, who won their second league title in a row, are led by 5-11 sophomore forward Jessica Eggleston and 6-0 senior center Lupe Nava. Eggleston averages 16.7 points and 16.1 rebounds, and last week had a career-high 23 rebounds in a 54-42 victory over El Dorado. Nava contributes 12.4 points and 11.4 rebounds.

But the undisputed favorite in the division is top-seeded Rubidoux, the Citrus Belt League champion that is 23-0 this season.

Division II-AA at a Glance

Defending champion: Brea-Olinda.

Top teams: Gahr (21-4), Tustin (18-7), Ventura (19-3), Walnut (18-7), Woodbridge (19-7).

Dark horse: Artesia (12-9). If the Pioneers get past top-seeded Gahr in the quarterfinals, they could go all the way.

Top players: Allison Arredondo (Gahr), Tiffany Fujimoto (Torrance), Christine Garner (Tustin), Becky Hantgin (Ventura), Christan Hawkins (Norte Vista), Florencia Luppani (Woodbridge), Shari Needham (Tustin), Denise Rea (Ventura), Nancy Smith (Glendora), Belinda Taub (Woodbridge), Erin Waggoner (Canyon), Davette Williams (Walnut).

Best draw: Ventura. Meets only pretenders until the semifinals, where it will probably face Tustin.

Worst draw: Claremont (11-11) or Norte Vista (9-12), take your pick. They play a qualifying game tonight for the chance to go against No. 1 Gahr. Ouch!

Notes: Good news for all participants in this division this season: Brea-Olinda, which went on to win the State Division II title last season, is now in Division III-AA. Williams, a 5-foot-7 senior guard, broke Walnut’s school career scoring record with 1,374 points. Two of Ventura’s three losses (54-44 and 42-41) came in Channel League play against Ventura Buena.

Division II-A at a Glance

Defending champion: Woodbridge.

Top teams: Alemany (21-4), Bishop Montgomery (20-6), Cypress (18-4), Glenn (23-1), Hacienda Heights Wilson (21-2), La Habra (17-6), Los Altos (20-5), Rubidoux (23-0), Westlake (20-5).

Dark horse: Ridgecrest Burroughs (16-8).

Top players: Melizza Benitez (El Modena), Rachel Corelli (Alemany), Shelley Dungo (Bishop Montgomery), Jessica Eggleston (Cypress), Betsy Flenniken (Los Altos), Lauren Goldstine (Westlake), Sarah Guziel (Alemany), Faye Hagan (Glenn), Zrinka Kristich (La Habra), Dede Logemann (Troy), Lynly Matsumoto (Kennedy), Lupe Nava (Cypress), Tanya Paaluhi (Redondo Union), Keisa Smith (Bishop Montgomery), Amy Wunderlich (Norco).

Best draw: Top-seeded Rubidoux. Opens against lowly Bolsa Grande (6-16) and shouldn’t face any tough competition until possibly Cypress in the quarterfinals.

Worst draw: Bolsa Grande. See above.

Notes: Bishop Montgomery, which lost to Woodbridge in the title game last season, is back in the hunt with a well-balanced squad that won three tournaments and 14 consecutive games during one stretch. Rubidoux, ranked first in the Southern Section poll, is the only undefeated team in the II-A tournament. Hagan, a 5-foot-8 senior forward at Glenn, averaged 28.4 points and 14.6 rebounds. She scored 42 points in a game twice and had 27 rebounds in one game. One oddity in this division is that both Burroughs high schools (Burbank and Ridgecrest) meet in the opening round.