SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW : Rancho Alamitos Happy to Lose Top Spot

Other coaches might complain about where their teams were seeded in the Southern Section girls’ basketball playoff pairings, but you won’t hear a peep from Bob Becker.

Becker, who guided Rancho Alamitos to its second consecutive undefeated league season, is happy with the No. 3 seeding his Vaqueros (17-2) received in the Division III-A tournament.

He would rather be there than seeded first, as the Vaqueros were the past two years. In 1990, Rancho Alamitos reached the championship game but lost to Costa Mesa, 51-49, and last season the Vaqueros fell in the semifinals to eventual champion St. Bernard, 74-72.

“Being seeded No. 1 two years in a row didn’t win us any (section) titles,” Becker said. “I think a lot of the teams, like St. Bernard last year, go shooting for the No. 1 team.”

Becker hopes the different seeding will prove lucky for Rancho Alamitos, which has a first-round bye Saturday and plays either Atascadero or Calabasas in the second round Feb. 26. But regardless of where his team was placed in the draw, Becker says the seedings are not that crucial past the initial rounds.

“After the first round, every game is going to be tough and are supposed to be tough,” Becker said. “I don’t see how you can complain.”

Becker probably won’t have much to worry about in the tournament until the lower-bracket semifinals, when the Vaqueros could face second-seeded Costa Mesa (19-6) or San Dimas (18-7). If Rancho Alamitos advances to the finals, it would probably meet top-seeded South Hills (21-2) or No. 4 St. Bernard (20-4).

Leading the Vaqueros are seniors Shannon James, a 5-foot-6 point guard who averages 16.3 points and 6.5 assists, and 5-9 forward-guard Anita Stecker, who averages 15.3 points and 8.6 rebounds. With their help, the team has won 16 consecutive games, and Becker said he’s optimistic going into the playoffs.

“We just now have started to play our best basketball of the season,” Becker said. “In the last two weeks, we’ve seen the confidence of our girls rise another level.”

Division III-AA--With Brea-Olinda in this division, the only thing for people to speculate about is who will meet the Ladycats in the title game March 7 at the Bren Center.

The top-seeded Ladycats (24-2), ranked first in Orange County, have moved down a division after winning the Division II-AA championship and the State Division II title last year. But they have not slowed down any.

They still feature one of the best teams in the state, led by 5-11 forward Jody Anton (15.7 points, seven rebounds), sophomore point guard Nicole Erickson (13 points, 6.2 assists) and sophomore forward Sara Beckley, who led the county in field-goal percentage (61.2%).

Among those who will attempt to derail Brea-Olinda are third-seeded El Dorado (17-6) and No. 4 Newport Harbor (15-8). Morningside (14-10) is seeded second but these are not the same Monarchs of the Lisa Leslie glory days. Leslie, now at USC, is second on the state’s all-time career scoring list with 2,896 points. She once scored 101 points in a game.

Division III-AA at a Glance

Defending champion: Palos Verdes.

Top teams: Brea-Olinda (24-2), El Dorado (17-6), Morningside (14-10), Newport Harbor (15-8).

Dark horse: South Torrance (15-8).

Top players: Jody Anton (Brea-Olinda), Sara Beckley (Brea-Olinda), Leah Braatz (Estancia), Jody Caruso (El Dorado), Nicole Erickson (Brea-Olinda), Colleen Hudson (Brea-Olinda), Maureen McLaren (Newport Harbor), Jenny Nakanishi (Culver City), Leslie Nolan (Santa Margarita), Michaela Ross (Newport Harbor), Monique Sweet (Estancia), Erin Vessey (El Dorado).

Best draw: Brea-Olinda. Clear sailing to at least the semifinals, where the Ladycats might encounter some resistance from Estancia or Newport Harbor, but then it’s homeward bound to yet another Southern Section title.

Worst draw: Pioneer (12-11) or Lakewood St. Joseph (4-14). The winner of their qualifying game tonight goes on a suicidal mission against Brea-Olinda in the opening round Saturday.

Notes: Brea-Olinda is back in Division III-AA after winning the State Division II championship last season. Fortunately for the Ladycats, Palos Verdes became part of Peninsula High in a merger with Miraleste and Rolling Hills and is now playing in Division I-AA. Peninsula is the No. 1 team in the country, according to USA Today. Culver City’s Nakanishi, a 5-foot-6 junior guard, averages 25 points and has made 72 three-pointers.

Division III-A at a Glance

Defending champion: St. Bernard.

Top teams: Costa Mesa (19-6), Rancho Alamitos (17-2), San Dimas (18-7), Santa Paula (16-6), South Hills (21-2), St. Bernard (20-4).

Dark horse: Blair (15-6). Of course, the long-shot Vikings eventually would have to get by St. Bernard and South Hills in the upper bracket to reach the title game.

Top players: Candy Akin (Covina), Olivia DiCamilli (Costa Mesa), Mollie Flint (Corona del Mar), Shannon James (Rancho Alamitos), Melissa Lord (La Canada), Ninette Reyna (Serrano), Stephanie Ring (South Hills), Tara Sanders (Santa Paula), Anita Stecker (Rancho Alamitos), Joi Turner (St. Bernard), Jennifer Veal (San Dimas), Lataya Woods (Blair).

Best draw: Rancho Alamitos. The Vaqueros have a bye in the first round and no serious obstacles until the semifinals, where they probably will face Costa Mesa.

Worst draw: Cabrillo (7-17). The at-large team from the Los Padres League travels all the way from Lompoc to Playa del Rey Saturday to serve as cannon fodder for St. Bernard.

Notes: A rematch of last year’s championship game between St. Bernard and Costa Mesa is possible, since they are in different brackets. St. Bernard won that game, 73-71, on a last-second shot by Turner. La Canada’s Lord averages 19.5 points and 12.1 rebounds. DiCamilli led Orange County in scoring with a 22.7-point average. Rancho Alamitos enters the playoffs with a 16-game winning streak.