SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW : Calvary Chapel’s Towers, Younger on the Rise

Calvary Chapel and its twin towers will begin the Southern Section Division IV-A girls’ basketball playoffs one week from tonight after being selected the third-seeded team.

With 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Blythe Linsey and 6-5 junior center Sunshine McFarland leading the way, the Eagles (18-3) received a first-round bye and await the winner of Saturday’s Flintridge Sacred Heart-Cantwell Sacred Heart first-round game.

Linsey, who is only a sophomore, finished the season as the county’s top rebounder, averaging 21.2. Linsey was also the county’s second-leading scorer, averaging 21.5 points, second only to Costa Mesa’s Olivia DiCamilli, who averaged 22.7 points.

Although McFarland averaged 11.2 rebounds per game, perhaps the key to the Eagles’ success was the play of freshman point guard Sarah Younger.

Younger finished her first season at Calvary Chapel averaging 12.9 points and five assists. Younger’s older brother, Sabe, plays for the Calvary Chapel boys’ team.

While top-seeded Bell-Jeff is the only league champion in the top half of the bracket, Calvary Chapel might have to defeat two league champions to reach the finals. The Eagles could face Sierra Madre Maranatha (13-7), the Alpha League champion, in the quarterfinals.

If Calvary Chapel advances to the semifinals, it could meet second-seeded Cerritos Valley Christian (20-4), the Olympic League champion, led by 5-10 forward Julie Bouma, who averages 11.2 points per game.

Although Orange Lutheran didn’t improve upon last season’s second-place finish in the Olympic League, the Lancers still received a first-round bye and will face Saturday’s Rosamond-Pasadena Westridge winner Feb. 26.

Orange Lutheran is the Olympic League’s second-place team, finishing behind Valley Christian (20-4), the division’s second seeded team.

If the Lancers win their second-round game, they might face fourth-seeded Kern Valley (17-3), led by 6-0 senior Tasha Preston, who averages 13.1 points and 11.5 rebounds, in the quarterfinals.

Bell-Jeff forwards Lori Lean and Lori Talley lead the top-seeded team’s attack. A 5-11 senior, Lean averages 15 points and 11.2 rebounds. Talley, a 6-0 junior, averages 15 points and 13.2 rebounds.

Among the top scorers in the division are Riverside Notre Dame’s Delilah Vergara , who averages 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds and Santa Monica Crossroads’ Kim Cooper, who averages 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Division IV-AA--Laguna Beach, the lone Orange County school in the Division IV-AA bracket, chose not to participate in the playoffs this season.

Although the playoffs were open to any Southern Section school that wanted to participate, the 2-18 Artists declined.

Hemet West Valley, which also finished 2-18, entered the playoffs and plays a qualifying-round game tonight against Whitney (15-5), the Delphic League runner-up.

Division IV-A at a Glance

Defending champion: Santa Maria St. Joseph

Top teams: Burbank Bell-Jeff (20-4), Cerritos Valley Christian (20-4), Calvary Chapel (18-3), Kern Valley (17-3).

Dark horse: Sierra Madre Maranatha (13-7). The Alpha League champion might be Calvary Chapel’s first big test in the quarterfinals.

Top players: Julie Bouma (Valley Christian), Kim Cooper (Crossroads), Denise Huizing (Whittier Christian), Lori Leon (Bell-Jeff), Blythe Linsey (Calvary Chapel), Debbie Miller (Maranatha), Tasha Preston (Kern Valley), Lori Talley (Bell-Jeff), Delilah Vergara (Riverside Notre Dame), Sarah Younger (Calvary Chapel), Maria Zamora (St. Matthias).

Best draw: Valley Christian. The second-seeded team’s potential opponents have a combined .500 record before an anticipated meeting with Calvary Chapel in the semifinals.

Worst draw: St. Monica. What is a good playoff draw for a 3-13 team?

Notes: Vergara averages 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds for Notre Dame, a finalist last season, which potentially won’t face a seeded team until the quarterfinals. The 5-foot-11 Leon and 6-0 Talley average 15 points and more than 11 rebounds per game each for Bell-Jeff, which is the lone league champion in the top half of the draw. De Anza League runner-up Aquinas and fourth-seeded Kern Valley pose the biggest challenge to Notre Dame. Defending champion St. Joseph must travel to Ventura St. Bonaventure for an opening-round game.