Anita Stecker

School: Rancho Alamitos

Sport: Basketball

Position: Forward

Class: Senior

Stecker made perhaps the biggest shot in her career Saturday, sinking a turnaround six-foot jumper with two seconds remaining to give Rancho Alamitos a 68-66 victory over West Covina South Hills in the Southern Section Division III-A basketball championship game at the Bren Center.

Rancho Alamitos was denied championships by losing the title game in the last two seasons, but Stecker helped change that, averaging 20 points and nine rebounds during the semifinals and finals last week.

“She is probably the most efficient basketball player I’ve ever coached,” Rancho Alamitos Coach Bob Becker said.

Stecker averaged 15.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in the regular season despite averaging only 18 minutes of playing time.

“Anita’s a true team player,” Becker said. “She doesn’t play for the individual honors or the glory, but for things like that team trophy we got on Saturday.”

Other top performers:

Jody Anton and Nicole Erickson, the tandem that led Brea-Olinda to its fourth consecutive Southern Section basketball championship. Anton had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Ladycats in the Division III-AA finals, and Erickson had 24 points and six assists in the semifinals.

Olivia DiCamilli, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds in Costa Mesa’s 75-74 overtime loss to Rancho Alamitos in the Division III-A basketball semifinals.

Timerie James, who scored 24 points in Rancho Alamitos’ 68-66 victory in the Division III-A basketball final and made two free throws with five seconds remaining in overtime to give the Vaqueros a 75-74 semifinal victory over Costa Mesa.

Kirsten Keyler, a fullback who scored in Mater Dei’s 1-0 victory over top-seeded Simi Valley in the Division 4-A soccer semifinals and helped shut out second-seeded El Toro, 1-0, in the championship.