SOUTHERN SECTION NOTES : Games in Division II, III Won’t Be at Sports Arena

Although high school basketball players have gotten used to the notion of playing Southern Section championship games in the L.A. Sports Arena, fewer athletes will have that opportunity this season.

Because of a Pacific 10 Conference game between USC and Washington, scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 6, the Southern Section won’t have access to the Sports Arena until the early evening. Division II and III games, usually played in the morning and early afternoon, will be played elsewhere. Only the Division I-AA and I-A boys’ games will be played in the Sports Arena.

A likely scenario is a II-AA and II-A evening doubleheader at UC Irvine’s Bren Center on March 5. The III-AA and III-A games could be headed to another venue, such as Cal Poly Pomona or Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“It’s not by design, but by availability,” said Scott Cathcart, Southern Section director of media relations. “We have to have our championship completed and state qualifiers determined by Sunday morning the 7th.”