SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW : Whittier Christian Working on a Going-Away Present

Remember the 1977 Marquette Warriors? They barely got into the NCAA basketball tournament and then won it all for retiring Coach Al McGuire.

Steve Randall, the retiring Whittier Christian girls’ basketball coach, would like to see that story repeated.

Randall announced before this season that he was retiring. The Heralds then went out and were just good enough to slide into the Southern Section playoffs.

They are one of two county teams in Division IV-A. Both Whittier Christian and Orange Lutheran received wild-card spots. Whittier Christian (14-8) will play at Sierra Madre Maranatha tonight, and Orange Lutheran (12-11) will face Sierra Madre Alverno tonight at Pasadena Poly.

“Since this is my last year, I’m not nervous going in. I just want us to go as far as we can,” said Randall, who has coached at Whittier Christian for four seasons. “I do think we deserved to be in it.”

Just how far the Heralds get probably depends on Alana Kempton, a sophomore guard. Kempton, 5 feet 6, leads the Heralds in scoring with 17.5 points per game. Complementing Kempton is senior center Denise Huizing, averaging 13.2 points and 12.5 rebounds.

Scoring, though, is not the key to Whittier Christian.

“We play tremendous defense,” said Randall, whose team has allowed only 39.3 points per game. “We try to play very smart.”

Although the Heralds have eight losses, their record is a bit deceptive. Playing in the Olympic League, Whittier Christian twice had to face Cerritos Valley Christian, the division’s top-seeded team and defending section champion.

“We gave them a battle the first time we played them,” Randall said. “I think if we get by Maranatha, we could last a while.”

But Randall insists he doesn’t want the Heralds trying to win one for their retiring coach.

“I’m sure it’s in the back of their heads,” Randall said. “But I told them I want them to do it for themselves.”

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With a 12-11 record, Orange Lutheran Coach Mark Kempf was worried the Lancers might not get in the tournament. Now Kempf thinks the Lancers could be a surprise team.

“We could cause some problems,” said Kempf, whose team also plays in the Olympic League. “We just have to play consistent.”

The Lancers attack is keyed by their backcourt. Junior Kristen Weddick leads the team, averaging 13.5 points, and senior point guard Michelle Hines is averaging 11 points.

Division IV-A at a Glance

Defending champion: Cerritos Valley Christian.

Top teams: Valley Christian (22-2), Burbank Bellarmine-Jefferson (24-2), Sun Valley Village Christian (18-4).

Dark horse: Panorama City St. Genevieve (18-5).

Top players: Julie Bouma (Valley Christian), Aisha Beasley (Village Christian), Lori Talley (Bellarmine-Jefferson), Alana Kempton (Whittier Christian), Kristen Weddick (Orange Lutheran).

Best draw: Valley Christian opens with a wild-card winner. With a victory, Valley Christian then would play a team with a sub-.500 record. Making it to the semifinals should be a breeze.

Worst draws: St. Genevieve and Kern Valley (16-5). For each losing only five games this season, their reward is having to meet in the first round. Waiting in the wings for the winner most likely will be 16-4 Santa Monica Crossroads, which is seeded fourth. Getting past all that would probably mean a game against top-seeded Valley Christian.

Notes: There are two county teams in the division: Whittier Christian (14-8) and Orange Lutheran (12-11). Both are wild-card teams. Whittier Christian plays tonight at Sierra Madre Maranatha (16-7). If it wins, it would face Crossroads. Orange Lutheran plays Sierra Madre Alverno (12-5) tonight. A victory would earn it a game with Village Christian.