Nicole Erickson

School: Brea-Olinda

Sport: Basketball

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Because of some tough defense by San Diego University City, Erickson was held to 11 points--half her average--in the Southern California Division II championship game Saturday. But if not for Erickson’s play earlier in the week, the Ladycats wouldn’t have been in position to win their fifth consecutive regional title--which they did, 45-39. Thursday in a semifinal against Carlsbad, Brea trailed by three with less than a minute left. Erickson brought the ball down and made a three-point shot that sent the game into overtime. Erickson finished with 26 points in the 64-55 victory. Tuesday against Ventura, she had 24 points, four steals, four rebounds and three assists--in one half of play--in a 77-41 victory. During that game, she broke the school’s single-season scoring record of 613 set by Da Houl in 1981-82.

Other top performers:

Liza Alexander, a Tustin runner who won the 3,200 (11:17.8) and finished second in the 1,600 (5:18.1) and was named the most outstanding female athlete at the Irvine Invitational.

Olivia DiCamilli, who averaged 29.3 points in leading Costa Mesa to the Division III State title game. DiCamilli scored 24 in a 49-46 victory over top-seeded Inglewood Morningside in the Southern California championship game.

Danielle Ortega, who struck out 17 and allowed only two hits as La Habra beat Whittier La Serna, 3-0, in the third-place game of the Brea-Olinda tournament.

Lisa Pitt, who went seven for 10, scored four runs and drove in five more in four games for Kennedy, which finished third in the Cypress tournament. Pitt also earned two victories as a pitcher.