Brea-Olinda Easily Gets Final Berth : Division III girls: Erickson scores 26 points as Ladycats get 86-33 victory against San Luis Obispo.

For once, Nicole Erickson was not in control.

Fighting an emotional battle in her final game in her home gym, the four-year starter for three-time State champion Brea-Olinda turned out to be a softie.

Erickson was practically in tears from the time she stepped off the floor with seven minutes left in the game, the crowd of about 700 giving her a 45-second standing ovation, until well after the game.

Erickson scored 26 as Brea defeated San Luis Obispo in the Division II Southern Regional semifinal, 86-33, Thursday. The Ladycats (31-0) face Newport Harbor at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Anaheim Arena. It will be a rematch of last week’s Southern Section final in which Brea-Olinda scored a 70-40 victory. Newport beat Santee Santana, 63-51.

Erickson, who shot 47% from the field during the regular season, had been in a 15-of-57 slump (26.3%) the past three games, but she made her first five attempts and eight of her first nine. She finished nine of 11, but one miss occurred when she threw the ball at the basket as the halftime buzzer sounded.

“It was difficult to control my emotions,” Erickson said. “I think we should just let it go. Look--I’m crying again.”

“This was her last night to play on her home court and she went all out,” sophomore guard Kiyoko Miller said. “She was awesome.”

Erickson scored from every angle, dished off six assists, and had four steals and five rebounds.

She had 22 points at halftime and Brea had a 48-6 lead.

San Luis Obispo showed patience on offense and trailed, 10-6, with 3 minutes 16 seconds left in the first quarter. Then the unthinkable happened.

Brea scored 42 consecutive points with Erickson getting 22 of them. The largest lead of the game was 61 points.

Colleen Hudson scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds after missing the Regional first-round game with the flu.

Said San Luis Obispo Coach Dean Treanor: “They’re better than I thought. The tough thing about getting a scouting report on them is that everyone tells you you don’t have a chance. How do you tell your girls you don’t have a chance?

“We knew their first quarter scores and we just wanted to stay with them. Then their talent took over.”

Treanor said he was frustrated officials let the game get as physical as it did, especially with his nine-player team. He also was disappointed that Brea’s starters opened up the second half and that they played in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

“I had a lot of respect for their program until I saw this,” Treanor said. “I leave here without the same respect.”