GIRLS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Metz’s 17 Help Brea Olinda Dominate Alemany, 62-46

Brea Olinda center Dawn Metz reads the papers, and she read that Carly Funicello will be the state’s most highly recruited player next year.

So Metz, a senior, showed the kid a thing or two.

“The game of her career,” Brea Olinda Coach Jeff Sink called it.

Metz scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots as the Ladycats stunned Mission Hills Alemany, 62-46, Saturday at Brea Olinda.

The outcome wasn’t as shocking as the final score. Both teams were ranked closely in the polls: Alemany (17-4) No. 9 in Cal-Hi Sports’ overall state rankings, Brea Olinda (21-2) No. 10; Alemany No. 3 in State Division II, Brea Olinda No. 4.

But Brea Olinda, a four-time defending State champion and ranked No. 2 in Orange County, used the game as a springboard into the playoffs.

“This is as good as we’ve played since (before Christmas),” Sink said. “This was at least our second-best effort of the year.

“This (was) a game, win or lose, that (was) a statement on our ability to get ready for the next month of basketball.”

The Ladycats were ready. They shot 46% (23 for 50) from the field, and Metz--giving away three inches--got lots of help in shutting down the 6-foot-4 Funicello (12 points, seven rebounds).

“I had to prove to myself that I could stop her in my last year,” Metz said.

Kiyoko Miller added 12 points and Jennifer Saari and Lee Moulin each had 11.

Alemany shot only 21% in the first half but trailed only 27-20; a two-for-14 performance from the field in the third quarter sealed the outcome as Brea Olinda stretched the lead to 17 points, 42-25.

Samantha Rigley, who has committed to Pepperdine, scored 21 for Alemany.

In other nonleague games:

Estancia 47, Capistrano 46--Cyndi Richards made two free throws with two seconds remaining to cap Estancia’s improbable fourth-quarter comeback.

Trailing by 13 with 3:55 remaining, Estancia (14-6) turned up the defense and finally took the lead on Richards’ free throws. Richards, who has played the last two games with a hairline fracture in her left foot, led the Eagles with 10 points. Jennifer Garrett had 22 for Capistrano Valley.

Newport Harbor 48, Costa Mesa 43--Melissa Schutz scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had six steals for No. 8 Newport Harbor (19-4), ranked eighth in the county. Jenny Jennings added 11 points for the Sailors.

In the Olympic League:

Brethren Christian 43, Ontario Christian 33--Sophomore Jennifer Sabounchi scored 10 of her 17 points in the third quarter to help host Brethren Christian (8-11, 3-5). Sabounchi also had seven rebounds and seven steals and LaCoya Cole scored nine points.

In the South Coast League:

Mater Dei 67, San Clemente 45--Melody Peterson scored 27 points and Rhonda Gondringer added 19 for second-ranked Mater Dei (19-1, 8-0).