Ladycats, Warriors Top Seeded

Two teams that met in the biggest nonleague game of the year are the only two teams in Orange County to come away with top-seeded positions in the upcoming girls’ basketball playoffs.

The pairings were released Monday by the Southern Section. Woodbridge, currently ranked No. 1 in the state, is the top-seeded team in Division II-AA and Brea Olinda is the top team in Division II-A.

The Section playoffs conclude March 3-4; the champion and runner-up of each of the 10 divisions advances to the State tournament.

Woodbridge, then ranked No. 1 in the county, snapped Brea Olinda’s 65-game winning streak with a 51-33 victory at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions in December. Both coaches said they expected to face each other in the State tournament, and the section playoff committee apparently has similar confidence.

Both teams get a first-round bye: Woodbridge (25-1) plays on Saturday against the winner of Wednesday’s Rosemead-Santiago game.

The Warriors are expected to meet another Orange County team in the semifinals; Ocean View (19-7) is seeded fourth and plays host to Beverly Hills (9-12) on Wednesday.

Brea Olinda (24-2) plays the Los Altos-Kennedy winner. The Ladycats are expected to face fourth-seeded Edison (18-6), which also received a bye, in the semifinals.

Mater Dei (21-1) finished second to Ventura Buena (20-2) in last year’s Division I-A tournament; Buena also beat the Monarchs 2 1/2 weeks ago, and is seeded No. 1, while Mater Dei is seeded No. 2. Fountain Valley (20-6) is seeded third. Mater Dei beat Fountain Valley earlier this season, 77-63; both received first-round byes.

Newport Harbor (20-5), despite a second-place Sea View League finish--albeit to Woodbridge--was seeded third in Division III-AA; Freeway League champion La Habra (17-6) was seeded fourth. Newport opens at home against South Torrance (12-10) and La Habra opens against Bonita (19-5). Newbury Park (23-1), which Newport Harbor beat in last year’s semifinals, got the No. 1 spot.

Costa Mesa (18-8) was seeded second in Division III-A although it finished second to University in the Pacific Coast League; the Mustangs got a bye into the second round, where they play host to the West Covina South Hills-Pacifica winner.