SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREP BASKETBALL REGIONALS : Brea Rolls Past Bakersfield South

Brea Olinda opened defense of its girls’ basketball State title with an easy 79-35 victory over a frustrated Bakersfield South team Tuesday night at Brea Olinda High School.

It was the 300th victory (74 defeats) for Brea’s first-year coach, Jeff Sink. The other 271 came in 14 years of coaching at Fairbanks (Alaska) Lathrop.

Brea will play host Thursday to Mission Hills Alemany, which defeated Del Mar Torrey Pines, 85-35.

The Ladycats forced 19 turnovers, blocked nine shots and outrebounded the Rebels, 27-18. The Ladycats were ahead, 35-14, at the half and dominated South with a relentless pressure man-to-man defense.

South players--who misfired on 33 of 45 field-goal attempts while Brea made 29 of 54 shots--were so frustrated that they ended up with four technicals, three near-fights, one ejection and a sour taste in their mouths.

“The officiating left something to be desired, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Rebel Coach Rob Sausedo said. “We did lose our poise. The type of game was different than what we see in the Central Section. The refs let them play more down here, and we didn’t adjust to it. But I’m disappointed most that we lost our poise; I had hoped we’d rise above it.”

Sink called the victory “ugly,” but at least it provided the kind of work he wanted his team to experience before moving on in the tournament.

“I wanted us to be intense because we’ve put together a whole good game lately,” Sink said. “We’ve been playing it safe to win. No disrespect to South but this was a game I figured we’d win, so I wanted to gamble more, harass their guards, do more double teaming--the kinds of things that are conducive to helping us against taller teams like Alemany and Woodbridge.”

The night began on an ominous note for the Ladycats when it was determined starting sophomore point guard Jennifer Saari could not play.

Saari injured her right knee in the final six minutes of Brea’s 55-43 victory over Ventura Buena Saturday in the Southern Section Division II-A championship game. Preliminary diagnosis is a minimally torn cartilage, Sink said.

“I don’t remember bumping anybody,” said Saari, who will have her knee examined today. “But I twisted it, and when I sat down it would tighten up.”