Brea Comes Back, Wins in Overtime

Brea Olinda has had some memorable moments at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

With a chance to move into the national spotlight, Brea got another one on Monday night.

The Ladycats overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Orem (Utah) Mountain View, 58-52, in overtime. The victory ended Orem’s second-longest winning streak in the nation at 55 games.

Leading the way for Brea in the tournament semifinal was Chelsea Trotter, who had 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Brea (11-0), ranked No. 1 in Orange County, will play the top-ranked team in the nation, New York Christ the King, a 71-61 winner over Berkeley tonight. Mountain View is 6-1.

“We went into this tournament as underdogs--this is a rebuilding year,” said Lindsey Davidson, the only returning starter from last season. “We’re not only proving we can play to the state and the nation, but we’re proving it to ourselves.”

Brea trailed, 40-33, after three quarters, but outscored the Bruins, 25-12, the rest of the way.

Trotter, who opened the game with five consecutive misses as part of a horrible night of shooting by the Ladycats, made eight of her 11 second-half shots. Davidson’s 10 points came in the second half.

Brea, seeking its second consecutive tournament title, trailed 44-35 with 5:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Ladycats tied it for the first time with 22 seconds left when Trotter drove up the middle for a left-handed layup. Brea caught a break when Brigham Young-bound Lisa Osguthorpe missed a free throw with four seconds left.

The overtime was all Brea, as the Ladycats made five of six free throws.

“I was so nervous [in the first quarter],” said Trotter, playing her fifth varsity game and matched against Utah-bound Erin Hansen. “It was the first really big game that we’ve had. I came out with butterflies, but finally got over it.”