DIVISION I-A

Defending champion: Ventura Buena.

Top teams: Cerritos (20-2); Ventura Buena (23-2); Alhambra Keppel (25-3); Riverside North (25-1).

Dark horse: Marina (22-4) is in the Keppel bracket, and when they played earlier this season, Keppel won, 67-63. The Vikings have won 12 of their last 13.

Top players: Monet Andrews (Cerritos); Holly Armstrong (Westminster); Lakiste Barkus (Cerritos); Nicole Bryant (Cerritos); Debby Caine (San Clemente); Christina Colon (Mater Dei); Alex Gientke (Ventura); Janet Glasby (Westminster); Kristine Gleisberg (Ventura); Julia Gray (North); Kelly Greathouse (Buena); Ana Grey (Mater Dei); Monica Hang (Keppel); Renae Hofmann (Buena); Lisa Inn (North Torrance); Andrea Jacobs (San Clemente); Kelley Kruger (San Clemente); Yvette Martinez (Century); Courtney McKinney (Huntington Beach); Chanda McLeod (Marina); Tara Moore (Westminster); Kristin Moorhouse (Aliso Niguel); Kelly Murray (Buena); Natalie Nakase (Marina); Liz Nesbitt (Thousand Oaks); Cassie Pappas (Mater Dei); Christina Patterson (Edison); Aprile Powell (Century); Fercia Rambacal (Keppel); Julie Samuel (Santa Maria Righetti); Kris Schneider (North Torrance); Maile Shimoda (Mater Dei); Fala Suiaunoa (University); Sharee Sykes (North); Diana Taurasi (Chino Don Lugo); Colleen Turnbull (San Clemente); Christelle Wuillemin (University); Shannon Ward (Righetti); Karri Westphal (Keppel); Julia Washington (Glendora); Michelle Zylstra (Edison).

Notes: Ventura Buena defeated Crescenta Valley, 59-55, in last year’s final. . . . Mater Dei was going to compete in Division II-AA until the divisions were revised, based on enrollment, on Jan. 5. The Monarchs have played for the section final three of the last four years, and in all four have played Ventura Buena, either in the finals or semifinals. They are 2-3 in those games. Though 13-13, the Monarchs still finished the season ranked seventh in Orange County. . . . San Clemente, though unseeded, goes into the playoffs on a high note. The Tritons finished the season with a victory at Mater Dei--a site at which they had never won a game--after winning at Capistrano Valley, 62-55, avenging a first-round loss in the South Coast League. “You can’t have a better situation; to win a big game like [that] without your star player [Colleen Turnbull] on the floor and your backup point guard [Kelley Kruger] lame [with an injured elbow],” Coach Mary Mulligan said.