Brea Olinda Goes for 10th Title in a Row

Brea Olinda, the state’s top-ranked girls’ basketball team, is seeking its 10th consecutive Southern Section title. Narbonne, ranked No. 2 in the state, is seeking its first City Section 4-A championship.

Those teams, along with 1997 Southern Section Division IV-AA champion Playa del Rey St. Bernard and defending V-AA champion Covina Western Christian, are regarded as favorites in some of the 12 division championship games that will be played Friday and Saturday.

Southern Section games will be played at the Pyramid in Long Beach. City Section finals are at the Sports Arena and Cal State Los Angeles.

Here is a division-by-division look at the championship games:

CITY SECTION

4-A Division, NARBONNE (24-4) vs. PALISADES (22-5), Friday at Sports Arena, 6 p.m.: Narbonne is going for its first 4-A title after losing to Crenshaw in last year’s championship game. Juniors Amber White and Jessica Cheeks led the Gauchos to a 99-53 semifinal victory over Westchester. Junior guard Nicole Lockley led Palisades to a 73-50 semifinal victory over North Hollywood.

3-A Division, FAIRFAX vs. BELL, Saturday at Cal State Los Angeles, 1 p.m.: Fairfax opened the playoffs as the top-seeded team and played true to form in victories over Wilson, Birmingham and Granada Hills. No. 3 Bell defeated University, Bravo and South Gate to reach the final.

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION I-AA, LONG BEACH WILSON (24-3) vs. PALOS VERDES PENINSULA (27-3), Saturday at Pyramid, 8:30 p.m.: Long Beach Wilson is making its first championship-game appearance after defeating El Toro, 62-53, in the semifinals. Guard Kim Gildersleeve, center Crystal Givens and forward Dawn McCullouch lead the Bruins. Perennial power Peninsula has a deep, balanced roster that features guard Lauryn Morita and forward Natalie Kelly. The Panthers defeated Chino Hills Ayala, 48-38, in the semifinals.

DIVISION I-A, SAN CLEMENTE (27-4) vs. HUNTINGTON BEACH MARINA (26-4), Saturday at Pyramid, 6:45 p.m.: Marina, led by guard Natalie Nakase, forwards Chanda McLeod and Karyn Fierst, advanced to the championship game by defeating Glendora and Thousand Oaks before beating third-seeded Keppel in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Buena, 60-39, in the semifinals. San Clemente beat Walnut, North Torrance, Mater Dei and Moreno Valley to reach the final. Colleen Turnbull, Andrea Jacobs, Kelley Kruger and Debby Caine are top players for the Tritons.

DIVISION II-AA, BREA OLINDA (28-1) vs. TROY (28-2), Friday at Pyramid, 8 p.m.: Brea Olinda has cruised through the playoffs, rolling past La Serna, Norco and El Dorado. Troy advanced to the championship game with victories over California and Tustin before a 56-52 semifinal victory over Bellflower. The game matches Katie Hardemann of Brea Olinda against sister Heidi Hardemann of Troy.

DIVISION II-A, GLENDORA ST. LUCY’S (21-9) vs. COMPTON DOMINGUEZ (26-6), Friday at Pyramid, 6:15 p.m.: St. Lucy’s, an all-girls school, is enjoying a banner winter sports season with the Regents’ soccer team also advancing to a Southern Section championship game. The basketball team is in the final after defeating top-seeded Bishop Amat in the semifinals. Dominguez hopes to make its own mark at a school that boasts the state’s top-ranked boys’ team. The Dons defeated La Verne Bonita, Perris, Redondo Union and Dos Pueblos to reach the final.

DIVISION III-AA, MISSION HILLS ALEMANY (23-6) vs. LA PUENTE (24-1), Saturday at Pyramid, 2:45 p.m.

Alemany is making its sixth championship-game appearance in seven seasons. La Puente is in the final for the first time. Alemany senior Kelli Kobayashi averages 17 points. Sophomore guard Kate Beckler is averaging 25.3 points in the playoffs. La Puente has a 15-game winning streak. Senior guard Erika Olivas, an All-Southern Section pick as a junior, averages 18.5 points. Junior center Perla Sanchez averages 12.5.

DIVISION III-A, NORTH HOLLYWOOD HARVARD WESTLAKE (25-5) vs. MORNINGSIDE (26-5), Friday at Pyramid, 4:30 p.m.: Top-seeded Harvard-Westlake is making its first appearance in a final. Sophomore guard Brooke Porter scored 28 points in a 75-64 semifinal victory over Nordhoff. Morningside defeated Santa Ynez, 43-41, in the semifinals, ending Santa Ynez’s streak of nine consecutive championship-game appearances. Junior forward Kamesha Bell averages 15 points, Acheve Barre 14 for the Monarchs.

DIVISION IV-AA, SANTA ANA CALVARY CHAPEL (24-5) vs. PLAYA DEL REY ST. BERNARD (24-4), Saturday at Pyramid, 1 p.m.: Top-seeded St. Bernard, the defending champion, had a first-round bye, then defeated St. Mary’s and Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, 66-52, to advance to the championship game. No. 2 Calvary Chapel beat San Gabriel Mission, Twentynine Palms and Morro Bay.

DIVISION IV-A, CYPRESS BRETHREN CHRISTIAN (18-10) vs. CERRITOS VALLEY CHRISTIAN (23-6), Saturday at Pyramid, 11:15 a.m.: Brethren Christian was not a seeded team for the playoffs, but the Warriors--who are seeking their first title--advanced with a semifinal victory over top-seeded Santa Monica Crossroads. Valley Christian was the No. 2-seeded team and defeated Loma Linda Academy, St. Bonaventure and Brentwood to reach the final.

DIVISION V-AA, COVINA WESTERN CHRISTIAN (24-3) vs. PALOS VERDES CHADWICK, Saturday at Pyramid, 9:30 a.m.: Western Christian, trying to win back-to-back titles, defeated Cate, Glendale Adventist, La Verne Lutheran and Pilgrim en route to the final. Chadwick defeated Lone Pine, 50-31, in a semifinal Wednesday night at South Torrance High .

DIVISION V-A, SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHRISTIAN (19-3) vs. APPLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN (20-4), Friday at Pyramid, 3 p.m.: Top-seeded Valley Christian defeated Victor Valley Christian, Liberty Christian and Rolling Hills Prep to reach the championship game. Apple Valley Christian has playoff wins over Lake Arrowhead Calvary Chapel, California Lutheran and Baptist Christian.

Correspondent Dave Desmond contributed to this story.