Brethren Christian Doesn’t Stray From Game Plan in 50-39 Win

Preparation is something Brethren Christian has become very careful about during the girls’ basketball playoffs. Everything, including how the Warriors line up for pregame introductions, is gone over thoroughly.

In Tuesday’s first round of the Division IV regionals, Brethren Christian again stayed within its game plan and defeated Woodlake, 50-39, at the Warrior Center.

“There’s no secret to our game, everyone who plays us knows what we’re going to do,” Brethren Christian Coach Kim Harris said. “What you see is very prepared.”

The Warriors’ strategy is to rely on Cindy Oparah for most of the offense and let 6-foot-4 center Rachel MacDonald take care of the boards. Oparah did her part, making 14 of 26 field-goal attempts and scoring 30 points. MacDonald contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Oparah, who also had 12 rebounds and five steals, scored 16 points in the first half as the Warriors built an 11-point lead.

Woodlake (18-10), the Central Section runner-up, made only four of 27 shots in the first half.

Brethren Christian (20-10) extended its lead to 16 as Oparah scored 10 of the Warriors’ 11 points in the third quarter.

The Tigers scored the first seven points of the fourth to cut the lead to nine, but Dana Milne made an open jumper, her only points of the game, to stop Woodlake’s run.

In the Warriors’ upset over top-seeded Santa Monica Crossroads in the Southern Section Division IV-A semifinals, Milne also made her only basket during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter.

“Milne’s basket was a good example of everyone knowing their roles,” Harris said.

In another Division IV game:

Corcoran 69, Calvary Chapel 64--Calvary Chapel’s Cathy Joens (30 points) missed a three-pointer with 11 seconds left that would have tied the score.

Veranda James scored 27 points for Corcoran (27-6), which outscored Calvary Chapel, 22-17, in the fourth quarter. Calvary Chapel finishes 24-7.