Top Teams Face Each Other in Division I-A Bracket

In the early rounds of the Southern Section playoffs, it will be hard to venture far from the top bracket of the Division I-A schedule.

There, in the second round, the only unbeaten team in the section, Troy, will probably play last season’s section finalist, San Clemente.

The winner could meet the top-seeded team, Riverside North.

And that game’s winner will probably play the defending champion, Marina, or the team coached by the state’s winningest coach, Ventura Buena’s Joe Vaughn.

All of which created a little grumbling when the pairings were announced for Thursday’s playoffs.

“[North] should be getting the easiest draw and their bracket is the hardest,” San Clemente Coach Mary Mulligan said. “North got that seed because [Chino] Don Lugo lost last week and Don Lugo has an easier draw.”

Mulligan had company.

“We went 26-0,” Troy Coach Kevin Kiernan said, “and we might as well have been 20-12.”

Esperanza, the third-place team from the Sunset League--usually regarded among the best leagues in the section--must play a wild-card game just to advance the first round.

“Usually the Sunset League is highly thought of and for some reason, this year it’s not,” Coach Marc Hill said. “We’ve been blessed the last few years, and this year we didn’t get the draw I was expecting.”

DIVISION I-AA

Defending champion: Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Top teams: Peninsula (21-4), El Toro (19-4), Chino Hills Ayala (23-4), Rialto Eisenhower (23-4).

Dark horse: Chino (18-10) is coming off last week’s 53-50 victory over Chino Don Lugo, which was ranked No. 1 in Division I-A. If Chino builds on that performance, it might be a handful for Peninsula in the quarterfinals.

Top players: Candice Allen (Ayala), Jaline Bradley (Channel Islands), Breana Dyer (Long Beach Poly), Allison Gerber (Esperanza), Lara Hanson (Peninsula), Nicole Howard (Dana Hills), Raquel Johnson (Diamond Bar), Natalie Kelly (Peninsula), Dawn McCullouch (Long Beach Wilson), Giuliana Mendiola (El Toro), Gioconda Mendiola (El Toro), Tara Moore (Westminster), Kim Omer (Esperanza), Kristin Peters (Esperanza), Aprile Powell (Century), Amy Rikimaru (El Toro), Janeka Webster (Eisenhower), Rachel Woodward (Murrieta Valley).

Notes: Coach Dick Katz was thankful Westminster’s final Golden West League game was changed from Thursday to Friday last week. The Lions (21-5) defeated Tustin, after blowing an 18-point lead against Rosary earlier in the week. “We lucked out,” Katz said. “We weren’t recovered emotionally on Thursday, and [Tustin 6-2 post Jessie] Cooper couldn’t play on Friday [because of a volleyball commitment] but could have played on Thursday.” . . . Things should be back to normal for the Lions. “We really don’t worry about other teams,” Katz said. “Our style doesn’t change. We press hard, we shoot freely. If the other team can handle those things, we might be in trouble. We’re not big enough, dominant enough, to play at half-speed and still win.” . . . Westminster’s first-round opponent, Alhambra, is led by junior guards 5-foot-6 Allison Welsh (18 points, 8 rebounds) and 5-3 Ashley Quan (13 points). . . . Should Diamond Bar (21-6) get past Eisenhower in the first round, it could play Westminster in the quarterfinals. Diamond Bar defeated Westminster, 56-55, earlier this season. . . . Dana Hills will set a school record for victories with 19 if it beats Bell Gardens in a wild-card game. Coach Shawn Mulligan isn’t bothered by playing El Toro in the first round. “All we have to do is stop the Mendiolas,” he said. “At least we know what we’re up against.” . . . Esperanza Coach Marc Hill isn’t thrilled about playing a wild-card game. Among the Aztecs’ victories is a 49-42 win over Diamond Bar. “And we beat Chino, which beat Don Lugo.” Like Mulligan, he isn’t fretting over playing El Toro in the second round. “If they shoot themselves out of the game, we could beat them,” he said. Century (22-3) has the best record in its quarter bracket, which includes second-seeded El Toro. . . . Century’s Powell is the only Centurion averaging double figures in scoring. . . . Ayala has lost to such powers as Brea (72-46), Don Lugo (50-47) and Mater Dei (64-41). . . . Long Beach Poly, which plays Century in the first round, has four players averaging at least 10 points, led by 5-10 sophomore Breana Dyer (15.2). It should be a good matchup because Poly has two players over 6 feet to battle Powell, 6-0 Shawnda Ruffin (12 points) and 6-2 Montoya Whitfield (11 points). . . . Celina Robles is averaging 12.2 points for Bell Gardens, Dana Hills’ wild-card opponent.

DIVISION I-A

Defending champion: Marina.

Top teams: Riverside North (24-2), Chino Don Lugo (25-3), Edison (22-5), Ventura Buena (22-3).

Dark horse: Troy (26-0) is the section’s only unbeaten team. It won’t be easy for the Warriors with likely matchups against San Clemente in the second round and North in the quarterfinals, but their aggressive defense will test their opponents.

Top players: Kristen Arnold (Troy), Caludine Auld (Corona), LaKiste Barkus (Cerritos), Debby Caine (San Clemente), Karyn Fierst (Marina), Sinnamonn Garrett (La Crescenta Crescenta Valley), Kelly Greathouse (Buena), Katie Hardeman (Troy), Kandace Hunter (Moreno Valley), Veronica Johns-Richardson (Troy), Allison Libeu (Edison), Chanda McLeod (Marina), Mary Myllkoski (Royal), Christina Patterson (Edison), Teresa Russell (Royal), Stephanie Schilling (Troy), Diana Taurasi (Chino Don Lugo), Colleen Turnbull (San Clemente), Maile Shimoda (Mater Dei), Karri Westphan (Alhambra Mark Keppel), Lisa Willett (Santa Barbara), Michelle Zylstra (Edison).

Notes: Troy goes into the playoffs with a 26-game winning streak and the distinction of being the section’s only unbeaten team. “All year long, we talked about the big picture,” Coach Kevin Kiernan said. “We weren’t looking at 26-0. Our theme in the playoffs is ‘no regrets,’ play hard, emotional, as intense as we can. If we think about the winning streak, we’ll get popped in the second round.” Troy reached the Division II-AA finals last season, losing to Brea. “There’s potential for disaster left and right,” he said. “Last year, the finals were tough, but the road to the finals wasn’t as tough.” After the first round, Troy will likely have to beat San Clemente, North and Buena or Marina to reach the finals. . . . Troy played none of the section’s ranked teams in Division I, and none ranked higher than No. 5 in Division II-AA in amassing its unbeaten mark. But the Warriors will certainly have a chance to prove their worth given their bracketing. “If they go to the finals, they’ll deserve it,” Laguna Hills Coach Jim Martin said. . . . Maybe the only team in the division with a tougher road to the finals than Troy is San Clemente, which lost to Troy, 56-39. . . .The best player in the division is probably Don Lugo’s Taurasi (28 points, 13.6 rebounds), who made the winning basket in the last three seconds in four consecutive games in the tournament of Champions Gold Division. Taurasi is a 5-11 guard. Teammate Crystal Baird (9.9 points, 8.8 rebounds) is a 6-4 center. Both are juniors. . . . Edison has already played top-seeded North. The Chargers lost, 52-35. . . . North also has Mater Dei’s number. The Monarchs have lost five times, three to North. . . . North Torrance (16.7) plays Mater Dei in the first round. Senior guard Kari Duperron, who transferred from Woodbridge to play for the team coached by her father, Gary, averaged 16.7 points.

DIVISION II-AA

Defending champion: Brea Olinda.

Top teams: Brea Olinda (24-3), Moorpark (21-2), Foothill (23-3), Norco (22-4).

Dark horse: Compton Dominguez won the Division II-A title last season, but had chemistry problems this season, according to one coach. “If they put it together,” he said, “they’re clearly one of the better teams in the bracket.”

Top players: Perla Bautista (Whittier), Brook Brown (Tustin), Chavaughn Brown (Foothill), Jameka Carter (Cerritos Gahr), Monica Curiel (Los Amigos), Brandi Davis (Sonora), Sarah Fister (Sonora), Heather Hansen (Norco), Lillian Hewko (Sonora), Damaris Hinojosa (Moorpark), Cathy Lee (Torrance), Kristen Mann (Foothill), Valerie Matweeff (El Modena), Meghan O’Neill (Canyon), Sydney Patten (El Dorado), Stephanie Reupena (Santiago), April Ross (Newport Harbor), Sheni Russel (Riverside Ramona), Cortney Smith (El Dorado), Kristen Urban (Newport Harbor), Carly Wade (El Dorado), Lyndsay Weaver (Cypress), Jacky Williams (Foothill).

Notes: Brea’s narrow victory over El Toro might have been good for the Ladycats. “After beating [Harbor City] Narbonne [the top-ranked team in the state], it was like, ‘OK, we’re good,’ ” Brea’s Chelsea Trotter said. “We didn’t expect El Toro to play as well as they did. Now it’s like, ‘OK, we’re beatable.’ ” . . . Brea has a bye into the second round, where it could face El Dorado. “If we lose to Brea,” Golden Hawk Coach Wayne Carlson said, “we can say we lost to the state champion three years in a row.” El Dorado lost to Brea last season and Laguna Hills the year before. He’s expecting Brea to add its seventh state title this season. . . . Foothill Coach Ty Watkins says Foothill is playing its best defensive basketball of the season right now. . . . Moorpark’s only loss was to Channel Islands, 60-52. Two seasons ago, Moorpark was beaten by Brea for the section title, then lost to state champion Laguna Hills in the state tournament. One of the outstanding players on that team, Hinojosa, returns. She averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds. . . . Compton has five players averaging at least 10 points, including Hazel Woods (14.8) and Stacee Smith (13.3). . . . Newport Harbor played El toro tough in their last matchup before the Chargers pulled away in the second half. . . . Redondo Union is a longshot, but played Division I power Peninsula in two tough games, losing 55-44 and 54-47. . . . Tustin’s first-round opponent, Temescal Canyon, is led by 5-11 guard Paloma Bonilla (22.5 points, 10.6 rebounds).

DIVISION II-A

Defending champion: Compton Dominguez.

Top teams: La Puente Bishop Amat (22-2), Bellflower (21-3), Culver City 23-3), Santa Margarita (17-9).

Dark horse: Glendora St. Lucy’s (11-9) finished third in a league that features two much larger schools, Chino Hills Ayala (seeded third in I-A) and Diamond Bar (21-6, playing in I-AA). St. Lucy’s also has the benefit of going through the bracket of the fourth-seeded team, Santa Margarita.

Top players: Debbie Baeder (Bolsa Grande), Diana Barreras (Pacifica), Daniell Bennett (Santa Margarita), Allison Box (Bishop Amat), Anne Bubriski (Laguna Hills), Venessa Ferragamo (Santa Margarita), Diana Fukushima (La Habra), Monika Jackley (Valencia), Alexa Johnson (Los Altos), Trecha Kennedy (Culver City), Shannon Owens (Laguna Hills), Bianca Parks (Norwalk Glenn), Shyrah Thomas (Culver City), Shannon Wosman (Bishop Amat).

Notes: Santa Margarita Coach Rich Schaaf was hoping to be seeded second or third, though he probably would have settled for sixth or seventh “to keep away from Bishop Amat as long as possible.” Schaaf said three of the better teams (including his) are in the upper half of the bracket (along with St. Lucy’s). “Not to take away from the bottom bracket,” Schaaf said, “but I saw some of their scores against the top teams.” . . . Box (16.7 points) and Wosman (15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds) are the heart of top-seeded Bishop Amat. Wosman is a 6-4 forward, Box a 5-11 guard. Both are seniors. . . . Thomas is averaging 18 points and Kennedy 16 for Culver City. Both are junior guards. . . . Fukushima (12 points) and Ranay Dato are the only La Habra players averaging as many as seven points. . . . Johnson (Los Altos) averaged 25.3 points. . . . Pacifica has three players averaging in double figures, Barreras (17.2), Dominique Valencia (13.5) and Kristin Tompkins (11). Barreras and Valencia are juniors. . . . For La Habra to advance, the Highlanders will probably have to contain Mary Steffens (17.2 points, 9.5 rebounds).

DIVISION III-AA

Defending champion: Mission Hills Alemany.

Top teams: Rosary (19-8), Pomona Ganesha (24-3), Mission Hills Alemany (18-7), La Canada (17-7).

Dark horse: Pomona (16-10) might be a better choice on the floor, but Brawley (15-4) could use its isolation to its advantage. The Wildcats have a bye into the second round and will host a second-round game, probably against fourth-seeded La Canada (a 203-mile one-way trip). Then, winning a coin flip, Brawley could host Rosary in the semifinals.

Top players: Cortney Adams (La Canada), Maggie Barnett (Rosary), Kate Beckler (Alemany), Carla Berumen (Santa Paula), Romina Bollini (Rosary), Veronica Jimenez (Brawley), Sara Kolbeck (Santa Paula), Veranda James (Ganesha), Tamara Quinn (Torrance Bishop Montgomery), Angie Thomas (Ganesha).

Notes: Last week’s victory over Westminster went a long way toward improving Rosary’s confidence. “We needed a win over a tough team to prove to ourselves we could do it,” said guard Maggie Barnett. “It shows that we can finish a game and win--it’s a great way to go into the playoffs.” . . . Seven of Rosary’s losses were to teams in the county’s top 10 poll and the other, Huntington Beach, eventually reached the top 10. The Royals’ largest margin of defeat was 11 points. . . . Alemany won a section title last season and though not the favorite this year, could return next season. Beckler, a 5-8 junior guard, is averaging 21.6 points, while Siam, a 5-11 sophomore forward, is averaging 10. . . . Rosary in the second round could face Gabrielino, led by Denise Vargas (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Desiree Gonzales (10 points). . . . Ganesha has inside/outside threats with James, 6-2 center, and Thomas, a guard; both average more than 20 points. Next highest average on the team is 5.3 points.

DIVISION III-A

Defending champion: North Hollywood Harvard Westlake.

Top teams: Harvard Westlake (23-4), Inglewood Morningside (18-9), Costa Mesa (17-10), Santa Ynez (13-10).

Dark horse: Ojai Nordhoff (12-14) gets a bye into the second round, where it will probably host Costa Mesa. Like Brawley, it might be able to use the travel distance to its advantage.

Top players: Rolake Bamgbose (Harvard Westlake), Kamesha Bell (Morningside), Lauren Cassity (Estancia), Francia Diaz (Estancia), Jenny Earnest (Costa Mesa), Carrie Frazier (San Jacinto), Nancy Hatsushi (Costa Mesa), Sarah McClurg (Santa Ynez), Fatima Palaez (Pasadena Blair), Evelyn Powers (Costa Mesa), Amber Reed (Azusa), Christen Roper (Ojai Nordhoff), Autumn Smith (Costa Mesa), Lisa Steinfeld (Estancia), Setsu Takemoto (Azusa), Omelogo Udeze (Harvard Westlake).

Notes: Costa Mesa is seeded third, but plays a first-round game. Its second-round opponent, Ojai Nordhoff, has a bye because it won the Imperial League title. Mustang Coach Jim Weeks thinks the extra game is an advantage. “I don’t know if we’re an underdog,” he said, “but we can get over the initial nervousness of playing in the playoffs. You can’t help but be nervous.” A similar situation happened in 1990, and Costa Mesa defeated Bellflower on the way to the section title. . . . Estancia could play Morningside in the second round. . . . Harvard Westlake has four players averaging double digits in scoring, including Udeze, a 6-2 senior post player averaging 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. Twice during Mission League play the Wolverines defeated Alemany, the third-seeded team in Division III-AA.