Brea Olinda Girls Beat Narbonne, 83-80

When the top two returning girls’ basketball programs set up Saturday’s game 50 weeks ago, Narbonne Coach James Anderson called it “a mega-game.”

Anderson is a prophet.

Brea Olinda and Narbonne turned it into the unofficial state championship, and it will be hard to find a better contest when the playoffs begin.

Junior Chelsea Trotter scored seven of Brea’s 10 points in overtime to lead the Ladycats to an 83-80 victory over Narbonne in front of more than 2,000 at Brea Olinda.

Trotter finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds, and senior Lindsey Davidson added the dagger that put away the Gauchos (17-3).

Davidson finished with 26 points and two free throws with 14.8 seconds that provided defending Division II state champion Brea (17-3) an insurmountable lead, 83-77.

A 30-foot three-point basket by Lisa Willis (17 points) cut the deficit to 83-80, and the Gauchos got another chance when Brea’s Jerri Armendariz missed two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining.

But Latasha O’Keith was short on her shot from halfcourt at the buzzer.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Trotter said. “In our minds, it was the biggest game of the year.”

It was the biggest game of the year for Narbonne, too. The Gauchos won the Division I state title last season, but vacated it after going on probation for using ineligible players.