Game Lives Up to Hype: Brea Beats Narbonne in Overtime

When the state’s top two returning girls’ basketball teams set up Saturday’s game last February, Narbonne Coach James Anderson called it “a mega-game.”

It exceeded the hype.

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

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

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

Davidson, who finished with 26 points, hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds left that gave Brea (17-3), third-ranked in the state and No. 1 in Orange County, an 83-77 lead. A 30-foot banked 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 just short on her shot from half court 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. This was their last chance to prove conclusively they are the best team in the state.

“Last year, Narbonne said Brea didn’t want to play them,” said Davidson, who heard all the rhetoric last season before the teams scheduled this home-and-home series. “We don’t dodge anybody.”

The game matched defending state champions, because Brea won the Division II title last season.

“It’s not D-1, it’s not D-2, but it’s some weird, higher level,” said Jeff Sink, who said it might have been the biggest victory in his five seasons as Ladycat coach.

It was almost Brea’s second loss of the season to Narbonne, which was ranked first (and Brea second) when the Gauchos won a matchup at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, 50-48, on a basket with six seconds remaining.

In that game, Brea lost a seven-point lead with 3:09 left. Similarly, Brea squandered a seven-point lead with 2:37 remaining, committing four turnovers down the stretch. Davidson, who missed a critical layup in the final seconds of that loss, made two free throws Saturday with 29.1 seconds remaining that tied the score and prevented Brea from suffering the same fate in regulation. Trotter also had a big steal with 16 seconds to go.

“I thought we were going to lose,” Trotter admitted, given the momentum swing that came with Narbonne outscoring Brea, 26-15, in the fourth quarter. “They were playing their game and we were turning the ball over.”

Then, Trotter took the game into her hands.

Loree Moore scored 22 for Narbonne, and Kate Ides had 12 before fouling out with 5:10 left in regulation.