Verbum Dei, Brea Olinda Chase Repeat Title Shots

The Verbum Dei boys and the Brea Olinda girls will try to reach state basketball championship games for the second consecutive year when they play in Southern California regional finals today.

Regional finals in five boys’ divisions and five girls’ divisions will be played at Cox Arena in San Diego and the Pyramid in Long Beach. Winners advance to the state finals to play Northern California regional champions March 19 and 20 at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Lakewood Artesia plays Santa Ana Mater Dei in the Division I boys’ final at Cox Arena at 8 p.m. Palisades plays Palos Verdes Peninsula in the girls’ Division I final at 6.

Verbum Dei, the defending Division IV boys’ state champion, plays top-seeded San Diego Horizon at 4 p.m. at Cox Arena.

Brea Olinda is the defending girls’ champion in Division II. The Ladycats play Fresno Edison at the Pyramid at 6 p.m.

At Cox Arena: 2 p.m.--Santa Ana Calvary Chapel vs. La Jolla Bishop’s (Div. IV girls). 4 p.m.--Verbum Dei vs. San Diego Horizon (Div. IV boys). 6 p.m.--Palisades vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula (Div. I girls). 8 p.m.-Lakewood Artesia vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei (Div. I boys).

At the Pyramid: 9 a.m.--San Luis Obispo Mission Prep vs. Palos Verdes Chadwick (Div. V girls). 11 a.m.--Oxnard Santa Clara vs. El Cajon Christian (Div. V boys). 1 p.m.--Fullerton Rosary vs. North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (Div. III girls). 3 p.m.--San Dimas vs. Fresno Washington Union (Div. III boys). 6 p.m.--Brea Olinda vs. Fresno Edison (Div. II girls). 8 p.m.--Compton Dominguez vs. Fresno Edison (Div. II boys).