Davidson Helps Inspire Brea to Win State Title

Lindsey Davidson first went off on her teammates. Then, the Brea Olinda captain went off on her opponents.

Davidson scored half of her 14 points in the fourth quarter and provided the inspiration in a most improbable state championship for Brea Olinda.

The Ladycats overcame an 11-point deficit going into the fourth quarter and beat Pleasanton Amador Valley, 54-51, to win the Division II girls’ basketball title, its record seventh, at Arco Arena.

Brea, ranked No. 2 in the state, trailed by as many as 14 in the third quarter. The Ladycats cut the deficit to three points in a 2 1/2-minute span, only to let Amador Valley’s Mia Fischer go on a 10-2 run to put it at 46-35 going into the fourth.

That’s what set Davidson off in the team’s huddle and, with time running out, set Brea on its winning course.

“I had some words for them that were pretty intense,” Davidson said of her comments in the huddle between the third and fourth quarters. “I said, ‘How bad do you guys want this? We’re 11 points down. Show a little bit of heart.’ And I also said some other words.”

Jeri Costello, who had missed a layup just seconds earlier, scored the game-winning basket with 38 seconds remaining. Stumbling, she took on over-the-shoulder pass from Davidson (after Jill Trader’s steal) and, off-balance put it in.

“I was just thinking, ‘Don’t miss it, don’t miss it,’ ” said Costello (14 points), who will play next season at Long Beach State. “I was thinking about passing it to Jackie [Lord], and then I thought, ‘No, just put it up.’ ”

Costello, who made six of 18 shots, gave Brea a 53-51 lead.

There was still the matter of survival. Fisher (22 points) missed a rushed 10-footer, Jessica Common grabbed the ball but was hit by Fisher, her teammate; the ball popped in the air and Costello grabbed it.

Davidson (14 points, three three-point baskets, five assists) made one of two free throws with 2.9 seconds left.

Tessa Winter’s shot from beyond halfcourt hit the backboard at the buzzer.

Sophomore Jackie Lord and backup guard Jerri Armendariz (five assists, four steals), a senior, scored eight apiece for the Ladycats.

Brea’s title came with Costello playing on a sore knee--she needed a doctor’s permission--starting center Chelsea Trotter (knee), and defensive stopper Robyn Phillips (knee) both unavailable.

It got worse.

Brea’s Kate Ides (three points, five rebounds), at 6 feet 2 inches the best chance the Ladycats had of stopping Amador Valley’s 6-1 Jaysie Chambers (15 points, 19 rebounds), played only eight minutes because of foul trouble. She fouled out with 6:29 to go. Jill Trader, Trotter’s replacement, struggled.

Chambers fouled out with 2:52 left, Brea holding a 50-49 lead after a seven-point Brea run--a Davidson three-pointer, a Jerri Armendariz layup, and Costello’s 15-footer.

The teams were tied at 51 with 1:52 left before Costello missed her a layup, then redeemed herself with the winning shot.

Brea was outrebounded, 44-31. After making only 15 of 48 shots through three quarters, Brea made seven of 12 field goals in the fourth quarter and was three for four from three-point range. Brea was seven for 16 overall on three-point tries.

Ten of Amador Valley’s 27 turnovers were in the fourth quarter against a defense that finally moved its feet, boxed out, and hustled.

The Dons, who shot 37.5% through three quarters, were one for 10 from the field in the fourth.

Brea (32-3) was playing in its eighth state title game, a record. Amador Valley (30-3), ranked seventh in the state, was in its first.

“There’s something magical here--I don’t think [six] state titles in the 1990s is something that will be easily one-upped,” said Brea Coach Jeff Sink. “There’s a lot of pressure playing at Brea, there are a lot of ghosts around the building, but I think we made them proud.”

Ides, Davidson and Jackie Lord (eight points) had three fouls in the first half. Brea played the final 7:45 of the half without Ides, the final 4:46 without Davidson and the final 3:20 without Lord.

It was when Lord left the game, with the score tied at 20, that Brea was left with only one of regular starters, Costello, on the floor. It was then that Amador Valley went on its 11-0 run to close out the half, taking a 31-20 lead.

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Conquering the North

Brea Olinda ran its record to 7-1 in girls’ basketball state championship games after its Division II victory Friday night. Here are the Ladycats’ results in state finals:

1989 Division III: d. San Francisco Mercy, 70-46

1990 Division III: lost to Auburn Placer, 54-43

1991 Division II: d. Hayward Moreau, 54-46

1992 Division III: d. Healdsburg, 47-44

1993 Division II: d. Fair Oaks Bella Vista, 42-41

1994 Division III: d. San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 54-44

1998 Division II: d. Redding Shasta, 51-32

1999 Division II: d. Pleasanton Amador Valley, 54-51