Calvary Chapel vs. Atherton Sacred Heart Prep

Where--Arco Arena, Sacramento, 9:15 a.m.

Calvary Chapel (28-5)--The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the state in this division. They have won 23 consecutive games, pulling out close victories recently that will help them against Sacred Heart. Calvary Chapel defeated Santa Monica Crossroads, 45-43, for the Southern Section Division IV-A title, and defeated La Jolla The Bishop’s, 46-43, to win the Southern California title. Calvary Chapel also beat the defending state champion, Playa del Rey St. Bernard, 63-62, in the section semifinals--a victory that gave the Eagles enormous confidence. Cathy Joens has averaged 25 points in her last five games and will be the best player on the floor, but will draw the most attention from Sacred Heart’s defense. T.J. Gause and Michelle Pitts, the Eagles’ top defensive players, have had terrific postseasons guarding their opponents’ best players. Calvary Chapel wants an up-tempo game that will take advantage of a deep bench. If the Eagles can’t dictate their pace, score in transition and wear down the Gators, they’ll need to run their offense precisely, be alert, focused and disciplined. Sacred Heart is well-known for its defense away from the ball and its weak-side help. Shayna Fabre (8.2 points) provides scoring potential off the bench, but the outcome could be decided inside where freshman Lindsey Richelli faces a seasoned junior, Courtney Laird (9.4 points, 9.5 rebounds).

Sacred Heart (29-6)--The Gators’ remarkably successful decade includes four consecutive state titles, 1993-96, in Division V (1993, ‘96) and Division I (1994, ‘95). A fifth title will move the Gators into second all-time (behind Brea Olinda) for girls’ championships. They breezed to the Central Coast Section title, their seventh in eighth years, with a 63-18 victory over Santa Catalina. Alexandra Lamprell, the Gators’ only senior, averaged 10.9 points and 7.3 rebounds. Laird and junior guard Ashley Hallsted (9.9 points) add to a modest but balanced scoring attack. Sacred Heart doesn’t score many points but doesn’t have to--15 times the Gators have held teams under 30 points. Since a 4-4 start, they have won 25 of 27 with losses by one and three points to San Francisco St. Ignatius, a team Sacred Heart also defeated twice in the Girls’ Private School League. The half-court defense concentrates on smothering opponents, and Janessa Jurian draws the task of harassing Joens. The Gators have so much confidence in their defense, they feel holding Joens under 25 points should be good enough to win.

Key to the game--Assuming Joens gets her points--and no one has stopped her--Calvary Chapel’s fortunes still rest with the supporting cast. The Eagles must get an additional 15 points or it may not be enough; they had 17 in the Southern California final, a 46-43 victory.

Starting Lineups

CALVARY CHAPEL

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P Name Ht. Avg. F T.J. Gause 5-8 6.1 C Lindsey Richelli 6-1 4.2 G Michelle Pitts 5-8 10.1 G Cathy Joens 5-10 17.9 G Marcene Guerrero 5-8 11.6

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Coach: Russ McClurg

SACRED HEART

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P Name Ht. Avg. F Alexandra Lamprell 5-10 10.9 F Janessa Jurian 5-9 3.4 C Courtney Laird 6-3 9.4 G Ashley Hallsted 5-6 9.9 G Melissa Bayol 5-2 5.9

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Coach: Lamont Quattlebaum