Buena Seems to Be As Good as It Gets

The race is on for No. 2 in the region.

With an all-star lineup, a national ranking and the area’s finest girls’ basketball tradition, Buena High figures to leave the rest in the dust.

“They’re certainly this year’s Dream Team,” said Coach Melissa Hearlihy of traditional power Alemany. “They have a college lineup.”

The Bulldogs enter the season ranked No. 7 in the nation, second in the western region and No. 1 in the San Fernando Valley/Ventura County region by The Times.

With a lineup that includes post players Kelly Greathouse and Courtney LaVere, and swing player Courtney Young, Buena looks nearly unbeatable.

“But it’s a lot different on paper than it is on the floor,” said Coach Joe Vaughan, who has a 584-62 career record at Buena and has reached the Southern Section playoffs every season since they began in 1974. “The bottom line is that we still have to go out and get the job done.”

Buena should get some early tests.

The Bulldogs, who open Tuesday against Agoura, host Alemany, Ventura, Newbury Park, Hart, Camarillo, Highland and Santa Clara next week in the Buena tournament. Each is expected to contend for its league championship.

Later in December, Buena will play in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, which will have several of the nation’s top 20 teams, including No. 1 Harbor City Narbonne.

While the two-time state champions might have their best team, they’re anything but a lock to reach the state Division I final.

Buena would probably have to defeat Narbonne in the Southern California Regional to get there.

“That would be great,” said Greathouse, a 6-foot-3 junior. “We want to play the best.”

With Greathouse and LaVere, a 6-2 sophomore, Buena extended its Channel League winning streak to 66 games last season.

Greathouse was selected to the all-county and state all-sophomore teams after averaging 14.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots.

LaVere averaged 13.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, earning state freshman of the year and freshman All-American honors.

With Greathouse, LaVere, all-league forward Kellie Erickson, a 6-foot senior, and six other returning letter winners from a 25-4 team, Buena was already gearing for a run at its 12th consecutive league title and sixth section championship.

Those expectations got even higher in August when Young transferred from Santa Monica Crossroads.

Young, a 5-10 junior and the region’s most versatile player, was listed by one publication as the No. 2 sophomore in the nation last season, when she averaged 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in leading Crossroads to the state Division V playoffs.

“She’s a pretty talented young lady,” Vaughan said. “She makes a lot of things happen and she makes a lot of other people a lot better.”

After Young’s transfer, one Southland coach said Buena could field a lineup of Greathouse, LaVere, Young and two pianists and still be formidable.

The rest of the Bulldogs were listening.

“They certainly noticed that quote,” Vaughan said. “People are focusing on those three kids in particular, but we have a lot of good players and we’re not going to rely on just those three.”

The Bulldogs have four 6-footers--senior Shelaine Larson is the other--and a young team that won’t need to rebuild any time soon.

Key returners Greathouse, LaVere, Young, guard Lauren Sargent and forward Liz Matthews each have two or more seasons left at Buena, as do starting guard Emily Lewis, up from the junior varsity, and guard Britney Hamilton, a sophomore transfer from Northern California power Orinda Campolindo.

That makes for some very lofty expectations, which is routine for the Bulldogs.

“We face those expectations every year,” Vaughan said. “Hopefully, we can use them as a motivator.”

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: With Division I-bound players Kristen Gleisberg and Alex Gientke, Ventura should have the second-best team in the region but suffers its annual curse--being in the same league as Buena. . . . Swing players Chenne Tuimoloau and Monique Taylor are the primary reasons Channel Islands is optimistic about improving on a 21-8 record. . . . A backcourt that includes New Mexico-bound Sinnamonn Garrett, Kristie Umemoto and Laura Zerebko should propel Crescenta Valley to its fourth consecutive Pacific League championship. . . . Harvard-Westlake, which advanced to the state Division III final last season, must replace graduated Omelogo Udeze, as well as injured Rolake Bamgbose and Erin Stepheson. Guards Brooke Porter and L’Tanya Robnett are a good start. . . . Longtime region power Alemany is looking to overtake Harvard-Westlake in the Mission League and has the region’s top returning scorer--Rice-bound guard Kate Beckler. The Indians are hoping Beckler can add leadership to her scoring touch. With Bamgbose out, junior Karina Siam of Alemany is the best returning post player in the league. . . . Palmdale has dominated the Golden League throughout the 1990s and figures to do the same entering a new decade.

* THE PROMISING: Freshman Shaina Zaidi of Burroughs averaged more than 20 points during the summer and has the Indians thinking about a Foothill League championship. Zaidi and sophomore forward Gracie Coronado translate to a bright future for Burroughs. . . . The Marmonte League is again the region’s deepest and most balanced league. Newbury Park, Royal, Simi Valley, Westlake and defending champion Moorpark are capable of taking the title. Without a superstar, Newbury Park will rely on a balanced effort. Kristen Galbreath is the marquee player at Royal. Sophomore Teresa Cooper, sister of Tawnee Cooper, former Ventura County player of the year, excelled as a scorer last summer. Elise Metcalf should add scoring punch. Tawny Thorp of Westlake averaged 15.5 points as a sophomore. Moorpark must fill the void left by the graduation of Damaris Hinojosa, who is at Pepperdine. No individual player can, but Kristin Nadas and Kelly Geis should combine to fill the scoring void . . . North Hollywood has dominated region City Section play for years, but it will be challenged this season by El Camino Real and Grant. Karen Shun and Christina Aguinaga combined to average 29 points last season and make El Camino Real the favorite in the West Valley League. Grant was successful during a summer schedule that took the Lancers through four states. Returning starters Alexis Weatherspoon and Krystal Clay, both juniors, and senior Leslie Mui could help Grant unseat North Hollywood in the Sunset Six League. North Hollywood has only one starter back from a team that won its 13th league title in 16 seasons: post Richelle Sherman. . . . Oxnard had a strong summer and should challenge Channel Islands in the Pacific View League, thanks to a stifling defense and the experience of seniors Memory Rhone, Michelle Morgan and Sara Wilkins. . . . Returning all-league guard Christina Sanchez and talented freshman guard Amanda Patton make defending Foothill champion Hart difficult to overlook. Guard Eshaya Murphy of Montclair Prep ranks among the region’s top freshmen and could dominate in Division V.

* FAST FACT: Three teams from the region have advanced to the state Division III final in the 1990s--Newbury Park in 1995, Alemany in ’98 and Harvard-Westlake in ’99. Each lost.

The Top 10

Preseason rankings of girls’ basketball teams in the region

Rk Team (League) Last Yr

1. Buena (Channel) 25-4

2. Ventura (Channel) 20-11

3. Alemany (Mission) 20-8

4. Crescenta Valley (Pacific) 22-5

5. Newbury Park (Marmonte) 13-12

6. Channel Islands (Pacific View) 21-10

7. Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 29-6

8. Oxnard (Pacific View) 14-15

9. Royal (Marmonte) 13-11

10. Burroughs (Foothill) 8-15