STRETCH DRIVE

Foothill High’s girls’ basketball team hung tough against Brea Olinda for 2 1/2 quarters in a Southern Section final last season. But after becoming another notch on Brea’s belt, Foothill Coach Ty Watkins decided to do something about it.

He made sure the Knights were exposed to competition that would better prepare them for the playoffs.

Tough competition.

The Knights’ record, 19-7, isn’t as flashy as their 23-3 mark going into the playoffs last year, but they’ve at least been battle-tested as they try to end Brea’s streak of 11 consecutive section titles.

Foothill’s move is part of a trend among the county’s best teams, who aggressively scheduled the most difficult opponents they could find, hoping big-game experience would pay dividends with a section or state title.

Troy bought into the idea with big bills. It was criticized last season for playing only one team from the county’s top 10, and padding its record against weak opponents. In December 1998, Troy beat San Clemente, ranked second at the time, by 17 points, then lost to the Tritons in the second round of the playoffs, 55-49. Troy finished 27-1, but was humiliated; meanwhile, San Clemente, 19-8 going into the playoffs, reached the Division I-A final.

Lesson learned.

Coach Kevin Kiernan upgraded Troy’s schedule, and his team faced more high-quality opponents in a two-week period this past December than it had in the previous several years.

“It’s totally helped us,” Kiernan said. “We’re so much better because of it. And I want to step it up even more next year. I’d like to play Brea. I want to play [the nation’s top-ranked team, Harbor City] Narbonne.”

Brea and Mater Dei have long believed that tougher nonleague competition benefits them in the big picture--section and state playoffs. Mater Dei was only 13-13 in 1997-98, but defeated the top-seeded team, Cerritos, in the second round.

“This is not the cakewalk schedule like we had last year,” Foothill’s Watkins said in December before playing San Clemente. “This will prove to us exactly what we need to do and where we need to go.”

Whether it worked will be determined in the next few weeks.

DIVISION I

AA: Third-seeded El Toro reached the final last season, and with 6-foot-3 Carrie Twaddell in the post, the Chargers have a dimension they previously lacked. With Giuliana Mendiola, the county’s leading scorer, they won’t be out of any game--not even against No. 1 Chino Hills Ayala or No. 2 Lynwood. . . . Fourth-seeded Esperanza, beaten at the buzzer by El Toro in December, plays extremely well on defense. Effective shooting and balanced scoring will be critical to its chances. . . . Irvine’s size and perimeter shooting are pluses, but the Vaqueros haven’t seen top-level competition and, after beginning 14-0, lost four of their last 12 games. . . . Westminster and Capistrano Valley, always a pain in the neck defensively, could provide upsets if overlooked.

A: Girls’ basketball titles are won with guards and defense, and second-seeded Troy has both as it tackles the section’s toughest division and top-seeded Riverside North. . . . Ventura defeated perennial power Buena twice, has been seeded third and could meet Edison in a quarterfinal. A coin flip for home-court advantage could prove pivotal in that matchup. . . . Connecticut-bound Diana Taurasi of Chino Don Lugo could face Troy in a quarterfinal, but is expected to face defending champion Moreno Valley in the third round. . . . Fourth-seeded San Clemente learned how to win this season with new players after reaching the finals the past two years. The Tritons’ only losses were to Troy, El Toro and Foothill, teams San Clemente has also defeated. . . . Mater Dei is a longshot, but not without hope. Though missing guard Kyra Melville, who has a torn knee ligament, the Monarchs have Lindsay Pavlik back in the lineup, preventing possible mismatches in the post. Pavlik has recovered from a dislocated shoulder. Their problem? They would face North, a team that has owned them in recent years, in a quarterfinal.

DIVISION II

AA: The common wisdom is that only No. 1 Brea Olinda and No. 2 Foothill, which played each other for the section and regional titles last season, can win the division. Brea has been outstanding recently in big games, but could be vulnerable in the semifinals if it gets caught looking ahead. . . . Two teams present intriguing possibilities. Valencia split with No. 4 Norco and, unlike most teams, has two legitimate scorers, Monika Jackley and Michelle Pietka. The other is Santa Margarita, which has played well lately and could meet Norco in a quarterfinal.

A: Despite the best efforts of Megan Aaker, Laguna Hills has its work cut out. However, the Hawks could be a force if they perform as they did in last week’s overtime loss to Irvine. . . . Second-seeded La Puente Bishop Amat, the defending champion, eliminated Laguna Hills last season, 74-38. . . . If overlooked by No. 1 Pasadena Muir, Pacifica might spring a surprise. . . . Newbury Park is seeded third, Los Altos is fourth.

DIVISION III

AA: Top-seeded Mission Hills Alemany and Torrance Bishop Montgomery are favored, and last year’s top-seeded team from Division III-A, North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, is No. 3. . . . Fourth-seeded Rosary won last year’s Division III-AA title, prepared itself with a tough schedule and has four starters back. Bridget O’Connell has played well inside and Jen Farner has been consistent, complementing leading scorer Maggie Barnett. . . . Corona del Mar is probably a year away from being a contender, but its full-court pressure might spark an upset.

DIVISION IV

A: Top-seeded Playa del Rey St. Bernard is a heavy favorite. Second-seeded Calvary Chapel, defending champion and state finalist, has big-game experience but got the division’s toughest draw. . . . Orange Lutheran is a viable challenger to third-seeded San Pedro Mary Star after finishing third in the Olympic League.

DIVISION V

AA: The top two teams from the Academy League, Downey Calvary Chapel and Capistrano Valley Christian, are seeded first and fourth. . . . Second-seeded Brethren Christian lost to Calvary Chapel by five points in Calvary Chapel’s tournament in early December, but should be improved since playing a tough Olympic League schedule.

A: The lone county team, Liberty Christian, lost twice to Express League rival (and second-seeded) Rolling Hills Prep, but is in the opposite bracket. The bad news is Liberty Christian could face No. 1 L.A. Pilgrim in the third round.