Edison Getting Its Four-Part Act Together

It’s easy to forget now about the Edison girls’ basketball team’s early struggles to play four good quarters. The Chargers were wildly inconsistent for most of this season.

They have put together complete games in four of their last five contests, which include victories over three top-10 teams: El Toro, Mater Dei and Esperanza.

“We had a bad first half against Los Alamitos,” said Coach Dave White, whose team was 7-7 at one point but is currently 12-7. “I think [the players] finally realize they have to play team basketball at both ends of the court. They miss a basket on offense, they can’t pout on defense, they’ve got to make up for it on defense.”

One reason the Chargers were so up-and-down can be blamed on their offensive style. The entire team, including center Michelle Zylstra, attempts a lot of three-point shots. Sisters Rachael and Bianca Ziemann are often shooting at odd angles, and the team doesn’t always look for the best shot as much as the first shot.

But that’s not always a bad thing.

“I would like to see more discipline, but that’s part of our game--we’re helter-skelter,” White said. “Rachael drives in off balance, then dishes back to someone else. We want to push the ball, we want to create the tempo. We’re better in a fast-paced game.”

But, White added, “We’re more disciplined than we were in December.”

A TALE OF TWO FOOTBALL STARS

It was a breakneck-paced week for Mater Dei quarterback Matt Leinert--on the hardwood, that is.

Joining the boys’ basketball team after the Monarchs lost three star players to illness and injury and another two to transfer, Leinert fit seamlessly into the lineup and looked as if he had been playing all season.

Not that Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight gave Leinert much adjustment time. “He went through our walk-through Wednesday and played that night against Servite,” McKnight said.

Leinert, who couldn’t play basketball his freshman and sophomore years because of a shoulder injury, had a rebound and a blocked shot against Santa Margarita on Friday and rounded out the week with a six-rebound, three-steal, two-point performance Saturday against Los Alamitos.

Meanwhile, Brea Olinda standout running back Kenny Washington, a reserve guard on the basketball team, was happy just to see any playing time for the Wildcats.

Washington entered Brea’s blowout victory over Magnolia in the final minute. He drew a foul on a whirling behind-the-back pass and converted one of two free throws.

AN OLYMPIC WINNING STREAK

Calvary Chapel has won 15 consecutive Olympic League games. El Toro had its 23-game league winning streak broken last week against San Clemente. Troy’s streak is at 33. However, those totals fall well short of the county girls’ record, 133, which is held by Brea Olinda in the Orange League. The Ladycats could face the most difficult challenge to the streak in years tonight at Valencia.

The Tigers have two players, Monika Jackley and former Ladycat Michelle Pietka, averaging more than 20 points.

Pietka left Brea for Troy after her sophomore season, and left Troy for Valencia just before this season.

TIGERS’ LITTLE BIG MAN

Valencia senior forward Eric Dixon, only 6 feet tall, proved to be a force for the Tigers’ boys’ basketball team last week.

In a 50-49 victory over Orange League foe Western, Dixon pulled down 17 rebounds and blocked a shot that could have won it for the Pioneers.

Dixon had 19 rebounds in Valencia’s 59-56 overtime loss to Savanna, blocking a shot that could have won the game in regulation for the Rebels.

ANOTHER ASSIST FOR DIXON

Alarms went off in former Heritage Christian guard Alan Dixon’s head last week when a relative informed him The Times reported that Patriot guard Ryan Meyer had broken his single-game assist record with 18 against Rolling Hills Prep.

That was interesting, Dixon thought, since he had once made a county-record 26 assists in a 74-point rout of Baptist Christian during the 1992-93 school year.

It turns out Heritage Christian Coach Mark Berokoff, who reported Meyer’s “record” to The Times, was relying on an incomplete set of team records.

By the way, Dixon’s record places him in a three-way tie for second place in the Southern Section’s single-game assist record, according to the latest information available.

Fred Burnam of Pilgrim holds the record with 27 in a game against Ambassador Christian during the 1994-95 season.

LOOKING AHEAD

In boys’ action Wednesday, Laguna Beach hosts surprising Costa Mesa for a share of the Pacific Coast League lead, and sixth-ranked Marina meets Sunset League rival Esperanza on the Aztecs’ home court, where the Vikings have had trouble winning.

On Friday, in a battle for first runner-up status in the Serra League, Servite plays at Santa Margarita.

In girls’ action tonight, upstart Valencia hosts No. 4 Brea Olinda. On Thursday, Corona del Mar goes on the road to face the preseason favorite in the Pacific Coast League, Costa Mesa, and Rosary and Santa Margarita, battling for an automatic playoff berth from the four-team Serra League, meet at Santa Margarita.

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Staff writer Ben Bolch contributed to this report.

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If you have an item or idea for the prep basketball report, you can fax us at (714)966-5663 or e-mail us at martin.henderson@latimes.com or paul.mcleod@latimes.com or ben.bolch@latimes.com