Brea Finishes on High Note

It was a long, circuitous trip to the state final for Brea Olinda.

The Ladycats lost five times in six games at one point. They suffered more defeats than any Ladycat team since 1981. They even lost a Southern Section title, breaking a streak of 11 in a row.

But turmoil turned into triumph at Arco Arena on Friday as the Ladycats won their eighth state title with a 47-34 victory over Pleasanton Amador Valley thanks to an outstanding defensive display.

Brea closed the season by winning 21 of its final 22 games, climaxing with the third consecutive Division II state championship for the most successful girls’ basketball team in state history.

Brea finished the season 29-6. Amador Valley, the team Brea defeated for the 1999 title, finished 26-6.

The unlikely champions, who Coach Jeff Sink called “Chelsea Trotter and four guards” because of injuries, particularly to forward Jill Trader, won this game like they have done so many things this season--the hard way.

Their best defensive player, Robyn Phillips, was in foul trouble one minute into the game.

The Brea defense held Amador Valley’s best player, Mia Fisher, who averaged 24.2 points, to three points in the first half--and still trailed, 19-18. The reason? Brea went the last 5 minutes 14 seconds without a point.

Phillips’ replacement, and the team’s quickest player, freshman Jennifer Katsuyama, sprained her ankle less than two minutes into the second half while scrambling for a rebound.

The offense struggled getting the ball to the 6-foot-3 Trotter, who had only six points through three quarters, and Brea trailed going into the fourth, 30-29.

The same thing happened a week earlier when Brea trailed Redondo Union in the fourth quarter of the regional final before reeling off the first eight points of the quarter. In the state showcase, the Ladycats scored 11 of the first 13.

It didn’t even take that run to convince Brea’s players that the game was theirs.

Holding a 31-30 lead thanks to Daveri Bonnewitz’s eight-footer on the baseline, Ashley Saari buried a 17-footer from the wing, her only points.

“I was wide open,” said Saari, a senior who was on the junior varsity last year. “I never take that shot. I don’t even shoot it in practice.”

Said Sink: “It was big because it was the first outside shot we hit in a long time.”

It was also big because it ignited the Ladycats.

The Dons missed a three-pointer, and Trotter scored on a left-handed layup in transition with 4:40 remaining.

“That clinched the game,” said Phillips, who followed Trotter’s basket by scoring on a rebound. “I knew it was over.”

Phillips knew what she was talking about. Trotter, an All-American who will play at Stanford, closed her high school career with a flourish. After Phillips’ basket gave Brea a 37-32 lead, Trotter scored eight in a row, on a long fast-break assist from Bonnewitz, a move inside, a rebound and two free throws.

Trotter scored 10 in the fourth quarter, giving her a game-high 16 to go with 13 rebounds. She also had two blocks and a steal.

Tara Hefferly, who scored eight in the first quarter, finished with 10 points.

Jackie Lord, who scored seven, had four assists.

And Bonnewitz, a sophomore, had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Brea used its 1-1-3 zone defense, which it used only twice this season--against two of the best players in the country, El Toro’s Giuliana Mendiola and Chino Don Lugo’s Diana Taurasi.

The focus of the defense was Fisher. Phillips shadowed her, and Lord double-teamed every time the 5-foot-10 junior touched the ball.

And then a succession of guards followed, harrying and wearing down Fisher.

“You have to,” Sink said, “because the defense sucks so much energy out of the two guards.”

But Phillips picked up two fouls in the first minute. No problem. Katsuyama, Lindsey Kelly and Saari joined the procession, and they held Fisher in check in the first half.

Fisher finished with 14, thanks to a seven-point third quarter in which Amador Valley built a five-point lead.

“I’ve been really fortunate to coach six great teams at Brea--every one has won a state title or lost in the state semifinals,” Sink said. “But this team, because of its ability to withstand outrageous misfortune and stand tall at the end . . .

“Before the game, I told them, win or lose, they’re truly champions.”

Today, they truly are.

*

DOMINGUEZ GETS TITLE

Compton Dominguez defeats previously unbeaten Newark Memorial, 53-41, for the Division II boys’ title. D9

TWO DOWN

Playa del Rey St. Bernard loses in both the boys’ and girls’ Division IV title games. D9

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Up Next

Today’s high school state basketball championship games, played at Arco Arena in Sacramento:

BOYS

* DIVISION I: Fresno Clovis West (39-2) vs. Concord De La Salle (30-1), 8 p.m.

* DIVISION II: Torrance Bishop Montgomery (27-5) vs. Pleasanton Foothill (29-4), 2:45 p.m.

* DIVISION V: Price (32-1) vs. Hoopa Valley (31-3), 11:15 a.m.

GIRLS

* DIVISION I: Harbor City Narbonne (33-0) vs. Berkeley (29-2), 6 p.m.

* DIVISION III: Torrance Bishop Montgomery (28-3) vs. Petaluma (30-6), 1 p.m.

* DIVISION V: Solana Beach Santa Fe Christian (30-5) vs. San Lorenzo Redwood Christian (24-5), 9:30 a.m.