Buena Prepares for Toughest Test

What California power shortage?

Two of the three best girls’ basketball teams in the nation are from the Southland and there will be plenty of electricity when they meet tonight in the biggest game in region history.

Buena High (22-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation by several polls, hosts No. 3 Harbor City Narbonne (18-2), the defending national champion, in an 8 p.m. game that has been sold out for weeks.

The game will feature four All-Americans and many intriguing subplots:

Guards Courtney Young of Buena and Loree Moore of Narbonne have committed to NCAA power Tennessee, part of the nation’s top recruiting class.

Buena post players Kelly Greathouse, a 6-foot-3 senior committed to North Carolina State, and 6-2 junior Courtney LaVere are also nationally recognized.

The Gauchos will counter with a rotation of five 6-footers, including top scorers Wilnett Crockett, Indi Johnson and Jamie Funn, to wear down Greathouse and LaVere.

Johnson, Moore and Lisa Willis were starters on last season’s 34-0 team that captured City Section, state and national titles.

Greathouse, Young, LaVere, senior guard Lauren Sargent and junior point guard Emily Lewis started for Buena last season, and on Thursday helped the Bulldogs claim a share of their 13th consecutive Channel League title and 24th in 25 seasons.

“We have athleticism, but they’re definitely more athletic than we are,” said Greathouse, Buena’s career scoring leader. “I’d say we have more experience. Their youth will hopefully be to our advantage.”

The Gauchos’ defeats came against Lynwood, 46-36, in an opener that ended their winning streak at 44 games, and to nationally ranked Christ the King of New York, 65-60, in overtime.

“The most important thing to us isn’t to win this game, but to win our last game,” Narbonne Coach James Anderson said, referring to the state championship. “If we don’t do that, we definitely won’t achieve our goals.”

Last season, there was much anticipation of a Narbonne-Buena matchup, but it never materialized.

Buena, which entered last season ranked No. 7 in the nation, lost to Copperas Cove, Texas, at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, one game short of meeting Narbonne in the final.

The Bulldogs also were upset by Cerritos in the third round of the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs, ending any chance of Buena and Narbonne meeting in the Southern Regional.

These teams have met only once before, in the 1997 Southern California Regional semifinals. Narbonne won, 60-55, at Buena in a game that ended in controversy.

Nicole Greathouse, Kelly’s sister, was ejected with three minutes left and Narbonne leading, 50-47, after she made consecutive clutch baskets and thrust her hands in the air in exaltation. Nicole was called for a technical foul, her fifth personal foul of the game.

“It took me a year to write a letter to the state CIF about it, I was so disillusioned,” said Vaughan, who has won two state championships and is the state’s winningest coach. “That was a crusher.”

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Girls’ Basketball Game of the Year

BUENA (22-0) vs. NARBONNE (18-2)

At Buena High, 8 o’clock tonight

Tickets sold out

ROSTERS / BUENA BULLDOGS

*--*

No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 20 Amy Glassman G/F 5-8 So. 21 Emily Lewis* G 5-6 Jr. 22 Sarah Evans G 5-6 Jr. 23 Shannon Antunez G/F 5-7 So. 24 Courtney Young* G/F 5-10 Sr. 25 Tisha Duran G 5-4 So. 31 Tiana Hatter F 5-10 Sr. 32 Amy Smith F 5-6 Jr. 33 Lauren Sargent* G 5-7 Sr. 40 Emily Buck C 6-2 Jr. 41 Courtney LaVere* C/F 6-2 Jr. 42 Kelly Greathouse* C/F 6-3 Sr.

*--*

* Projected starter

Coach: Joe Vaughan (26th season)

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Scoring

Kelly Greathouse 22.1

Courtney Young 17.7

Courtney LaVere 13.6

Rebounding

Kelly Greathouse 11.9

Courtney LaVere 6.8

Assists

Courtney Young 4.9

Emily Lewis 3.8

Steals

Courtney Young 3.5

Emily Lewis 3.3

Blocked Shots

Kelly Greathouse 2.4

Courtney LaVere 2.2

SEASON LOG

BUENA (22-0)

Ranked No. 1 in nation by USA Today

60 Agoura 48

109 Highland 14

95 Alemany 34

75 Hart 28

82 Ventura 51

64 Royal 31

78 Chino Hills Ayala 40

64 Los Altos Pinewood 48

65 San Jose Archbishop Mitty 46

69 Redondo Union 32

65 Madison West, Wis. 41

53 Osseo, Minn. 46

46 Janesville Parker, Wis. 35

70 Ventura 41

85 Oxnard 41

73 San Marcos 47

74 Harvard-Westlake 40

86 Dos Pueblos 40

66 Santa Barbara 45

68 Ventura 59

84 Oxnard 49

76 San Marcos 26

ROSTERS / NARBONNE GAUCHOS

*--*

No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 1 Camille Lenoir G 5-6 Fr. 3 Daisy Newell G 5-7 Sr. 4 Indi Johnson* F 6-2 So. 5 Wilnett Crockett F 6-2 Jr. 10 Tera Cruz* G 5-7 Sr. 11 Loree Moore* G 5-9 Sr. 12 Monee Perry G 5-9 Sr. 15 Lisa Turner G 5-9 Jr. 21 Camille Brox G 5-6 So. 23 Amber Fouse G 5-8 Jr. 34 Amber Pruitt F 6-0 Jr. 40 Lisa Willis* G 5-10 Jr. 41 Jamie Funn* F 6-3 So. 42 Ronesha Williams F 6-1 Jr.

*--*

*Projected starter

Coach: James Anderson (Ninth season)

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Scoring

Wilnett Crockett 10.8

Loree Moore 10.7

Jamie Funn 9.1

Rebounding

Wilnett Crockett 6.4

Loree Moore 6.2

Assists

Loree Moore 6.6

Steals

Loree Moore 5.6

Blocked shots

Jamie Funn 2.1

SEASON LOG

NARBONNE (18-2)

Ranked No. 3 in nation by USA Today

36 Lynwood 46

80 Corona Centennial 17

70 Irvine 47

58 Brea Olinda 44

59 Hanford 55

57 Hart County, Ky. 43

60 Upperman, Tenn. 50

54 Mountain View, Utah 47

56 Hanford 54

86 Southern Durham, N.C. 39

60 N.Y. Christ the King 65

102 Banning 8

108 San Pedro 18

86 Washington 31

74 Gardena 53

72 Carson 38

98 Banning 16

58 Artesia 56

95 San Pedro 22

66 Washington 43