With Leader Out, Brea Still Cruises

With its best player on the bench in street clothes and with a very real chance of failing to reach a Southern Section final for the first time in more than a decade, Brea Olinda needed a hero Tuesday.

It found two.

Sophomore Jennifer Katsuyama, known more for her defense, scored a game-high 22 points, and freshman Lauren Pedersen scored 14 as top-seeded Brea advanced to its 13th consecutive Southern Section final with a 57-28 victory over Santa Margarita in a Division II-AA semifinal at El Dorado High.

The performances by Katsuyama and Pedersen were part of a team effort that was stunning in its domination. Jackie Lord, Brea’s primary offensive threat--she is shooting 57.5% from beyond the three-point line and averaging 16.7 points--missed the game with a bum knee. “It could be as minor as a knee strain,” said Brea Coach Jeff Sink, “or it could be a partially torn medial collateral [ligament].”

Lord, injured in Brea’s quarterfinal victory, is seeing a doctor today and is unlikely to play Friday when Brea (25-4) takes on North Torrance at the Pyramid at Long Beach State.

“With Jackie out, someone had to step up and fill her role,” said Pedersen, who took Lord’s place in the starting lineup. “She’s a tremendous scorer.”

Pedersen made four of her first six field-goal attempts. Katsuyama, who hounded Santa Margarita point guard Kristin Lynch and held her to three points, was nine of 12 from the field. She also had five assists and four steals.

Tara Hefferly scored nine, had five assists and six steals as Brea’s full-court pressure forced 23 turnovers and ignited a 26-4 run when the score was tied, 8-8, with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter.

“We could never get anything going,” Santa Margarita Coach Rich Schaaf said. “We’re more of a finesse team. . . . and it was too physical for us.”

Santa Margarita (22-8) couldn’t exploit its size advantage after the first quarter, when Megan Moen scored six points, the team high.