Top-Seeded Brea-Olinda Keeps Rolling Along

So much for Our Lady of Peace. Now, it’s on to more difficult tasks for the Brea-Olinda High School girls’ basketball team.

After beating Our Lady of Peace High of San Diego, 81-36, Tuesday in the first round of the Division III Southern California Regionals, Brea plays host to Reedley of the Central Section in a semifinal game at 7:30 tonight.

The winner advances to the regional final Saturday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Lemoore (19-8) plays Palm Desert (24-3) in tonight’s other Division III semifinal.

Top-seeded Brea (28-2) has had just one difficult game in postseason play thus far, and that was a seven-point victory over Lakewood St. Joseph in the Southern Section 3-A semifinals. The Wildcats, who won the 3-A title by 29 points over Atascadero last Friday, have won 19 consecutive games.

The Wildcats are unbeaten against California teams. Their only two losses came in the Christ the King tournament in New York City in December.

The question tonight is: Can Reedley (13-13) stay with Brea, much less beat the Wildcats?

Reedley put on a fine defensive showing in the second half in beating Ramona of San Diego, 54-26, in the first round.

The Pirates held Ramona to eight points in the second half, three in the third quarter. Ramona made just one field goal in the second half.

Tracy Ainger, a freshman forward, had 18 points to lead Reedley.

Aimee McDaniel, who had 22 points against Our Lady of Peace, leads Brea with a 15.3 scoring average. Tammy Blackburn (12.6 points a game) and Jinelle Williams (11.1) also average in double figures for Brea.

In Division II games:

Valencia (21-9) at Vista (27-3): Valencia wore down Mt. Whitney of Visalia in its first-round game. The Tigers used their speed and height advantages to win, 65-50. Kristen McDonald, a 6-foot senior center, had 24 points to lead Valencia.

It won’t be quite so easy tonight. Top-seeded Vista, which breezed past Canyon, 80-38, in the first round, has the size to match up with Valencia.

Chris Enger, Vista’s 6-4 senior center, averages 26 points a game. Tuesday, she had 43, outscoring Canyon by herself. Vista led, 35-22, at halftime against Canyon, but showed its explosiveness by outscoring the Comanches, 29-9, in the third quarter.

The winner meets the Muir-Katella winner for the Regional championship Saturday at the Sports Arena.

Muir (24-4) at Katella (27-3): This is rematch of the Southern Section 4-A title game a week ago.

In that one, Katella staged a dramatic, fourth-quarter rally and won in overtime, 54-48. Joni Easterly, a 5-11 guard, led the Knights with 34 points.

Easterly, who averages 22 points a game, topped last Thursday’s performance with a 36-point game in Katella’s 56-39 victory over San Marcos Tuesday.

Muir edged Bakersfield North, 62-56, in its first-round game.

If the Mustangs are to avoid a repeat of last week’s game, they need to handle the ball better and get it inside to 6-3 center Lisa Salsman. Salsman had just 12 against North Tuesday.