Pointers See Themselves in Opponent

SAN DIEGO —  The character sketch of their opponent is something the Point Loma girls’ basketball players can relate to.

When the Southern California Regional Division II finalists take the court at the Los Angeles Sports Arena today, Pasadena Muir might give Point Loma a taste of what the Pointers have been dishing out all year.

“They are a little like us,” said Lee Trepanier, Point Loma coach.

Both teams have seniority--it will be close to a sweep. Junior Stacy Wainwright of Point Loma is the lone non-senior starter.

They are close in terms of height, too. Muir’s tallest players are 6-foot-1 forward Linda Armstrong and 6-1 center Josie Pachecho. Point Loma counters with 6-0 forward Tyeast Brown and 6-0 center Robin Rabello. On the other end of the yardsticks are Muir guard Rose Jong (5-2) and Point Loma guard Claudine Neves (5-5).

It will also be a rare opportunity for Point Loma (29-3) to meet a team that plays a similar man-to-man defense, which Trepanier says will be a welcome change.

“We’re almost zoned out,” he said.

Another similarity between Muir, the 4-AA Southern Section champion, and San Diego Section Division II champion Point Loma is balanced offense.

“All of them can score, but so can we,” Trepanier said.

Each of Muirs’ starters has scored at least 20 points in a game this season, and the Mustangs (28-5) often have had different leading scorers. Armstrong averages 14.5 points, forward Karen Banks 13.5 and Pachecho 12.5.

Brown averaged 24 points for Point Loma during the regular season and 27 in the playoffs before she was held to 10 by La Quinta. Forward Ericka Crittenden is averaging 13.5 points, Rabello 12.

Perhaps where Muir and Point Loma differ the most is their coaches’ approach to the opposition. Muir’s Mel Sims doesn’t scout. His philosophy is for his team to play its own game and see how things shape up.

Trepanier is known to prepare well for each game. He says with a man-to-man defense, individual match-ups are essential.

“You don’t want to take a quarter to figure those out,” he said.

In the Division I final against Morningside last year, the Pointers fell behind, 17-0, then made a valiant comeback but lost, 45-44.

Rabello is the only one of Point Loma’s starters who wasn’t on the team. She is confident of the Pointers’ chances against Muir.

“I think we’ll make it to the (state) finals,” she said.

The precedent has been set. Point Loma won four state titles from 1984-87. The Pointers have won 17 consecutive games. And their three losses, when Brown and Crittenden missing all three, were by a total of nine points.