Brea Girls’ 183-Game Streak Ends

The inevitable finally happened Friday when one of the state’s most venerable record streaks came to an end.

Brea Olinda, which had not lost to a league opponent in girls’ basketball since the 1986-87 season, was defeated in overtime by Placentia El Dorado, 52-47, behind the strong play of Alysse Harbridge, who scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds in the Century League game.

Host El Dorado (15-3, 2-1), which also got 15 points from Jessica Case, benefited from a span of 5 minutes 14 seconds over the second and third quarters in which Brea made only one field goal. The Wildcats failed to score in overtime.

The span covered 183 games over 20 seasons, included three coaches, two leagues and only one overtime period. The last time Brea lost was to Placentia Valencia, 58-53, on Feb. 10, 1987, in the season’s second-to-last game.

Stockton St. Mary’s now assumes the longest league-winning streak at 107.

The loss endangers another state record. Brea has won 23 consecutive league titles, 10 more than the next current active streak. Brea (10-7, 2-1) is still to play No. 12 Villa Park (17-1, 3-0) next Friday before beginning the second round of league play.

Harbridge was so unstoppable that it forced Brea to put its best player on her early in the fourth quarter, but Jeanette Pohlen was quickly whistled for three fouls in a span of 1:54.

Although El Dorado went into the fourth quarter leading, 36-31, the score was tied or changed hands eight times in the quarter. Pohlen, who is averaging 21 points and 13 rebounds, tied the score, 47-47, with an inside shot with 35 seconds left, but fouled out 11 seconds later with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Sarita Stamps had 15 points, all on three-point shots, for Brea.

“The thing about a streak, it went on for almost 19 years,” Brea Coach Jeff Sink said. “Obviously, this is a tough loss and we all knew eventually it would happen, and I’d be lying if I said I wanted to be part of it, but I hope people recognize the accomplishment of the Brea program for years and years and years.”

--Martin Henderson

Boys’ Basketball

James Cawthorne finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Drew Viney added 16 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Villa Park (13-3, 3-0), which is ranked No. 12 in the Southland by The Times, to a 68-59 victory over Anaheim Canyon.

Sophomore guard Jerime Anderson had a career-high 27 points for Canyon, including 14 in the fourth quarter. San Diego State-bound Jon Pastorek, a 6-9 senior, added 15 points for the Comanches (14-6, 2-1).

-- Dan Arritt

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With its full-court press producing a steady flow of turnovers, No. 13 Ontario Colony (17-1 2-0) never relinquished the lead in the second half en route to a 71-59 Mount Baldy League victory over visiting Pomona Diamond Ranch (13-4, 1-1).

Colony trailed by nine points early in the game but opened a nine-point lead by halftime. Brandon Davis scored 19 points and Stedman Merritt added 16 to lead four players in double figures for the Titans, who face tough games next week against Villa Park on Monday at Santa Ana Century and No. 23 North Hollywood Campbell Hall on Saturday at Azusa Pacific.

Donte Smith paced Diamond Ranch with 16 points.

--Eric Sondheimer

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A top matchup today will feature No. 4 Westchester taking on No. 5 Compton Dominguez at 7 p.m. in the featured game of the Pangos Dream Classic at Hope International in Fullerton.

The Comets defeated Dominguez, 55-52, on Dec. 10 in the final of the Westchester tournament.

That game will conclude a five-game schedule: No. 23 North Hollywood Campbell Hall vs. La Canada Flintridge Prep, 1 p.m.; No. 6 Compton Centennial vs. Gardena Serra, 2:30 p.m.; Sherman Oaks Notre Dame vs. San Diego Hoover, 4 p.m.; No. 9 Pasadena v Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 5:30 p.m.

A number of showcases are planned for Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

In a game featuring ranked teams, Villa Park will play Colony at 8:15 p.m. in the last of seven boys’ games at Santa Ana Century. Another seven-game boys’ showcase is scheduled for Riverside King.