Breaking down Division 3A of the girls basketball playoffs:
DIVISION 3A
Top seeds: Orange Lutheran, South Pasadena, Santa Margarita, Lompoc
County representatives: Orange Lutheran, Santa Ana Valley, Ocean View, Santa Margarita,
Rapid Reaction: It’s not unreasonable to imagine a third meeting between Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita taking place, with the final installment being for a CIF championship. The Lancers earned the division’s top seed, and the Eagles were given the three-seed in the bottom half of the bracket.
Orange Lutheran put together two quality showings to close out the regular season, earning a 12-point win over Santa Margarita before a 16-point victory against Ribet Academy, one of the favorites in Division 5AA. Junior guard Taelor Griffin has emerged as a go-to threat for OLu, reeling off four straight double-digit scoring games to close out the regular season.
The Eagles won the Division 3A title last season and are plenty capable of repeating, but merely getting back to the final won’t be an easy task. No. 2 South Pasadena (21-1) is lurking at the very bottom of the bracket, and a semifinal matchup between the Eagles and Tigers would surely be great basketball to watch. South Pasadena’s only loss of the year was to Brea Olinda in early December. The Tigers also have four players averaging double figures this season, three of which are seniors.
If anyone knows how important upperclassmen are at this point in the year, it’s Santa Margarita. Former point guard Zaire Williams carried the Eagles to a championship a season ago in her senior campaign.
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