El Dorado’s quest for a CIF-SS girls basketball championship starts with a first-round playoff game against Torrance on Thursday night.
Sitting atop the 3AA bracket is top-seeded North Torrance, a team the Golden Hawks could see in the championship game the first weekend of March.
On top of that, there’s added motivation for the Golden Hawks after they fell just short of claiming a CIF crown last year with a loss to West Torrance in the 2A final.
Talk about a South Bay connection.
“I don’t know what the Torrance-Placentia connection is,” El Dorado coach Wayne Carlson chuckled. “I guess the CIF knows something I don’t.”
Whether or not they see another Torrance-based school in the 3AA final is meaningless to El Dorado. All the county’s fifth-ranked team cares about is hoisting the coveted CIF-SS plaque come March.
In Brooke Salas and Jaylin Jones, the Golden Hawks boast one of the area’s best scoring duos. If they hope to live up to their No. 2 seeding, though, Carlson’s club will have to get some contribution from outside his two All-County performers.
“We played well down the stretch,” Carlson added. “Foothill and Canyon, those were two good games for us. We really just need to get some scoring outside of Brooke and Jaylin.”
Against No. 6 Foothill, guards Jennifer Ventura and Madison Lawson locked up the team’s second-place finish in the Crestview League, chipping in with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Those two will be asked to knock down open shots throughout the postseason when Salas and Jones can catch opposing defenses cheating.
The other Golden Hawks player to keep an eye on is forward Miranda Martinez. The team’s 6-foot forward has a pair of 20-point performances under her belt this season and has shown the ability to step away from the basket to play a little pick and pop.
At the time of the season when possessions are at a premium, she’ll be asked to carry the torch for El Dorado when it comes do rebounding, limiting the opposition’s extra chances.
“She’s been a monster rebounding the ball all season,” Carlson said. “And those are the kinds of things you need to do to win in the playoffs. You got to be able to defend, make your free throws, and you can’t give up any easy baskets. And that’s what offensive rebounds are, easy points.”
El Dorado will open at home against Torrance (9-14) on Thursday night. It’ll be the third consecutive season the Golden Hawks and Tartars have squared off in the postseason. El Dorado has won both previous meetings, topping Torrance by six points in last year’s second round. In 2013, the Golden Hawks drubbed the Tartars by 24 points in the quarterfinals.
A third consecutive win against the South Bay school would pit El Dorado against Yorba Linda or Magnolia in Saturday’s second round.
TIME FOR TIP-OFF
The Open Division will officially kick off postseason play on Wednesday night. The county’s two Open Division teams, Mater Dei and Brea Olinda, both take the court that night for first-round games.
The Monarchs will host J.W. North of Riverside, while the Ladycats hit the road to take on Centennial of Corona.
On Thursday, Divisions 3AA through 6 take the floor. Saturday will be the last night of first-round action, as 1AA, 1A, 2AA and 2A get under way.
Championship games for all divisions will be held March 6 or 7 at one of three venues: Godinez High, Azusa Pacific University or the Honda Center.
Tickets throughout the postseason are $10 for general and $5 for students and children. Prices will go up for championship games.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
