LONG BEACH – Brea Olinda knew it got a tough draw and that it would be the underdog against top-seeded Long Beach Poly in the first round of the CIF-SS girls basketball playoffs.
The Ladycats were right, and the game went according to the seeding.
Long Beach Poly was suffocating on defense and physically punishing on offense in a win over Brea Olinda, 61-33, Saturday in an Open Division game at Long Beach Poly High on Saturday.
“In every other bracket, if you’re a pretty good team, your first two or three rounds are kind of instructional,” Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink said. “In the Open Division, there’s no such thing. You open against Poly. In the old days, you’d play them in the finals.”
Brea Olinda (21-6) falls to the Open Division consolation bracket and will host Orangewood Academy on Wednesday.
The Ladycats played tough in the first quarter and trailed by just six points, but Long Beach Poly (22-3) found its game in the second quarter.
“We slowed it down, took the air out of the ball,” Sink said. “We played with them, then we had to sub and got in foul trouble and they’re just so deep.”
Brea Olinda was called for 10 personal fouls before Long Beach Poly had committed four in the first half. Poly led at halftime, 31-14.
Ayanna Clark was a strong presence around the basket for Poly, as the 6-foot-4 center scored 15 points while collecting numerous rebounds and blocking shots.
The Jackrabbits extended their lead to 48-24 at the end of the thir quarter and went on to give Coach Carl Buggs his 500th career win.
Jasmine Rachal led the Ladycats with nine points.