You can view the Division 1AA bracket here. All first round games are on Saturday at 7 p.m. Here’s a deeper look at the draw:
The favorites
1. Bonita of La Verne (25-2): The Bearcats are propelled by UNLV-bound seniors Nikki Wheatley and Kandyce Smith. Wheatley scored 36 earlier this season in a 63-60 win over Brea Olinda.
2. Vista Murrieta of Murrieta (21-6): Jaelyn Brown (18.4 points, 9.7 rebounds per game) is rated the No. 2 player in the Class of 2016 by ESPN. Another sophomore, Brittney Reed, averages 16.5 points and 9.3 boards per game.
3. Long Beach Millikan (20-4): The Rams’ four losses came against Mater Dei, Windward and Long Beach Poly, the top three seeds in the Open Division. Millikan closed the season with authority in an 80-27 win at Lakewood.
From Orange County
7. Brea Olinda (17-7): The Ladycats pulled out two close wins against Foothill and El Dorado in the last two weeks to win the Century League. They could make a run but youth and lack of depth could hold them back. Sophomore point guard Reili Richardson has made huge plays late in games and junior Shaylissa Jarrett can be a dominant scorer at times.
Brea should be able to take care of Long Beach Jordan in the first round and either Roosevelt of Eastvale or La Quinta of La Quinta in the second round before a showdown with Vista Murrieta.
13. San Clemente (17-8): The Tritons rely heavily on senior Jessica De Gree, as evidenced by her 50-point explosion against Aliso Niguel last week. She averages 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. Senior Jenna Rodriguez provides another inside scoring threat.
San Clemente defeated its first-round opponent, Edison, 66-57 on Jan. 6. The winner would likely see fourth-seeded Great Oak of Temecula in the second round.
Los Alamitos (15-9): The Griffins have shown flashes of a dangerous team at times, challenging Huntington Beach (No. 4 in Orange County) twice before eventually faltering. Los Alamitos relies on the three-point shooting of Dani Iwami and Elise Laws and the interior presence of Erika Nilsen.
The Griffins open the playoffs with a tough matchup at Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta and the road won’t get any easier after that, with Vista Murrieta on tap in the second round.
Edison (14-11): Boasting impressive size, the Chargers had high expectations entering the season but came in fourth in the Sunset League. Edison’s lone senior, Loli Gomez, leads it with 10.3 points per game.
Edison lost to San Clemente earlier this season but showed it can hang. The Tritons must score inside to win and the Chargers have three players 6 feet tall or taller.
Aliso Niguel (12-12): The Wolverines improved for the third straight season under coach Edmond Johnson. Aliso Niguel senior Chloe Sharabba can be a high-volume scorer, putting up 33 against Dana Hills and playing a key part in some of the Wolverines best wins versus University and Estancia. But the Wolverines will face a stiff test from Millikan in the first round.
Finals prediction: Millikan over Bonita. The top-seeded Bearcats could have a difficult time with Valencia of Valencia in the quarters or Great Oak in the semis, but overall have the easier side of the draw. Brea and Centennial of Corona are both dark horses on the bottom half of the bracket.
