Brea Olinda cruises to Regionals final
Brea Olinda cruises to Regionals final
March 12, 2009 3:00 AM
Special To OCVarsity.com
:
The Ladycats handle Hanford for the third time, 73-40, and will face Mater Dei.
The Ladycats handle Hanford for the third time, 73-40, and will face Mater Dei.
BREA- With the game in hand and the clock winding down in the fourth quarter, Brea Olinda supporters began to chant "Mater Dei" in anticipation for a possible matchup with the state’s top-ranked team.
Saturday, they’ll get what they wished for.
Behind a stellar defensive performance, the Ladycats cruised past Hanford, 73-40, Thursday night in a CIF Southern California Regional semifinal at Brea Olinda High.
The Ladycats will play the Monarchs on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion at 2 p.m.
In the third meeting between the schools this season, Brea (31-2) forced the Bullpups to commit 22 turnovers, eight coming in the first quarter alone.
“It is tough to be a team three times, but we are humbled by it,” Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink said. “We played unbelievable defense, they average 81 points a game and we held them to 40.”
Tied 5-5 midway through the first quarter, the Ladycats’ defensive pressure forced Hanford (26-5) into causing six turnovers over its next seven possessions. Brea used a 16-0 run to take a 25-7 lead after eight minutes. Justine Hartman scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter, grabbing three offensive boards and converting them into points.
Brea senior Kendall Rodriguez led all scorers with 18 points and added a game-high nine rebounds to help the Ladycats return to the Regional finals.
“I’m ecstatic because we have played [Hanford]three times and it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Kendall Rodriguez said. “We had an entirely new game plan and obviously it worked since we were ready to play.”
Rodriguez filled the void inside when Hartman was taken out of the game in the second quarter after sustaining an eye injury. She did not return, but is expected to play Saturday.
Rodriguez gave the Ladycats a 41-10 lead with 3:35 remaining in the second quarter with an offensive putback. The Bullpups finished the quarter on an 8-0 run, making the score 41-18 at the half.
Brea’s Kelsey Harris and Jonae Ervin also finished in double-digits, scoring 12 points each.
Despite advancing to the finals for the second time in three seasons, Sink believes his team will be the underdog on Saturday.
“[Mater Dei]is the No. 1 team in the (state and county),” Sink said. “They’re favored and they’re No. 1, we’ll just see if we can even play with them.”
Saturday, they’ll get what they wished for.
Behind a stellar defensive performance, the Ladycats cruised past Hanford, 73-40, Thursday night in a CIF Southern California Regional semifinal at Brea Olinda High.
The Ladycats will play the Monarchs on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion at 2 p.m.
In the third meeting between the schools this season, Brea (31-2) forced the Bullpups to commit 22 turnovers, eight coming in the first quarter alone.
“It is tough to be a team three times, but we are humbled by it,” Brea Olinda coach Jeff Sink said. “We played unbelievable defense, they average 81 points a game and we held them to 40.”
Tied 5-5 midway through the first quarter, the Ladycats’ defensive pressure forced Hanford (26-5) into causing six turnovers over its next seven possessions. Brea used a 16-0 run to take a 25-7 lead after eight minutes. Justine Hartman scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter, grabbing three offensive boards and converting them into points.
Brea senior Kendall Rodriguez led all scorers with 18 points and added a game-high nine rebounds to help the Ladycats return to the Regional finals.
“I’m ecstatic because we have played [Hanford]three times and it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Kendall Rodriguez said. “We had an entirely new game plan and obviously it worked since we were ready to play.”
Rodriguez filled the void inside when Hartman was taken out of the game in the second quarter after sustaining an eye injury. She did not return, but is expected to play Saturday.
Rodriguez gave the Ladycats a 41-10 lead with 3:35 remaining in the second quarter with an offensive putback. The Bullpups finished the quarter on an 8-0 run, making the score 41-18 at the half.
Brea’s Kelsey Harris and Jonae Ervin also finished in double-digits, scoring 12 points each.
Despite advancing to the finals for the second time in three seasons, Sink believes his team will be the underdog on Saturday.
“[Mater Dei]is the No. 1 team in the (state and county),” Sink said. “They’re favored and they’re No. 1, we’ll just see if we can even play with them.”
Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com
