Preview: SoCal Girls Finals

DIVISION II

Duke-bound Jayda Adams is the player who makes Mater Dei go. (Mater Dei High School)

MATCHUP: No. 1 Orangewood Academy-Garden Grove (22-9) vs. No. 2 seed Mater Dei-Santa Ana (23-8), March 17, 4:30 p.m. at Vanguard University
HISTORY: Orangewood Academy is a new kid on the block with respect to Southern Regional title games while Mater Dei has been in the fourth-most ever — but has a checkered 6-5 record across several divisions. The last time the Monarchs were in the SoCal finals was they lost to eventual state Div. II state-champion Cajon-San Bernardino. Two years ago they defeated Chaminade-West Hills in the Open Div. regional final.
ORANGEWOOD ACADEMY KEYS TO VICTORY: The Spartans were awarded the No. 1 seed due to a split with a Fairmont Prep-Anaheim team that was in the Open Division and had a 59-56 win over Mater Dei. One would think the three top scorers who played well in both the win and loss to Fairmont Prep, senior Estefania Giner (13.2 ppg average), senior Carolina Montes (11.6 ppg average) and junior Gabriela Rosas (9.6 ppg average), will need to do so again
MATER DEI KEYS TO VICTORY: Coach Kevin Kiernan has been here before. Besides guiding Mater Dei in seven SoCal title games with four wins, he was 4-1 in Div. II SoCal championship games at Troy-Fullerton. His 12 appearances are second only to the 13 of Terri Bamford of La Jolla Country Day, and coaching in these games and going for career coaching win No. 723 could be a factor in Kiernan’s favor. The biggest factor will be can Duke-bound wing Jayda Adams take over and lead the Monarchs and supporting cast like 6-2 junior Emma Torbert to a win and a shot at another state title?
PREDICTION: Mater Dei 58, Orangewood Academy 53

DIVISION III

MATCHUP: No. 6 seed Serra-San Diego (23-10) at No. 1 Rosary Academy-Fullerton (28-5), March 18, 6 p.m.
HISTORY: Rosary has been in a Southern Regional Division III title game twice and came up empty both times, losing in 1999 to Harvard-Westlake-North Hollywood and in 2001 to Bishop Montgomery-Torrance. Serra is making its first appearance in a SoCal Regional title game.
ROSARY ACADEMY KEYS TO VICTORY: Coach Richard Yoon knew his Royals girls would likely be in Div. III for the state playoffs so he scheduled a very tough non-league schedule and still went a very respectable 4-4 in the Trinity League. They lost a close game to Ventura and kept things close in one of their two league losses to Mater Dei. Because of that type of scheduling, the Royals are 74 spots ahead of Serra in the power rankings.
SERRA KEYS TO VICTORY: The Conquistadors were blown out by Mission Hills-San Marcos and La Jolla Country Day but only lost 65-52 to NorCal Div. I finalist Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills. As for a common opponent, they beat Mater Dei-Chula Vista by 12 points at home and lost by four on the road. Rosary was 56-54 winner over Mater Dei at the SoCal Holiday Classic.
PREDICTION: Rosary 61, Serra 58

DIVISION IV

MATCHUP: No. 3 Village Christian-Sun Valley (31-3) at No. 1 Los Osos-Rancho Cucamonga (26-3), March 18, 6 p.m.
HISTORY: Both teams are making their first Southern Regional title game appearance.
LOS OSOS KEYS TO VICTORY: This is a case where competitive equity stands out for Los Osos, a Div. III enrollment school that had to drop down to Div. IV due to the CIFSS having so many teams ahead of them in the pecking order. Prior to the playoffs, they only played a couple of teams from outside the Inland Empire but they have played mostly large schools including Etiwanda twice in Baseline League play and that should help.
VILLAGE CHRISTIAN KEYS TO VICTORY: Prior to the playoffs, the Crusaders had a steady diet of small schools, but in a current 15-game winning streak they do have a win over Oaks Christian-Westlake Village which started the streak and is probably their best win of the season. Head coach Jon Sampang will need to coax the best game of the season from his girls to win.
PREDICTION: Los Osos 57, Village Christian 52

DIVISION V 

MATCHUP: No. 5 seed Rolling Hills Prep-San Pedro at No. 3 seed Bellarmine-Jefferson-Burbank (28-3), Saturday, March 18, 7 p.m.
HISTORY: This is the only Southern Regional division where the top seed did not make it to the title game, but Bellarmine-Jefferson has been in two previous SoCal title games with a 1-1 record. Rolling Hills Prep has also been in two title games but will be looking for its first victory
BELLARMINE JEFFERSON KEYS TO VICTORY: Coach Claudia Villa has scheduled light, so it’s hard to figure just how good her Guards really are. Their best game may be a 38-27 loss to Div. IV finalist Village Christian — but that was in late November and they only scored 27 points. The Burbank girls will need to score more than that to win.
ROLLING HILLS PREP KEYS TO VICTORY: The Huskies league is very weak, but they did play a couple of good teams early on, including Mark Keppel-Alhambra in a 16-point loss. Since a loss to University Prep-Redding the week before Christmas, Rolling Hills Prep has strung together 28 straight wins — but they haven’t seen anyone like Bellarmine-Jefferson. It will take their best game of the season to advance to Sacramento next week.
PREDICTION: Bellarmine-Jefferson 47, Rolling Hills Prep 41