DIVISION 1AA

COUNTY OUTLOOK

 (Division 1AA girls basketball playoff bracket)

Brea Olinda: The 13th-seeded Ladycats hopes took a big hit when star point guard Anna Kim fractured her ankle a week ago. Without Kim in the lineup, the Ladycats closed out the regular season with back-to-back losses to Foothill and El Dorado and finished tied for first in the Century League with Foothill. The Ladycats will rely heavily on junior guard Arin Perry and senior forward Tori Bryant. Brea Olinda could end up playing fourth-seeded Long Beach Poly in the second round, so a deep playoff run seems unlikely this season.

Edison: The 12th-seeded Chargers are a dangerous team with St. Joseph’s-bound guard Geena Gomez on the roster. Junior guard Loli Gomez and freshman forward Justine Modde are also key contributors. Edison’s problem has been consistency. The Chargers could end up playing Long Beach Poly in the quarterfinals, which would be an interesting matchup.

Los Alamitos: The 10th-seeded Griffins closed out the regular season with an eight-game winning streak to win the Sunset League title. The Griffins are led by senior guard Kate McCutchen and freshman guard/forward Neah Odom. Los Alamitos got a very tough draw. They would probably face seventh-seeded Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley in the second round and then second-seeded Troy in the quarterfinals. The Griffins would be big underdogs in both games.

Mater Dei: The top-seeded Monarchs, ranked No. 1 in the county, No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 1 in the nation by ESPN, have won four consecutive CIF-SS titles and three consecutive state championships. To say they are the overwhelming favorite is an understatement. The Samuelson sisters, Karlie and Katie Lou, have been even better than advertised all season. Their remarkable 3-point shooting skills has led the Monarchs to an undefeated regular season. Sophomore point guard Andee Velasco has also been a bright spot for Mater Dei with her ability to lead the offense.

San Clemente: The 14th-seeded Tritons went undefeated in league to capture the South Coast League title. Senior forward Alexa Johnson and senior guard Frankie Pinto have been San Clemente’s leaders all season. The Tritons have a tough draw. They would probably play third-seeded Santiago of Corona in the second round in a game where they would be greatly outgunned.

Troy: This is the year the Warriors have been pointing to for a while. This is the senior year for guards Gabriella Hanson and Brianna Roberson and forward Alecia Dimas. The “Big Three” are all healthy and playing at a high level. Throw in freshmen point guard Barbara Sitanggan and forward Rebecca Lazuka and its easy to see why second-seeded Troy has high hopes for this postseason. The big games for Troy are potential rematches against Rancho Verde of Moreno Valley, Santiago of Corona and Mater Dei. Troy beat Ranncho Verde, but lost to Santiago and Mater Dei.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Monique Billings, Santiago of Corona, Jr.

Tori Bryant, Brea Olinda, Sr.

Arica Carter, Long Beach Poly, Jr.

Alecia Dimas, Troy, Sr.

Geena Gomez, Edison, Sr.

Gabriella Hanson, Troy, Sr.

Alexa Johnson, San Clemente, Sr.

Kate McCutchen, Los Alamitos, Sr.

Justine Modde, Edison, Fr.

Neah Odom, Los Alamitos, Fr.

Arin Perry, Brea Olinda, Jr.

Frankie Pinto, San Clemente, Sr.

Briana Roberson, Troy, Sr.

Chrishae Rowe, Santiago of Corona, Sr.

Karlie Samuelson, Mater Dei, Sr.

Katie Lou Samuelson, Mater Dei, So.

Andee Velasco, Mater Dei, So.

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